About the Photographer
Steven "Doc" Bernard
Since late high school, Steven Bernard has been behind a camera of one type or another. Whether shooting as his high school yearbook photographer or capturing high-risk photojournalism for the film and news industries, he has also become one of the few photographers in the country specializing in emergency services photography. As a certified firefighter, he even brings still cameras into burning structures to document the intense moments. Known as "Doc" to his friends, he has a deep compassion for "getting the shot" in firefighter photography.
Having shot for such clients as the US Army, USMC, Porsche, Chase Car Inc., Glock, The Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and Travel, numerous news agencies (both print and televised), major motion pictures, local governments, DINFOS, and police/fire departments, Doc brings a level of wide-ranging experience and professionalism to every assignment, including his expertise in emergency services photography and firefighter photography, as well as a strong foundation in photojournalism.
With a concurrent career path in Fire/EMS as a firefighter, USN Corpsman, paramedic, AEMT, Investigator, Inspector, and Engineer, this diverse experience has instilled an attention to detail that he applies to his emergency services photography. This unique background allowed him to become one of the few photojournalists in Southern California authorized to document inside LACFD and LAFD fire scenes, working alongside firefighters. That privileged access helped Steven capture award-winning firefighter photography that highlights the difficulties and dangers firefighters face every day.
Doc has shot in many locations, environments, and situations across the world, from Malaysia to Nicaragua and throughout the US. Whether documenting riots in Los Angeles through photojournalism, filming underwater videography for film, or capturing emergency services photography by photographing out a car window at nearly 100 mph, Doc has ventured into unique scenarios. He has entered a burning building to document fellow firefighters, showcasing his expertise in firefighter photography. Additionally, he has filmed out of a speeding helicopter at low altitude and documented Guatemalan village life at nearly 10,000ft elevation. Doc has worked in situations not many photographers can attest to, and even fewer, if any, can claim to have experience in all the above-mentioned scenarios.
With his extensive knowledge, training, and experience in emergency services photography, Doc has successfully blended his Emergency Services career with his passion for photography. This particular photo captures him on location in Maine with the Winter Harbor VFD, where his film team produced 'The Volunteer DragonSlayers', a great example of firefighter photography and photojournalism, which you can watch at the bottom of the Gallery page.