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    • Yeah, I saw that earlier today--some amazing pics. If you're seriously considering it, make sure to take the training the author suggested first.

    • I did a stint for three years as a wildland hotshot firefighter. Yes, firefighters will treat and look at you with total contempt mostly because you are a perceived liability. If you had to, make sure you buy the correct nomex fire redardant shirt and pants. Also, if you do not have an "emergency shelter" you might get shut out. Fires and winds can change in a micro-second.

      That being said, my 1st commercial photo was for the inside page of a Wildland Firefighting rag. LOL

    • I used to work in TV news in Sacramento. Just once I went with a cameraman to cover the big wildfire du jour. We had a tight timeline, but I remember it being challenging to actually find the flames, silly as that may sound. Forests don't have that many roads. We did get there, though. It was impressive to see the flames rush up a hill to a house we had just vacated.

      What struck me is that the wildfire wasn't like a fireplace, logs slowly burning. Rather, it all happened in a big whoosh and then moved on, more or less.

      Also, you and your gear will stink of smoke forever.

    • You nailed it. In the photo I took, it was a controlled burn in Florida with really tall timber and we actually were monkeying around for about 15 minutes trying to get a compelling shot as I was shooting with a very basic Nikon SLR at the time.