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Photographer's nightmare: Shot a cliff fall

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James Sarantis

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I guess I need a little consoling from my fellow photogs. I was up in this canyon in Utah frequented by a lot of locals and was taking some beautiful fall canyon shots with my D60 and 28-135IS lens. As I was walking back down the path, I looked up and saw two young men free climbing and were near the peak of about a 400 foot cliff, very jagged and not shear. One guy made it to the top but the other guy seemed to be stuck in his position, I guess he tried to make it up the last 15 feet and then he fell. I shot instinctively 8 photos of him coming down. I got about a third of his fall and in horrer watched him come the rest of the way down. I won't get into details but it was disturbing to witness but the worst part for me was the sound. The police will email me and I'll send them the pics since they need them they said. I'll then trash them into oblivion. I went home in a cold sweat with my heart feeling like it was going to beat out of my chest. After talking it over with my wife, brother, friend etc, I feel a lot better. But it sure hits home the fragile nature of our lives.

Has anyone else shot anything close to this kind of thing who may want to share with me their thoughts since I kind of feel you guys are my unseen friends so to speak.

Appreciate your comments,

James
 
James,

That sounds just awful. His friend, his family, and everyone who witnessed this must have been traumatized.

This week some photos were published on Yahoo! news about a stuntman who tried to jump the Great Wall of China on his mountain bike. Partway over, something went wrong and some sensational pictures were published, including the aftermath of his landing.

He died a short while afterward. I felt terrible when I saw them, and wondered what I would have felt if I had taken the pictures, so I can only imagine what the experience must have been like for you.

I think you are having a normal, human, and thankfully, humane reaction to witnessing a tragic event.

Brad
 
Yes, I was shooting freestyle motocross when the engine died on takeoff and the rider ended up crashing into the landing ramp. Fortunately either my frame buffer filled up or I let my finger off the shutter early because I was one frame short of capturing the actual crash. I had no idea that it was anything other than a warmup (no stunt) jump until I heard the sickening thud.

(Nothing "shocking" in this pic)
http://www.coastphotos.com/x/pan.htm

and a happier photo of the same kid the day before:



Initially I felt frustrated, but after a little thought I was -glad- I hadn't captured the crash. I detest those shock videos of crashes that they sell on TV.

BTW, the rider ended up with a fractured spine and the last I heard (a day or two after the crash) was in "satisfactory" condition. I've been meaning to follow up on his recovery but haven't so far. The landing ramp was designed to collapse in this event, but didn't. The area under the ramp had straw bales but he evidently landed on his back on the edge of a bale with his mc on top.
  • DL
James Sarantis said:
Has anyone else shot anything close to this kind of thing who may
want to share with me their thoughts since I kind of feel you guys
are my unseen friends so to speak.

Appreciate your comments,

James
Click to expand...
 
Your feelings and reaction are natural irrespective of the photography issue. It is very disconcerting to witness such an event, or even the aftermath. Back in the 70's I drove big rig trucks for about 3 years traversing the length of California two or three times a week. When you're on the road that much you see the aftermath of a -lot- of fatal accidents, sometimes a couple a week. Very sobering.
  • DL
 
A couple of weeks ago I was driving at the highway
and saw a van flip over in front of me..

Immediatly the traffic jammed, and I stood beside
the van, I'd got my camera with me! But I drove
on, didn't take any pictures. Maybe to schocked to even
understand the situation.

In a flash when I drove by I saw the driver being pulled out,
He was in pain, but he lived, that's most important.

I certainly would have felt akward if I'd stopped and taken
picture's of the rescueing .. wouldn't feel right

-==
ivo
 
Be sure to burn a disc and put it away incase his family might need them for insurance purposes or the like. You don't need to look at them but they may be of use to a fellow family member...God forbid.
James Sarantis said:
I guess I need a little consoling from my fellow photogs. I was up
in this canyon in Utah frequented by a lot of locals and was taking
some beautiful fall canyon shots with my D60 and 28-135IS lens. As
I was walking back down the path, I looked up and saw two young men
free climbing and were near the peak of about a 400 foot cliff,
very jagged and not shear. One guy made it to the top but the other
guy seemed to be stuck in his position, I guess he tried to make it
up the last 15 feet and then he fell. I shot instinctively 8 photos
of him coming down. I got about a third of his fall and in horrer
watched him come the rest of the way down. I won't get into details
but it was disturbing to witness but the worst part for me was the
sound. The police will email me and I'll send them the pics since
they need them they said. I'll then trash them into oblivion. I
went home in a cold sweat with my heart feeling like it was going
to beat out of my chest. After talking it over with my wife,
brother, friend etc, I feel a lot better. But it sure hits home the
fragile nature of our lives.

