a slightly different focus

Warning: A long, rambling, and — perhaps — nonsensical post. I don’t do as much personal stuff here as I used to at the old web site and blog, so … well, forgive. Read on.

Dan, Doug, and various other friends in crowds — and bands — I love, please bear with me. Going downtown tonight wasn’t in the cards. Why? Well, a bit of neighborhood tragedy.

You see, I was at Gerald’s tonight, geeking (surprise), with the intention of catching a meal together, after which we were both headed down to enjoy the “dueling bands.” A good night’s plans — I was very much looking forward to it.

Indeed, I’d worked together with Dan’s band, Magnificent Bastard, to do the publicity for tonight’s event:

MagTard — the July 12 Handout

But.

It’s 7:45, and Gerald and I are contemplating what to do about dinner when we hear sirens. Closer than usual — indeed, close enough to worry. We run outside. The house kitty-corner across the street from Gerald’s had caught fire, and all hell is breaking loose.

Suddenly, there are four fire trucks, with associated personnel, running about. The neighborhood has gathered on the opposite sidewalk. The homeowner, freshly back from the store to the most unpleasant surprise of all, is comforted by friends. It’s … wow. A tragedy unfolding right in front of us.

My next thought: the camera’s in the car. A 180, running back up the driveway, and suddenly, “armed,” looking at the scene differently: there’s photography here.

Again, though: But.

This isn’t Oklahoma City and a photograph of a baby, as someone mentioned later. This is a woman’s house burning in a small city, not a national event. How do you photograph something like this?

Hopefully with honor:

Ladder Pump, at the Scene

When I got home, I was honestly surprised at how few photographs I’d taken; if asked, I thought it was several hundred, but it turned out to be only 107 — for me, relatively spare. It sure felt like more — I guess the circumstances made the scene stretch, as in how time seems slower in those life-changing events:

Community Support

This is how pretty much everyone felt: comfort your loved one in empathy for what’s been lost. I sure wanted to go home and hug my cats … while simultaneously making sure my house was okay!

By “honor,” I’m referring to what to photograph in a situation like what happened tonight. As it turns out, I did take a photograph of the the removal of one of the dogs, unfortunately not alive, and another of the owner, an older woman, in great distress over the body — with her still-smoking, former residence in the background.

I deleted them both.

Why? This isn’t Oklahoma City. This isn’t important on a “the public’s gotta know about this” sort of scale. The woman, whose name I don’t know, deserves some privacy.

Further, the photographs were upsetting. There’s absolutely no reason to compound the distress by publishing them. One instance where I’m glad to not work for a newspaper or the like, where the “public interest to know” would rule. Yuk.

By 10pm — when I was supposed to be at the Rookery, ready to enjoy — the fire department was still there, working hard to discover the source of the fire; investigators were working with the owner under flood- and flashlights, diligently working towards answered questions:

Fire Details, Discussed

Two things help battle the gloom after tonight’s neighborhood tragedy:

- Macon’s Fire Department. I’m glad to know these guys will be answering the call:

Macon-Bibb, in Action

- The neighborhood. Folks were genuinely concerned tonight, something I hope is universal, but which I feel here in a way I haven’t felt since living in small-town Maine.

…With cute kids:

Marion’s (Almost) Smile

In all honesty, I wish I could go to bed tonight (5am — ahem) like that little one: awed by the scene, yet trusting that things will be okay.

The reality, though, is very different: my sweet cats, all my stuff, and, perhaps most relevant to the folks out there, my photography server, are all under one roof. Hmmmmmmm….

Off to plan redundant servers, hug the cats — and check the smoke alarm batteries.

Please, be safe.

See the full gallery. Thanks.

Two technical notes, if you’ll please:

• The expected photography this evening involved bands in (dark) bars downtown, including backstage access. As such, my camera kit consisted of a wide-angle, non-zoom lens — hardly ideal for a situation like a house fire it’s not safe to get close to. That said, I’m happy with the photographs published; despite not being quite “journalistic,” I truly feel they honor the community’s experience tonight. “Trying to make the best,” as they say…;)
  
• I actually captioned the published photographs (shame on me for not doing it more often). The best way to view with both title and caption is to click the link above, then click again on the first photo. Then, use the arrows to the left and right of the photographs to scroll through the gallery. If you’re not using a large screen, the system will let you click on a photo to enlarge; click again to close the enlargement.