Missing Photographer's Remains Found
Stormdancing
Registered Users Posts: 917 Major grins
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2005/11/11/local/iq_3760399.txt
This horrible story brings to light something I would like to have some thoughts from fellow photogs about.
Safety
I was raised in the woods, growing up along rivers, streams and lakes. It's not the animals that scare me it's the people. Recently while taking pics along our local riverfront, I became very nervous about being out there waving around expensive equipment while people passed by on bikes and the such. What would I do if one of those kids on bikes grabbed my camera? My first instinct would be to hang on and fight like hell, when in reality LET IT GO is the thing to do.
I know many of you have group shoots (hmm that doesn't sound right but you know what I mean), but I'm sure a lot of you spend time alone in both cities and wilderness with your cameras. I don't have local friends to go on my photo treks with me and sometimes it's my 3 year old son who's along for the ride (limited areas only). I spend a lot of time alone with my camera.
I would like to hear some thoughts from not just the women here, although I feel a lone women is at more risk for attacks or camera snatching, but it's also an issue than the men here should be aware of.
Ginger - some of you other ladies please give me your thoughts on this and any tips etc. Guys - let's hear from you too.
Dana
This horrible story brings to light something I would like to have some thoughts from fellow photogs about.
Safety
I was raised in the woods, growing up along rivers, streams and lakes. It's not the animals that scare me it's the people. Recently while taking pics along our local riverfront, I became very nervous about being out there waving around expensive equipment while people passed by on bikes and the such. What would I do if one of those kids on bikes grabbed my camera? My first instinct would be to hang on and fight like hell, when in reality LET IT GO is the thing to do.
I know many of you have group shoots (hmm that doesn't sound right but you know what I mean), but I'm sure a lot of you spend time alone in both cities and wilderness with your cameras. I don't have local friends to go on my photo treks with me and sometimes it's my 3 year old son who's along for the ride (limited areas only). I spend a lot of time alone with my camera.
I would like to hear some thoughts from not just the women here, although I feel a lone women is at more risk for attacks or camera snatching, but it's also an issue than the men here should be aware of.
Ginger - some of you other ladies please give me your thoughts on this and any tips etc. Guys - let's hear from you too.
Dana
Dana
** Feel free to edit my photos if you see room for improvement.**
Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if
no birds sang there except those that sang best.
~Henry Van Dyke
** Feel free to edit my photos if you see room for improvement.**
Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if
no birds sang there except those that sang best.
~Henry Van Dyke
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Comments
Then to get out I have to walk through the woods, scares me silly! In fact, I have been so scared that people are not seeing many photos from me at that time of night, or state of "dark" right now. Not from those "solitary" places that I love so much. I try to go when my husband is home and can go with me, not that I know what he would do for help, but it might be a deterrent, I do feel safer. By myself, I just hope that I am by myself, but scared of my own foot falls. Terrified when my water bottle squeaks.
I get on my cell phone, to my husband, and panting, as I am always out of breath, I beg him to talk. I won't let him hang up..........in fact, I won't let him hang up when I am in the car with my doors locked. Not until I am out of the deserted park and into traffic will I let him hang up.
There are places, like the Old Pitt Street Bridge, people walk their dogs out there late, they watch the sunset. I don't feel as afraid where there are people, but someone is going to die sometime at Magnolia Gardens, and no one will be able to stay late anymore. That is a shame to think that it is so inevitable in our society and probably down through eternity, just not the media coverage in the old days. But it is going to happen, and I don't want it to be me!
Do you feel better now?:D
ginger:uhoh
Do you know the books of Carlos Casteneda? One day he asked Don Juan, what would you do when you where alone in this alley and these two man would grab you and ask for your money? Don Juan said: I won't be there. Then he repeated his question. Don Juan repeated his answer.
Is it that simple? For me it is and when the time gets there and in case you are there you know what to do. But better not be there. My 2 c.
www.adrian.smugmug.com
Ginger - I don't feel like such a ninny now. I do carry my cell phone with me and I am always aware of my surroundings. It's hard for me to concentrate on taking pictures when I'm always looking out the other corner of my eye for some bum trying to get me.
Adrian - all I can say is I have just as much right to be in that alley as anyone and if there's a shot there, I will be. I guess when your number is up, it's up.
In my younger years, I suffered a severe beating while hiking in Georgia. I survived, I fought back, but you bet your a** I will never forget that fear. I just try to not let it paralyse me. They never did catch the guy.
PS I really don't go in alleys.
** Feel free to edit my photos if you see room for improvement.**
Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if
no birds sang there except those that sang best.
~Henry Van Dyke
I will lie down in the road to get a photo, I will stay anywhere later than I should, I would be in that alley.
It is the after fear that has me paralyzed now. If I don't go, I can't stay, if that makes any sense.
Yes, I forgot, I meant to get mace, pepper spray, whatever and will put it on my list of things to do. I think of my monopod as a weapon and as a noisemaker, good and bad.
In point of fact, there would be little I could do against someone consumed with an unreasonable obsession with destroying me.