Has anyone else shot anything close to this kind of thing who may
want to share with me their thoughts since I kind of feel you guys
are my unseen friends so to speak.

Appreciate your comments,

James
Click to expand...
--
Mark Lutz
http://www.visionsphotography.us
 
experience you could possibly imagine. He was driving from my house in upstate NY back to where he worked at the time in NJ. After six hours of driving with four other guys & one girl that he worked with, a girl committing suicide jumped off an expressway overpass directly in front of the van they where driving. They hit her causing the van to drag her for 50 yards & then flipping over & landing on its roof in the center median.

They where all taken to the hospital although no-one was seriously injured in the vehicle. When they arrived in the emergency department, the attending physician there turned out to be the dead girls father!!

The girl who was with my brother had nightmares for years after from that experience.

-jophn
 
http://www.newseum.org/pulitzer/main.htm

These obviously are not mine. But one thing you'll notice in many of the photographs is that they capture equally horrible events. Some that have haunted the photographer ever since. Some of the photographers felt such guilt and remorse that they eventually took their own life.

You are not alone in capturing such moments. You are not alone in your reactions. Its a difficult thing to do, but I think it was the right thing to do.

Joo
James Sarantis said:
I guess I need a little consoling from my fellow photogs. I was up
in this canyon in Utah frequented by a lot of locals and was taking
some beautiful fall canyon shots with my D60 and 28-135IS lens. As
I was walking back down the path, I looked up and saw two young men
free climbing and were near the peak of about a 400 foot cliff,
very jagged and not shear. One guy made it to the top but the other
guy seemed to be stuck in his position, I guess he tried to make it
up the last 15 feet and then he fell. I shot instinctively 8 photos
of him coming down. I got about a third of his fall and in horrer
watched him come the rest of the way down. I won't get into details
but it was disturbing to witness but the worst part for me was the
sound. The police will email me and I'll send them the pics since
they need them they said. I'll then trash them into oblivion. I
went home in a cold sweat with my heart feeling like it was going
to beat out of my chest. After talking it over with my wife,
brother, friend etc, I feel a lot better. But it sure hits home the
fragile nature of our lives.

Has anyone else shot anything close to this kind of thing who may
want to share with me their thoughts since I kind of feel you guys
are my unseen friends so to speak.

Appreciate your comments,

James
Click to expand...
--
 
Hello James:

Try to use the experience in a constructive manner. Since "not thinking about it" is obviously not an option, try to use it to re-enforce the positive things about this fragile life we live. Let it help you appreciate your family and blessing even more. It is claimed by some that we have to know tragedy to have joy.

In my 25+ years as a cop, I spent 17 as a crime scene investigator. (not like on TV) Many of the scenes I documented will never leave me. Some of them still haunt me, but I try to do what I suggested above. Most of the time it works.
Good luck.

kunza
James Sarantis said:
I guess I need a little consoling from my fellow photogs. I was up
in this canyon in Utah frequented by a lot of locals and was taking
some beautiful fall canyon shots with my D60 and 28-135IS lens. As
I was walking back down the path, I looked up and saw two young men
free climbing and were near the peak of about a 400 foot cliff,
very jagged and not shear. One guy made it to the top but the other
guy seemed to be stuck in his position, I guess he tried to make it
up the last 15 feet and then he fell. I shot instinctively 8 photos
of him coming down. I got about a third of his fall and in horrer
watched him come the rest of the way down. I won't get into details
but it was disturbing to witness but the worst part for me was the
sound. The police will email me and I'll send them the pics since
they need them they said. I'll then trash them into oblivion. I
went home in a cold sweat with my heart feeling like it was going
to beat out of my chest. After talking it over with my wife,
brother, friend etc, I feel a lot better. But it sure hits home the
fragile nature of our lives.

