The CFPA Foto Flyer
The Foto Flyer is a newsletter of the California Fire Photographers Association. |
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Article for "Unified Response"
The California Fire Photographers Association
By: Ross A. Benson
Photographer & CFPA President
It’s 2:37 in the morning and you're on scene of a residential house fire or a traffic collision turned physical rescue. You can't help but notice a camera flash going off and it's driving you crazy. You say to yourself "Who in their right mind is up shooting pictures at this hour?"
The person behind that camera might just be one of our members. We are the California Fire Photographers Association.
Many of you have seen us at structure fires, physical rescues, Fire Service Day events and many fire related events and not even known it. Pictures shot by our members likely highlight the pages of some of those magazines littering your firehouse or office.
The C.F.P.A. was formed over 12 years ago by a small group of photographers who chose to band together to share their interest in photography. Today the CFPA in a non-profit organization consisting of over 25 members, many of whom live or work in the cities that make up ‘Area C’. We are proud to have some of the nation's finest fire photographers in our ranks. During the recent firestorms, several of our members trekked from Simi Valley to Lake Arrowhead in the same day chasing the firefighting action, shooting pictures and recording history.
Depending on their individual affiliations, C.F.P.A. members supply pictures to news agencies, magazine editors, arson investigators and even advertisers. Some of our pictures are used for educational and training purposes, as evidence in court and even as decoration on station walls. There are C.F.P.A. photographers who also volunteer hundreds of hours of service to the Los Angeles County and Pasadena Fire Departments. They assist these departments with their photographic needs. We have members who shoot video in addition to still photography and market their work.
C.F.P.A. members come from all walks of life. Our membership is comprised of business owners, members of the media, teachers and homemakers. A couple of our members are full time firefighters, one member is a private investigator, and two are full time police officers.
C.F.P.A. members meet on a regular basis to share their stories and to keep up on today’s ever-changing photographic world.
The C.F.P.A. holds quarterly general membership meetings. In December we hold elections for our Board of Directors and have a holiday celebration, often at an ‘Area C’ station. We also hold an annual photo contest to display and honor photographic skill and excellence within our membership.
Members of the C.F.P.A. do what they do for many reasons. Some take pictures for a living, some do it to honor the heroes among us, others do it out of pure enjoyment. No matter what their reason, C.F.P.A. members all share one common passion: fire photography. To contact a member of the C.F.P.A. or see some of their work, visit us at our web page www.cfpafirephoto.org
