Skip to main content

The noise has gone

A huge pall of black smoke in the sky emanating from an industrial area I've photographed in the past had me get home from work, eat cake for fuel, drink a half cup of water and head back out with a camera. I was tired but I thought the smoke was somehow a significant opportunity, it might 'mean something'.  I'd have preferred to be lazy and not go but I'd have regretted it, for days afterwards imagining a possible important shot I could have missed.  Then again I didn't go with the expectation of getting a good shot, either.  And there was the 'interaction, or social embarrasment' factor, fear of rebuke.

It was only a ten minute cycle ride away - partly through the yukky tasting cloud - and turned out to be the place where I'm pretty sure the terrible crashing noise was coming from yesterday.

I was surprised to see as I got near that there was a steady stream of cars and people on foot and children on bikes (and trikes) making their way to the source of the smoke.

The fire brigade had already started cordoning off - and they were unexpectedly polite asking people to move back.  There were regular small explosions like gunshots and they seemed cautious about tackling it.  If I'd been the first there I'd have been keen to fill the frame with smoke and flame but given a choice the angry melancholy of smoke is more interesting anyway.

As I left the area I stopped to take some shots from the street by a fertilizer storage depot and some chavvy bloke leaving there gave me a shitty comment about taking pictures.  So I got the rebuke as anticipated: One thing's for sure in this life, there's always gonna be someone to tell you what you can and can't do.

No-one was injured in the fire.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-13910594