MILLERS FALLS — There is a bit of light, a small spark in the eyes of some firefighters, particularly those captured in professional photographer Derrick Zellmann’s photographs.
In his portrait series “Facing the Fire” viewers get a raw, close and personal look at the eyes of the men and woman who risk their lives for others. The photos aim to show that these people are not only firefighters, they are neighbors, brothers and sisters.
“I wanted to give people the opportunity to look them right in the eye,” said Zellmann, who grew up in Turners Falls. “These guys are just human, too. They do this incredible job, but they are everyday people, your neighbor, your cousin. I wanted to create the feeling of being in the room with them and make them look as iconic as they are.”
With a father on the Turners Falls Fire Department, Zellmann grew up in the firehouse, surrounded by firefighters. Later in life, he spent 12 years as a call firefighter for the same department before becoming a professional photographer.
While working as a firefighter was an incredible experience, he does not anticipate he will return to fighting fires anytime soon. Photography is his passion now and it doesn’t leave much time for anything else, he said.
At a recent one-day pop-up gallery in Millers Falls, community members saw his photography project, “Facing the Fire,” a portrait series featuring the Boston Fire Department.
Compiled over two years in firehouses across the city, the project takes inspiration from iconic statues of Greek and Roman Warriors. The photos aim to capture a raw, authentic and up-close-andpersonal look at the faces of real-life heroes.
The portraits are of the men and women in their firefighting gear, holding axes, wearing helmets. They capture the full spectrum of diversity in firefighting.
The photos show rookies and seasoned veterans including Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph E. Finn. The prints are gritty, black and white, and full of emotion. Many of the firefighters are staring straight into the camera.
Zellmann’s “Facing the Fire” portrait series has become his largest personal project and evolved from a deep passion for portraiture and his own experience with the Turners Falls Fire Department.
This ongoing project is Zellmann’s way to honor the lives that these heroes live every day and still hold onto the time he spent in the firehouse.
“They are just like you or I, but they have a passion for helping,” he said.
The project came about when he moved to Boston last year and was interested in tackling a big project. He has already taken nearly 100 photos and the collection is only growing.
As of now, the project doesn’t have an endpoint. What began with him visiting a couple fire stations here and there, expanded and continued to snowball. He hopes that the photography project will grow into a book.
One day, he would also love to travel to capture the faces of firefighters around the country and even around the world.
Zellmann started getting serious about photography in college at Bridgewater State University, outside of Boston. He learned that he wanted work as a photographer full time, and pursed it professionally at the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls.
Now he is based in Boston, where he works as a professional photographer, but travels to Turners Falls multiple times a week to teach portraiture courses at Hallmark.
You can reach Lisa Spear at: lspear@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 280