Happy Thanksgiving and a Great Video Hosting Site

Happy Thanksgiving all!

With events like those in Mumbai occurring all too frequently, I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to be blessed with the friends and family that I have. This includes all of you!

One more thing: While following such photographers as Chase Jarvis and others, I recently discovered a fantastic site to host videos such as the ones I shot during the recent Triangle Complex wildfires. Free to join and FREE video storage! You can also embed your videos directly onto your website. Check it out. I’ve posted the videos from the fires on my Viddler.com page: http://www.viddler.com/explore/cdurling/videos/

Eat well, celebrate what you have and be safe out there!

Craig

 

 

So Cal Wildfires

Hey folks,

 

Spent all day/night yesterday at the Sayre and Corona wildfires (Corona has since been renamed as part of the “Triangle Complex Fire”.  Some incredible images and incredible firestorm conditions.  Block after block of SFD’s fully involved in fire with minimal suppression resources available.  I’ll be editing some of the images later today and will get them up on my site shortly.  For now, I’ve put Episode 15 of the Fireground Action Photography podcast up on the site at http://www.firegroundaction.com/Media.html and on iTunes.  This is a special episode because I carried a handheld MP3 recorder to the front lines with me to share the experience and the sounds of the fire.  Thanks to Ed Sherman, Keith Cullom, Glenn Zachman and Doug Pearson for their contributions to the show.  

 

The fires are still burning but please take some time out to download and listen to the podcast.  Images will follow, and if time permits, I will compile an enhanced version of the podcast complete with images.  Recording the action on the front lines was a unique experience.  I shot stills, video and audio.  Added to the normal chaos of a wildfire, I truly tested myself and I must say, I’m pleased with the results.  For example, while watching a Cathedral City engine company being overrun by flames, I was shooting stills with one hand, and recording video and audio with the other.  I’ll post everything as the week progresses and time permits.

 

Best wishes to not only the victims of these fires, but the public safety personnel and fellow fire photographers still out there.  

  

I’ll share one more thought.  I will never forget the pride I felt in one neighborhood in Yorba Linda when I was photographing a fully involved SFD with only two handlines in operation to extinguish it.  The amazing and unforgettable part for me was the image of a firefighter on the nozzle and three police officers backing him up on the line.  Next to that was another police officer putting out spot fires with a garden hose.  Absolutely amazing.  I’m getting emotional just remembering the moment.  Never before have I been so proud of my brothers in blue.  Although I didn’t jump on the line with them, I felt that documenting their efforts for history was why I was put in that neighborhood at that moment in time.  Otherwise, the public may never have known of the heroic efforts of these firefighters and police officers.  With a heartfelt thank you, job well done to all… 

New episode of the FAP podcast features some old friends…

The latest episode (#12) of my Fireground Action P hotography podcast is in the pipeline and available for download at the website www.firegroundaction.com or at iTunes.

What’s special about this episode for me is that I’m joined by some great old friends from my hometown of Boston, Rick Nohl and Ted Pendergast. These great guys are the reason I got into fire photography 19 years ago. I met Rick while attending college in Boston – we lived in the same dorm during our freshman year. I had been shooting spot news on a freelance basis for some local papers but it wasn’t until I met Rick and his friend Ted that I caught the fire photography bug.

What stinks about living 3000 miles from old friends and family is that you tend to lose touch very easily. Life happens, I know. With the advancements in technology, however, I’m able to bridge that gap. Using a program called “Skype”, Rick, Ted and I were able to talk with each other via high speed internet on our computers using headsets. When you listen to Episode 12 that’s what we were doing and I think it sounded great. Oh, did I mention that computer to computer conversations are free!?! Yup. So, using a conference call with Skype, three old friends (not mention my friend and co-host Ross B!) were reunited for an evening of fun and photography for your listening pleasure. I hope you enjoy the show, and the rest of the series.

www.emergencyserviceimages.com – Featuring the photography of Rick Nohl
www.firstduephotos.com – Featuring the photography of Ted Pendergast
www.skype.com – Internet-based phone and communication service

Moving right along…

Well I’ve come up for air and wanted to leave you a note. Sorry it’s been so long since my last post but things have been crazy.

1. The Alaska trip was a total success! Six plane flights and 4,000 plus images later I came back with what I call my “money shot”. That classic shot of the Grizzly atop the falls with it’s mouth open about to receive an unsuspecting Salmon as it jumps the falls. Check out this preview gallery: http://www.craigdurling.com/Alaska%202008.html. Once I get an opportunity to sift through the rest of the images I’ll put some more up. The “money shot” is the last one shown on the preview page. I definitely got what I went for…that shot is THE reason I went to Katmai. I haven’t even had time to work on the Bermuda images but I will prioritize the Alaska stuff.

2. My first podcast “Fireground Action Photography” has officially launched and is being carried through Feedburner and iTunes. Please subscribe and download it! I’m new to podcasting so please be kind as I learn the ropes and hopefully get better. http://www.firegroundaction.com/Media.html

3. I’ll be heading to Vegas later this week to attend the New Media Expo. I hope to learn more about podcasting, blogging, etc. as well as do some great networking with those in the biz. http://www.newmediaexpo.com

I hope to blog more frequently as things progress with my multimedia efforts. See you next time and be well.

Craig