Photographer Philomena Hughes found herself in some unfamiliar situations when she shot the images for the 2015 Prince George Firefighters calendar.
Usually ensconced in a studio taking family portraits, Hughes stood knee deep in the Nechako River and perched nearly 100 feet in the air at the top of a fully-extended ladder - and that was just to get just two of the 14 images collected for this year's edition.
"This was so different from what I typically do," Hughes said Wednesday. "That was the best part, it really is just great to get out of the work that you're normally doing."
Rather than the beefcake shots that have become a tradition for calendars like these, Prince George Fire Rescue opted for photos of what they actually do on the job, and as Hughes found out, fighting fires nis ot the only service they provide.
Mostly through a series of staged shots, Hughes depicted firefighters performing such duties as dealing with hazardous materials, and providing emergency medical treatment, high-angle rescues and swift-water rescues.
Many of the photos feature city scenery and landmarks in the background and were taken over the course of six months to capture most of the seasons of a Prince George year.
Through it all, Hughes never felt like she was in danger.
"You have to really trust that these guys are going to get you up that ladder and down that ladder safely," Hughes said. "And it's the same with photography. If I say to them, 'you'll look better if you look that way,' they have to trust that I'm making them look good too."
In all 14 photos were chosen from about 17 sessions. All the work was done on firefighters' time off, some of them just after completing a shift, with each of the sessions taking two to three hours.
Hughes' attention to detail was such that she once sent them back out into the water five times to get the right shot of the river rescue.
"The men were very willing to do anything to get the shot and they understood the perspectives I needed to get," Hughes said.
It wasn't all action shots. in commemoration of the city's 100th birthday, the cover photo is of a vintage 1920s fire truck parked on the front lawn at city hall with the No. 1 hall in the background.
In all 3,000 calendars were printed and so far just 700 have been sold. They're available for $20 each at Save On Foods and Canadian Tire and the proceeds go to the B.C. Professional Firefighters Burn Fund which is behind a major project in Vancouver.
Now under construction at a spot between Vancouver General Hospital and B.C. Children's Hospital, the Burn Fund Centre will provide a home away from home for patients receiving treatment for burns. The fund is $1 million shy of its $13-million goal for the centre.
The fund also puts money towards a summer camp were young burn survivors can bond and share their experiences as well as supporting research into burn treatment and backing burn prevention and education campaigns.
