u/rj43mm

Black firefighters have played an important role in American history, but many of their stories remain largely unknown.
A firefighter and documentary photographer has been traveling across the country photographing Black firefighters, documenting their history, everyday lives, and contributions to their communities.
NBC Bay Area recently covered the project.

It’s interesting how much positive Black news rarely makes it into the broader conversation.

You may have seen some of my photographs from other cities, or some of my street work here before.

I’m a firefighter/paramedic and documentary photographer traveling the country documenting firefighters and the communities around them.

This is Station 55 in Houston—a rookie catching the plug, pulling lines and learning the job.
I share the larger body of work on IG: @rj43mm

Hope you see the triangle in the first shot.

Had to throw in Yordan Alvarez in there too just for fun.

You may have seen my Black Firefighter Project.

I spent a few quiet hours downtown following the hard light, long shadows, and people moving through them. These are a few of the frames that stayed with me -rj43mm

Hope you see the triangle in the first shot.

Instagram - rj43mm

Had to throw in Yordan Alvarez in there too just for fun.

You may have seen my Black Firefighter Project.

I spent a few quiet hours downtown following the hard light, long shadows, and people moving through them. These are a few of the frames that stayed with me.

I’m a Black firefighter/paramedic documenting Black firefighters across the country for a long-term project called The Color of Fire. You may have seen my work in Brooklyn, Chicago, New Orleans, and Detroit.

This is Houston, Part 1.

I’m photographing the fire service from inside the institution - not just calls and apparatus, but the people, history, relationships, downtime, and communities around the job.

I’m continuing the project through several more cities this year. If you want to follow the rest of the journey, I’m @rj43mm on ig.

I photographed riders, families and young people across several locations in the Houston area, including cowboys gathering and working cattle. These photographs were not made at one ranch. I wanted to document the coordination between riders, horses and cattle, along with the quieter moments surrounding the work.

While photographing in Houston, I spent time with riders, families and young people connected to the area’s Black cowboy culture, including cowboys gathering and working cattle. These photographs were made across multiple locations in the Houston area, not one ranch. I wanted the series to show the work, relationships and traditions continuing there today.

You prob seen my photography here before
with my project “The Color of Fire” on Black Firefighters?

I’m a documentary photographer @rj43mm and firefighter from the DC area.
Whenever I travel, I spend as much time as I can walking the city with a camera.

I met some genuinely kind people, walked for miles, got caught in the rain more than once, and came home with a lot more photographs than I expected.

None of these moments were staged. I just walked, waited, and photographed what unfolded.

Hope I did the city justice.

Camera: Q3 43mm
I’m a documentary photographer @rj43mm and firefighter from the DC area.
Whenever I travel, I spend as much time as I can walking the city with a camera.

I met some genuinely kind people, walked for miles, got caught in the rain more than once, and came home with a lot more photographs than I expected.

None of these moments were staged. I just walked, waited, and photographed what unfolded.

Hope I did the city justice.

I’m a documentary photographer @rj43mm and firefighter from the DC area.
Whenever I travel, I spend as much time as I can walking the city with a camera.

I met some genuinely kind people, walked for miles, got caught in the rain more than once, and came home with a lot more photographs than I expected.

None of these moments were staged. I just walked, waited, and photographed what unfolded.

Hope I did the city justice.

I’m a documentary photographer @rj43mm and firefighter from the DC area.
Whenever I travel, I spend as much time as I can walking the city with a camera.

I met some genuinely kind people, walked for miles, got caught in the rain more than once, and came home with a lot more photographs than I expected.

None of these moments were staged. I just walked, waited, and photographed what unfolded.

Hope I did the city justice.

I struggled to find the right Eminem song for this. I used Big Sean, Get up. 8 mile wouldnt fit the vibe. I did include the Eminem mural outside of Little Caesar’s Center. Theres a few Royce songs I thought could fit.

All net proceeds from The Last Dance are being donated to the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

The project was photographed at Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque and documents the dancers, families, and quieter moments surrounding one of the largest Native cultural gatherings in North America, attended by nearly 200,000 people.

