When Javelin got in touch about a new campaign for FireIreland.ie, I was all in. The concept developed by Ian and the team was simple but powerful: show the dual lives of retained firefighters. People who might run a creche or work as a carpenter by day, but also dedicate a significant amount of time to the Fire Service.
What made this campaign so special is that it wasn’t a concept created in isolation, the people we photographed actually live those lives. Deborah a creche owner, Ed a Carpenter, each one also serves as a firefighter, ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Our job was to bring that duality to life through bold, cinematic images that kept the authenticity.
Everyday Heroes — Shooting for FireIreland
When Javelin got in touch about a new campaign for FireIreland.ie, I was all in. The concept developed by Ian and the team was simple but powerful: show the dual lives of retained firefighters. People who might run a creche or work as a carpenter by day, but also dedicate a significant amount of time to the Fire Service.
What made this campaign so special is that it wasn’t a concept created in isolation, the people we photographed actually live those lives. Deborah a creche owner, Ed a Carpenter, each one also serves as a firefighter, ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Our job was to bring that duality to life through bold, cinematic images that kept the authenticity.
A big creative challenge was recreating those ‘day job’ environments within the constraints of our location, a working training centre. With a bit of ingenuity, we turned one room into a creche and transformed an outbuilding into a believable building site. It was a bit of set dressing, a bit of problem-solving, and a lot of teamwork.
Shooting at the training centre added a real layer of authenticity, not just in the backdrop, but in the energy of the space. We had full access to gear, engines, tools, and even a surprise haze machine. (Technically, it was a smoke simulation container, but when the doors opened and the smoke poured through our scene, it felt like we luck was on our side.)
We wrapped the shoot with some full-action hose spray and car cutting setups and left stinking of smoke and a little damp but happy with a great days shoot!
All made possible by my team on this one. Dylan for the Digi, Thomas for the Assist and Matt for the Retouch.
Massive thanks to Javelin for bringing me on board and to the brilliant people we photographed for letting us tell a slice of their story. This one was a joy.
