Justin Sullivan has been exploring photography in the greater Cape Town region for the past 2 years, broadening his expertise in Documentary Photography – specialising in Cape Wild Fires, using his Nikon D750 and Nikkor 24-70mm lens.
His documentary work from numerous Wild Fires around Cape Town has been highly recognised both locally and internationally, with various publications for print and online media.
What Justin put his Nikon gear through as he documented these wildfires is testimony to the incredible craftsmanship and technological expertise synonymous with the Nikon brand.
Here is his story…
Of the more than 40 wildfires in the 2016/2017 season, I spent at least 5 of those shooting through the night on the mountain with crews of +16 hour shifts each time.
I was water bombed at least 8 times as helicopters dropped water on fire lines in which my equipment got wet. Amazingly after a few minutes in the sun, the equipment was dry and running perfectly.
My camera and lens were exposed to extreme heat, dust and flying embers on multiple occasions and I never had any faults with the motors, buttons or performance. I only ever carried 2 Nikon batteries with me, which allowed me to shoot full albums and video content without even coming close to running out of battery life.
I was able to shoot night portraits and action shots with high ISO settings at optimal quality.
Throughout the season I had 3 flash hoods burned, two pairs of trousers, one pair of shoes and multiple blisters and burn marks on my hands, neck and face. I am utterly amazed at the incredible durability and resilience of my Nikon equipment while being exposed to such extreme conditions for such an extended length of time.
See the link below regarding the launch of the Before the Burn project fund.
The purpose of this fund is to invest in worthy projects and programs that promote preventative measures such as fire Awareness and Education. Please show your support by visiting the page and keeping an eye out for the official launch in weeks to come
View his “100 Images to honor SA Firefighters” album on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/SullivanPhotographyZA/photos/?tab=album&album_id=760255504149641
More images below:
