Safety while on a Photography Outing.....

Lonnie1212

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Has anyone ever been concerned for their personal safety during a photography outing? There are two incidents that cause me to think about this topic. Last winter I was walking in downtown Springfield at night doing cityscapes photography. It was about 9:3o or 10:00 PM at night. Two guys rode by on bicycles and one of them said, ''Hey look there's an old man with a camera taking pictures, how neat is that?''. Then last weekend I was at a state park setting in a lawn chair in a meadow taking bird pictures. A pickup truck drove by and there were two men in the back of it. I heard one say, "There's a man setting in a lawn chair over in the woods''.

In both of the situations it made me think of the vulnerability of being robbed.

At the same state park there was a female photographer taking pictures of a sunflower field. She was out in the countryside of course. Someone tried to block her car in and trap her. She got away and eventually called the police.

Photographers and other hobbyists seem to be vulnerable.

Any thoughts or experiences?

Thank you,

Lonnie
 
I am sure there are other places but the general consensus is you don't mess with people in Arizona. Everyone one of them are armed, although they don't run around brandishing. In fact, most never know they are armed, but they know, if that makes any sense. You have a higher chance of dehydrating. Every year/day I end up pulling visitors out of the desert or those stuck in the sand. You can tell they are new cause everyone is red, they don't have water. Wife/Girlfriend is stressing, yet thankful. Kids..we will leave the raisins alone and just give them some water. I keep an ice chest of water in my truck everyday. They can't drive off road. They don't have a shovel, a high jack, a tow rope.. etc Don't worry about the people, worry about the environment if you have never been here. :allteeth:
 
Having been a "hunter" in the past, I have always had a concern for personal safety. I am one of the cook-ball RWE types I always have situational awareness going on. When i go on an outing into the woods I am always carrying something with some punch for 4 legged and two legged critters.

But most of the time is is simply situational awareness and keep one's self frosty.
 
I don't worry as much about people as I do critters and snakes in the country. Theres been lots of snakes, several coyotes, a couple of Bobcats, a Bear and a Cougar. As Mike mentioned above in the country it's assumed you are armed. In town I've been in a couple situations that could have gone bad, but fortunately didnt.
 
I can shoot with more than just a camera. Nuf said.
 
I never feel the threat of being robbed. I'm a hot head and more likely to cause other an issue than them to cause me any:D:D

We don't have guns over here like across the pond so don't have or need that protection. I'm not anti gun, far from it, I'd love to see our Police all armed but that's a different debate.
 
I have never really thought about it, but all my cameras are on my wrist strap so it can and would be swung very hard and quick if some one tried to rob me.
 
Here in uk things are a bit different, most wildlife that we would have to worry about has two legs and is sub 30’s
As others have said knowing what’s going on around you and what could happen that and listening to .. that feeling or the the person with you when it/they says....I don’t like the feel of this, let’s go.
Staying for one more pic when everyone and everything is saying leave is daft
Being disabled, I can’t run, so I have to watch the situation so that I don’t have to
Sometimes a non aggressive chat can ease a situation
At the end of the day if it all turns ugly, well the camera is insured
My thoughts,
Go with a friend, if you can. Plan for what if and not need it
I have a fail safe in place, in that my Mrs knows where and how long I will be with a call in time
I don’t call in on time plus 30 mins I am in trouble
 
I have a "baby horse" Commander....small but potent. And a small piece of paper saying I am allowed to carry it. It was made in 1980-something in Connecticut.

I was once accosted on a city street by a homeless guy who demanded my F3 and MD-4 combo. I wrapped the neckstrap three and a half times around my right hand, basically welding the camera to my hand. I told him that I would crack his skull open with the camera if he came any closer to me.

"Oh you wouldn't do that,"he said to me, "that would ruin your camera."

"I don't give a $h!+, I have another one at home. Besides, this is an F3, and the motor housing is solid metal..it'll split your f***ing skull wide open and it won't even hurt the camera. Come and get it."

He thought about it and stepped backward.That was in 1986. It was in the (now)Sacred Heart hospital area of Eugene, Oregon. I was 22 or 23 years old at the time.
 
Here in uk things are a bit different, most wildlife that we would have to worry about has two legs and is sub 30’s
As others have said knowing what’s going on around you and what could happen that and listening to .. that feeling or the the person with you when it/they says....I don’t like the feel of this, let’s go.
Staying for one more pic when everyone and everything is saying leave is daft
Being disabled, I can’t run, so I have to watch the situation so that I don’t have to
Sometimes a non aggressive chat can ease a situation
At the end of the day if it all turns ugly, well the camera is insured
My thoughts,
Go with a friend, if you can. Plan for what if and not need it
I have a fail safe in place, in that my Mrs knows where and how long I will be with a call in time
I don’t call in on time plus 30 mins I am in trouble


One of my very close mates helped me out once, I was getting off the bus to go and see him when three lads came up to me asking to look at my camera and just as I said NO my mate came round the corner. He had just popped out with his two Rotti dogs and shouted out Hi Dave, you should of seen the look on the lads faces and they were off very quick indeed.
 
There have always been vicious animals that lurked in the shadows, those who seek to do harm to others simply for the perverse pleasure they get from it. In the past they've been somewhat confined to the shadows by the law of the land, but all the uncontrolled violence here have emboldened them to come out. They walk the streets committing unprovoked random acts of violence against men and women, without warning. This is the type of threat that worries me whenever I have to be in the larger cities.
 
I am legally armed 99% of the time while in my country, USA.
5 years ago while on a river cruise in Germany I had a local thug come up behind me while I was alone. Language barrier, but it was obvious he wanted my camera.
I shook my head no , we glared at each other for 30 seconds or so.
He could see I wasn’t just giving it up, luckily he didn’t want to fight. I planned to smash it on the ground before I’d let him have it.
We both walked away.
Prior posts have mentioned situational awareness, that’s only part of the issue. You must know ahead of time what you plan to do. Run, fight or submit. Plan ahead,those are your only choices. Rationally talking to them is not an option.


FB.me/CRFinTN Facebook
www.flickr.com/crf8/
 
The most important piece of gear you can carry is "situational awareness". Know what is going on around you, whether human or natural wildlife. A rule of thumb is to never let anyone get within 21' of you. That is the minimum time for folks to react to an advancing threat. A "perp" can cover that distance in less time than you can react, unholster a sidearm, and defend yourself.

There are exceptions, especially when it comes to wildlife. You'll never hear a puma before it pounces. Bears are deceptively quick. Brown bears can outrun a horse for about 1/4 mile. They can be relentless, especially if you're a threat to their young. People get lulled into thinking they're "teddy bears" from watching too many NatGeo and Smithsonian specials. Remember, when you're in the woods, you're in their territory, and they know it far better than you.

My handgun of choice for "in the woods", is a hot-loaded (255gr JHP) Ruger Blackhawk, in .45 Colt.
 
Being armed here is not really an option, but we don’t have the wildlife you have.
 
Being a New Yorker, I've never been threatened but once. And that was my fault. I was out late, drinking too much and didn't have my wits about me, and got mugged. Stupidly I fought back; there were three of them and lost the fight and my wallet. I was lucky I wasn't stabbed or worse. Normally you get attuned who's dangerous and cross streets and get scarce if you see a potential problem. But this time I just put myself in a bad situation My fault.

Most of the time the danger is natural. Hiking and shooting your camera in the woods alone with no phone service. You can break a leg, etc. Yesterday I was on small woodsie road shooting from the side a 4x5 on a tripod. There was little shoulder and the road was narrow with people driving by really fast. I was worried about getting clipped.
 

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