Photo assignment

http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0608/feature05.html

One of the reasons I like this photo is that it applies the rule of thirds very well and is visually appealing for that reason. More importantly, since it has a journalistic intent, it tells its story well. The man in the foreground and the car in the distant both help the viewer get a sense of scale. This helps us tell how large the blanket of smoke is.