The photographs became a limited 100-copy zine, with only 20 copies remaining, but the work has always been about preserving moments that deserve to exist beyond a screen.

I’d be interested to hear which photograph stands out most.

All net proceeds from The Last Dance are being donated to the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

The project was photographed at Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque and documents the dancers, families, and quieter moments surrounding one of the largest Native cultural gatherings in North America, attended by nearly 200,000 people.

The photographs became a limited 100-copy zine, with only 20 copies remaining, but the work has always been about preserving moments that deserve to exist beyond a screen.

I’d be interested to hear which photograph stands out most.

The Last Dance is my first independently produced photo zine, but it comes out of years of documentary photography and long-form visual storytelling.

The work was photographed at Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, one of the most significant Native cultural gatherings in the country, with roughly 200,000 people attending. This was also the final year of the event in its longtime form, which gave the project added historical weight.

I produced a limited edition of 100 copies. Eighty sold through my website in the first four weeks, and all net proceeds are being donated to the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

The photographs were made with a Leica Q3 43, and I approached the publication with the same level of attention I bring to the field: sequencing, pacing, tonal consistency, print reproduction, and the physical rhythm of the page turns.

I chose a 6 × 9 format because it felt intimate without making the photographs feel small. The heavier paper stock gave the zine the weight and presence I wanted, and I used single-sided printing so each image could stand on its own without competing with another photograph on the reverse.

I printed the edition through Mixam. The detail, blacks, paper weight, binding, and overall finish gave the work the quality I needed before putting it into the hands of collectors and bookstores.

The publication process also required a different kind of discipline: editing the sequence, preparing files for print, proofing, pricing, shipping, and placing the work in stores for the first time. Seeing it reach the shelves at Quimby’s in New York was an important step.

The main lesson was not about photography. It was about production. Next time, I would build more time into proofing, test additional paper options, and make a few layout decisions earlier so the final print stage moves faster.

I’m currently continuing The Color of Fire, my long-term documentary project on Black firefighters across the United States. That work is being shared at @rj43mm and will eventually become a book. The Last Dance has given me a stronger foundation for how I want that publication to look, feel, and function.

The Last Dance is my first independently produced photo zine, but it comes out of years of documentary photography and long-form visual storytelling.

The work was photographed at Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, one of the most significant Native cultural gatherings in the country, with roughly 200,000 people attending. This was also the final year of the event in its longtime form, which gave the project added historical weight.

I produced a limited edition of 100 copies. Eighty sold through my website in the first four weeks, and all net proceeds are being donated to the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

The photographs were made with a Leica Q3 43, and I approached the publication with the same level of attention I bring to the field: sequencing, pacing, tonal consistency, print reproduction, and the physical rhythm of the page turns.

I chose a 6 × 9 format because it felt intimate without making the photographs feel small. The heavier paper stock gave the zine the weight and presence I wanted, and I used single-sided printing so each image could stand on its own without competing with another photograph on the reverse.

I printed the edition through Mixam. The detail, blacks, paper weight, binding, and overall finish gave the work the quality I needed before putting it into the hands of collectors and bookstores.

The publication process also required a different kind of discipline: editing the sequence, preparing files for print, proofing, pricing, shipping, and placing the work in stores for the first time. Seeing it reach the shelves at Quimby’s in New York was an important step.

The main lesson was not about photography. It was about production. Next time, I would build more time into proofing, test additional paper options, and make a few layout decisions earlier so the final print stage moves faster.

I’m currently continuing The Color of Fire, my long-term documentary project on Black firefighters across the United States. That work is being shared at @rj43mm and will eventually become a book. The Last Dance has given me a stronger foundation for how I want that publication to look, feel, and function.

Spent the evening documenting the summer games at Barry Farm in Southeast DC. The atmosphere, competition, and community around these games are something special. Thought some people here might appreciate a look at one of DC’s most well-known basketball traditions.

Leica Q3 43mm