Has anyone else shot anything close to this kind of thing who may
want to share with me their thoughts since I kind of feel you guys
are my unseen friends so to speak.

Appreciate your comments,

James
Click to expand...
 
James, what an experience! I think the great way to approach such an event - is to accept it completely. Do not deny your feelings, do not try to cheer yourself up, or push yourself down for that matter. What happened in neither good, nor bad. It IS . Lay back, relax, re-live the scene in your mind in all the details, sounds, allow yourself to be scared, horrified and even cry if you'd want to. Once you put such a sincere intense attention to the event - your mind will clean up and everything will get in the proper places. Denying and resisting is what we are suffering from. Attention and awareness dissolves energy blocks and eliminates inner emotional suffering.

When i started to get more serious about photography i've searched a big bookstore for the best, award winning photographs, including Pulitzer award winnners. And guess what? Albums with the world's best and most respected expression of photo art displayed mostly suffering, blood, disasters, horror, unhappiness. You look at these "masterpieces" and you slowly getting sick!

When i find beauty, peace and happiness - i making a bookmark and review it on a regular basis:
http://users.skynet.be/blueprint/oostende_love/love1.htm

Enough for today.

Gleb Esman
Joo said:
These obviously are not mine. But one thing you'll notice in many
of the photographs is that they capture equally horrible events.
Some that have haunted the photographer ever since. Some of the
photographers felt such guilt and remorse that they eventually took
their own life.

You are not alone in capturing such moments. You are not alone in
your reactions. Its a difficult thing to do, but I think it was the
right thing to do.

Joo
James Sarantis said:
I guess I need a little consoling from my fellow photogs. I was up
in this canyon in Utah frequented by a lot of locals and was taking
some beautiful fall canyon shots with my D60 and 28-135IS lens. As
I was walking back down the path, I looked up and saw two young men
free climbing and were near the peak of about a 400 foot cliff,
very jagged and not shear. One guy made it to the top but the other
guy seemed to be stuck in his position, I guess he tried to make it
up the last 15 feet and then he fell. I shot instinctively 8 photos
of him coming down. I got about a third of his fall and in horrer
watched him come the rest of the way down. I won't get into details
but it was disturbing to witness but the worst part for me was the
sound. The police will email me and I'll send them the pics since
they need them they said. I'll then trash them into oblivion. I
went home in a cold sweat with my heart feeling like it was going
to beat out of my chest. After talking it over with my wife,
brother, friend etc, I feel a lot better. But it sure hits home the
fragile nature of our lives.

Has anyone else shot anything close to this kind of thing who may
want to share with me their thoughts since I kind of feel you guys
are my unseen friends so to speak.

Appreciate your comments,

James
Click to expand...
--
  • Maybe one day I'll take a decent picture. In the meantime, I'll
blame the equipment. :)
Click to expand...
 
JohnM said:
experience you could possibly imagine. He was driving from my
house in upstate NY back to where he worked at the time in NJ.
After six hours of driving with four other guys & one girl that he
worked with, a girl committing suicide jumped off an expressway
overpass directly in front of the van they where driving. They hit
her causing the van to drag her for 50 yards & then flipping over &
landing on its roof in the center median.
They where all taken to the hospital although no-one was seriously
injured in the vehicle. When they arrived in the emergency
department, the attending physician there turned out to be the dead
girls father!!
The girl who was with my brother had nightmares for years after
from that experience.
Click to expand...
Uh. That's horrible. And what 'luck' with the physician! :(

--
Teppo @ Finland
Digital Camera: Nikon CoolPix 5700
Film Camera: Canon EOS 600
Lenses: Canon EF 28-90mm f4/5.6 USM & Canon EF 75-300mm f4/5.6 II
Galleries: http://th.joroinen.fi/photography.html
 
