city survial tips?

[y75stingray]

I live about twenty minutes from detroit MI and would love to get some shots of all the decay and abandoned buildings around the city. I have been down there countless times and feel pretty secure without my camera however I am extremley leary about walking around the worst parts of the city with four thousand dollars worrth of my equiptment. Any tips anyone can offer on how they capture thier urban shots without getting robbed?

 

[Hugo Leung]

Carry as little equipment as possible.

Use equipment that'll let you blend in and get more natural shots. If the expensive equipment makes you self-conscious and afraid to take a risk, it'll affect the quality of your images. (more so than the image quality lost from using cheap equipment)

Imagine yourself a wildlife photographer, you want to blend in so you can see things in their natural environment. This means going deep into the wilderness and having a massive telephoto. If the animals get uncomfortable, you'll lose the shot.

Same thing for urban environments. If you lose the comfort you've developed because of your equipment, then you wont get to the interesting places.

 

[invisible]

The only tip I could give you is to contact your insurance broker and ask what kind of coverage your gear has that's included in your homeowners' insurance. (Sorry, not sure if that's the way it's called in the U.S.) Knowing that you're covered (if such is the case) would probably put you a bit more at ease.

On an unrelated note, I'm sure you already know about this website, but I'm posting it just in case: Detroiturbex.com - Exploring Abandoned Detroit