Spotlight: Mark Felix for The New York Times

Houston-based Social Documentary photographer Mark Felix recently completed a project for The New York Times on traditional human fire lookouts, as compared to digital and technological means of fire detection, amidst the ongoing threat of wildfires. The client needed a series of stills to accompany an editorial piece by journalist Raymond Zhong, for print and digital release in September of 2023.

Prior to this assignment, earlier in 2023, Mark had been selected to participate in the New York Portfolio Review where he met with NYT Climate Photo Editor Matt McCann. Heading into the review, Mark recalled some advice he’d received from a previous editor who encouraged him to dream big and pitch the projects he’d most like to work on. So when Mark met with Matt that day, he pitched an idea for a project in Glacier National Park, where he had first seen the fire watchtowers on a hike with his father a few years earlier.

In the age of ever-evolving technology, advanced drones, and increasingly sophisticated cameras, the most reliable way to spot a forest fire is still a set of human eyes. As fires continue to increase in both size and frequency, the need for frontline fire watchers and fire lookouts is as important as ever. While the Biden administration has allotted over 30 million dollars for satellites and automated technology to help detect fires in the infrastructure bill, fire lookouts have been left neglected and in disrepair. I think it’s important to remind folks that sometimes there’s no good replacement for a Human.

At the portfolio review, I showed Matt some of my past grant work from Louisiana about coastal erosion and the erosion of coastal culture. I’m always fascinated by people who are willing to do what others often are not, and I think the fire lookout project fell into that as well. I also just love to backcountry camp! I’m a certified Wilderness First Responder from the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Preplanning

Mark and Matt had several months of email exchanges and calls to establish the scope and goal for the shoot. Raymond Zhong was brought on as the staff writer.

Ray and I had multiple meetings trying to figure out where exactly we wanted to focus on, and then a few months of back and forth with park officials to get permission. The biggest challenge was getting the proper permission through the proper channels. It was a two-month process. Everything didn’t fall into place until five days before the planned shoot dates.

The Project

Although Mark is an experienced hiker and outdoors person, hiking into the park had serious physical demands.

This was probably my most physically challenging shoot in the most beautiful location. The problem is that these fire towers are often at the top of mountains, so the accessibility is tough! On my second day there, I got up at 4 a.m. and headed into Glacier National Park to try to get to the highest fire tower in the park — the historic Swiftcurrent Lookout at an elevation of 8,435 feet.

The NYT had budgeted five days for the shoot and a day of editing on the back-end. I was in some ways ecstatic to have fives days of shooting, but at the same time terrified in case the weather didn’t cooperate or things fell through.

Mark was joined on location by NYT journalist Raymond Zhong.

It’s hard not to have great energy when you’re surrounded by such incredible beauty and have a great reporting teammate with you. I had never met Ray in person before the trip, but he was game to do whatever was needed to get the story. I had planned out some very strenuous hikes to get to fire towers that I would have completely understood if he didn’t want to do but he was ready for anything and everything.

Everyone was so accommodating. Fire lookouts aren’t necessarily always people persons and like to be left alone, but Leif was so incredibly kind and open. The story would have never happened if it wasn’t for him. When photographers treat their subjects the same way we’d like to be treated, they feel it and return the energy.

The project as a whole definitely taught me to dream big when pitching, but also really gave me a sense of how much research and planning goes into making a shoot like this work.

Any time I have an animal encounter, I’m always tickled. Having my interaction with the goat on the path was so fun! Also, the feeling of getting to the top of Swiftcurrent Lookout and getting to see that view over the entire park was incredibly rewarding.

See more of Mark’s work on his website.

Credits:
Writer: Raymond Zhong
Photo Editor: Matt McCann
Fire Lookout/Talent: Leif Haugen and Ollie

Further Reading
Read more Photographer Spotlight articles about our other photographers.

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