I may be more in danger of dying from a car accident on the highway, but I am more afraid of dying that terrible death in beautiful peaceful Magnolia Gardens, alone, without help of any sort. Just terrified.
But at the time.............. I would be there, if I were there, if that makes any sense. And if people remember staying outside as a kid when their parents were saying it was too dark, our perceptions of danger, dark, alone, etc, they can not be in our best interests, for whatever reasons..... I know it is light to me, my eyes have adjusted, the trees are not surrounding me at the moment.
And what difference would the light be anyway.
We are not safe in many places: remember the horror of the shower: Psycho.
But I have been too scared too often in the woods in the last year to do it again right now.
I was that scared in a thunderstorm once when on the highway. I am now an obsessive watcher of the weather before I undertake a long drive.
It is in the perception of fear that we are in danger, really. Don't you think?
And, hey, if I were young, or even now, I would go to Aruba in a heartbeat. Yet, our govt is saying that is not safe. But my perception has not been scared there. I was not afraid of storms on the highway for 45 yrs and suddenly I am paralyzed. I was not hurt by a storm, I was just scared witless.
Where I do my birding is acres and acres. But it is not totally devoid of people. Some workers live on the property. They are not scared. The family lives on the property somewhere. They are not scared I am sure.
But my perception is danger............heck, whats her face was killed in a park in DC. And probably in daylight.
Got to get the pepper spray and keep my cell phone charged........remember the water bottle too. Probably a better chance of dehydration.
ginger (However, if I am near that alley, and if there is a reason for my camera, I will be there.)
By the by, I would give them my camera and all my earthly goods, I have been trained to do that by people who are richer than I am.
My question is, what do you all do about insurance and your equipment?
A former sports shooter
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Risk management,
am speechless here. Just speechless. One either lives.......or one doesn't.
And If I live, well, that is part of my life that I choose at times, and at other times don't.
It is kind of like going to war, fighting fires, some other things, policemen: if you are not afraid, you are not going to be good at what you do, or something like that. You are certainly nuts!
Gotta get that pepper spray. Cell phone in one hand and pepper spray in the other! I really would like to know what the ordinary hobbiest, not the highest of the pro, what normal people do about insurance and if it is very, very expensive. (That is part of risk management, but I am kind of afraid to tell State Farm that I have this expensive camera stuff. Why? They don't want to insure in this area anyway. Hurricanes, you know.)
ginger (my husband on the other hand, he is a good kid, no risk person, drives me nuts when we are "out".) Sometimes we take my car just so I can park it where I want, even if it does say "reserved for the president only".
We all take chances anymore going anywhere it seems.
Always some pervert or thief out there waiting for a opportunity.
Gotta worry a little when your toting around a fair piece of change in Camera and lenses.
As for the pervert thing.....Ladies you know what to do....nuff said!
I try not worry about it. Al tho I do take a lotta risks to get a shot!
Many times I'm out by myself climbing cliffs or shimming a tree across a gorge.
There is an occasional poisonous snake around and Yella Jackets in the ground.:oogle Oh yeah there is a occasional Black Bear but they won't bother you unless they have a cub with em. If they do....stear clear of em AT ALL COSTS!!! They will do ANYTHING if they feel that cub(s) are being threatened!
I'm gonna start carrying a snake bite kit and I carry a Gerber Multi-Tool everywhere I go just in case. Really comes in handy. Always carry a compass in your bag and be familiar with how to use it. Esp if your going to a area your not totally familiar with!
Bottom line....ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings...Urban or Country!!
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** Feel free to edit my photos if you see room for improvement.**
Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if
no birds sang there except those that sang best.
~Henry Van Dyke
our fears."
-- John McCain (1936 - ) U.S. Senator, Vietnam veteran
How fitting for this discussion.
** Feel free to edit my photos if you see room for improvement.**
Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if
no birds sang there except those that sang best.
~Henry Van Dyke
I was talking about being aware and keeping inner peace
www.adrian.smugmug.com
Anyway, a couple comments on some things that have come up in this thread:
Pepper spray. Ask your local law enforcement center if it's legal in your area, it is in many areas. They can also likely refer you to a self defense training course of some sort, which, if you're the type that worries, and you find your self in areas that make you nervous, is probably a couple weekends of very well invested time. If you do choose to defend yourself with pepper spray: wear it on your body, attached to a belt or in a pocket. Also, periodically check the expiration date on the canister if it has one.
Cell phones. If you're carying one with you for defensive purposes, again, have it on your body, it's not going to do much good if it's in your camera bag that was just snatched.
Insurance. I'm also with State Farm, and as much as I didn't originally think it was such a hot idea to tell them how much gear I have, in the end, it's well worth the piece of mind. In my case my home owner's policy covers things, I simply had to have it's coverage expanded. So for a couple additional dollars a month (I seem to recall it's a little less than $80 for the year) I have added an extra $5000 worth of camera and computer gear coverage to what was already covered in my policy. One thing I did do was to talk to my agent about the difference between the gear that never leaves the house, and the gear that goes with me. Oh, and that's an important point... at least with the three state farm agents I've dealt with, you usually need to talk to the actual agent, not their office staff, to do these types of things to your policy the best way.
http://wall-art.smugmug.com/
In the past year or so I have been much more fearful of wandering with my camera. I have stumbled into some situations that I have felt frightened and am much more leary now. drug dealing in secluded places seems to be a biggie. When I walk into an area with a long lens..it makes these people stare. Too many times I have gotten back into my car thinking now that was scarey!
Group shooting is ok, and I do enjoy the visiting usually more than the shooting, but going it alone is my choice.
The danger is that I get into this "zone' in my head and I stop paying attention to my surroundings. I am focused on shooting, setting up a shot..not what is around.
The other side of the lonely places to shoot, are the places that are populated. People don't like to see me aiming my camera in their direction. What I have done now is gotten my business cards. Whenever I happen to shoot a scene that includes people, I give them my card and it tells them where they can view the photo and purchase a copy if they so desire. That doesn't work for the drug dealers and homeless.
I guess that is the one big reason I enjoy the wetlands so much. I can be in my car and safe in less than a minute.
But I am feeling bored with it lately and need to branch out some.
Off I go. Wish me luck.
I don't know what the answer is. All I know is that as a female..I am at greater risk. What a damn shame I can't feel safe and secure enjoying my hobby.
I didn't mean to scare the pee-waddin out of anyone by posting this article and question. It is something to think about.
I'm also headed out this afternoon, but since it is opening day for gun dear season, I'm going to local nature preserves where deer hunting is not allowed. I'm also wearing my orange from head to toe!
A few weeks ago, I was at a local city park. I had seen this one particular man there several times. He fishes in the pond there. He also has his two cats and a dog with him on leashes. They live in a van. I finally got the nerve to approach him and ask if I could take pictures. At first he was hesitant, but the more I gushed over his pets, the more he opened up. I explained that I was just an amateur and thought he and his pets in the park were interesting. I got some beautiful shots but he asked me not to put them on the internet. I didn't ask him why. Maybe he was hiding, maybe he was ashamed of his situation. I made a little photo book of the pictures of him and his pets and have gone back a couple times after work to look for him and give it to him.
Why did I do this? I really don't know. The man's weathered face and his bond with his animals spoke to me and told a story. As we talked he also told me a litte bit of his story. It was sad, but he was not angry or bitter.
Was I in danger? Some would say yes and never approach a person like this, but I didn't feel so. I like to think that our conversation and the kind words I had for him brightened his day. I hope that the little photo book I made for him will also give him a boost when he is down.
Would I do this again? It would depend on the person, the surroundings and my gut feeling.
** Feel free to edit my photos if you see room for improvement.**
Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if
no birds sang there except those that sang best.
~Henry Van Dyke
A former sports shooter
Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Well, I run a company which produces candy. We have to do risk management(HACCP). So we do, cause the law says so. So I know about daily risk management. The question is how rational and in control we are. Of course we try. So do I. But to be honest IMO our trust in our rational part is way too big. What about trust in life, in people, in nature? It seems to me that the more we try to solve through our rational part the more we get into trouble. Rational thinking tends to concentrate on things that might go wrong. We even are not aware of this tendency. We get blind for the fact that life supports us every moment. Oh well, we are here to talk photography
www.adrian.smugmug.com
I am of the opinion you must be aware of the situation you are in. Always.
And you cannot rely on technology, like a cell phone, in circumstances where
you are away from civilization. For example, most of where I was last weekend
was out of cell range for two carriers. Even though I was travelling on well
known highways.
Hiking in the woods near my home, same situation.
What ever you call it, it boils down to managing risk. If you're not comfortable,
leave.
Ian
I am comfortable, then I am leaving and in the process I am not comfortable, so I try to walk faster.
I don't think it is black and white. And sometimes I am happy with more risk than others. Sometimes I go into situations where I become uncomfortable, but I can't just twitch my nose and leave, there is the "process" involved.
Interestingly, last night I was walking from Barnes and Noble to my car in the parking lot just a short ways away. It was latish, not a lot of people out, and this man was walking towards me, not to me, but towards me.............all of a sudden I got scared until he was past. Now that is an area where I usually feel totally safe. After he passed I thought of this discussion here, wondered if it was affecting me. If I had been where I am usually scared, I would have prepared myself, but this was a surprise. I still remember that the man was wearing yellow, it was a very intense reaction on my part for no reason whatsoever. And I was leaving.
Now for risk management........yes, I do that, usually. I try to remember to have fresh batteries in my flashlight, the cell is a help even if there are dead spots..... but there are times I am scared to death. I can be scared to death in my own house, in my own bed, if there is a "noise" or something somewhere, and I don't know what it is. Or I can get it into my head that someone could be hiding under the bed, a fear since childhood. So sometimes it is in the perception, I still think.
It is kind of, for me, a matter of how great the payoff is. I am not spending as much time in the scary places right now, but the payoff is not as big either. When those birds start having families there again: I know I will be back, and there will be scary times.
ginger