I couldn't take photos like that. I love photography only for the beauty it portrays of the world around us. However, historic events are always of value. I watched the WTC attacks unfold from my office window, but even then I couldn't bring myself the shoot. Its just not what I'm into photography for, and I realized the news media was already 'on the job'.
James Sarantis said:
I guess I need a little consoling from my fellow photogs. I was up
in this canyon in Utah frequented by a lot of locals and was taking
some beautiful fall canyon shots with my D60 and 28-135IS lens. As
I was walking back down the path, I looked up and saw two young men
free climbing and were near the peak of about a 400 foot cliff,
very jagged and not shear. One guy made it to the top but the other
guy seemed to be stuck in his position, I guess he tried to make it
up the last 15 feet and then he fell. I shot instinctively 8 photos
of him coming down. I got about a third of his fall and in horrer
watched him come the rest of the way down. I won't get into details
but it was disturbing to witness but the worst part for me was the
sound. The police will email me and I'll send them the pics since
they need them they said. I'll then trash them into oblivion. I
went home in a cold sweat with my heart feeling like it was going
to beat out of my chest. After talking it over with my wife,
brother, friend etc, I feel a lot better. But it sure hits home the
fragile nature of our lives.

Has anyone else shot anything close to this kind of thing who may
want to share with me their thoughts since I kind of feel you guys
are my unseen friends so to speak.

Appreciate your comments,

James
Click to expand...
 
Just think how many people would have tried to sell the pictures. Imagine what his family would have felt if they had seen his pic in the newspaper. Its bad enough he died, i dont think they would want to see him falling
 
Just reading everyone's comments have helped out a lot. I think you're absolutely right in that the more I talk about it and think about it, the impact of the situation becomes lighter. I had a hard time last night trying to get to sleep for fear of having nightmares about it, but once I did, I had a restful sleep.

Thanks again,

James
 
Completely agree with Scott .
I have much admiration for your behaviour .
Thank you for the unfortunate victim and his family .
Best regards ,

Danny
Scott Sanders said:
Just think how many people would have tried to sell the pictures.
Imagine what his family would have felt if they had seen his pic in
the newspaper. Its bad enough he died, i dont think they would
want to see him falling
Click to expand...
--
Wheelie
webmaster http://www.canonians.com
Shooting the world from a wheelchair !
 
James Sarantis said:
I guess I need a little consoling from my fellow photogs. I was up
in this canyon in Utah frequented by a lot of locals and was taking
some beautiful fall canyon shots with my D60 and 28-135IS lens. As
I was walking back down the path, I looked up and saw two young men
free climbing and were near the peak of about a 400 foot cliff,
very jagged and not shear. One guy made it to the top but the other
guy seemed to be stuck in his position, I guess he tried to make it
up the last 15 feet and then he fell. I shot instinctively 8 photos
of him coming down. I got about a third of his fall and in horrer
watched him come the rest of the way down. I won't get into details
but it was disturbing to witness but the worst part for me was the
sound. The police will email me and I'll send them the pics since
they need them they said. I'll then trash them into oblivion. I
went home in a cold sweat with my heart feeling like it was going
to beat out of my chest. After talking it over with my wife,
brother, friend etc, I feel a lot better. But it sure hits home the
fragile nature of our lives.

Has anyone else shot anything close to this kind of thing who may
want to share with me their thoughts since I kind of feel you guys
are my unseen friends so to speak.

Appreciate your comments,

James
Click to expand...
--
Rob Harris
 
I'm terribly sorry for the poor guy who fell from the cliff. A lot of Utah is incredibly beautiful, though, and the guy obviously enjoyed climbing ... I can only hope he died doing what he loved. There are worse ways to go than that.

You just watched something very much outside of everyday life. Hopefully something you'll never have to see again. But they say whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger; hopefully this has you thinking about what's important, and will make you spend more of your precious time enjoying things. I was in a near-fatal car accident in January, but I got another chance, and now that my bones have healled up, I have a new lease on life.

I hope you can turn a very traumatic experience into something positave.
James Sarantis said:
I guess I need a little consoling from my fellow photogs. I was up
in this canyon in Utah frequented by a lot of locals and was taking
some beautiful fall canyon shots with my D60 and 28-135IS lens. As
I was walking back down the path, I looked up and saw two young men
free climbing and were near the peak of about a 400 foot cliff,
very jagged and not shear. One guy made it to the top but the other
guy seemed to be stuck in his position, I guess he tried to make it
up the last 15 feet and then he fell. I shot instinctively 8 photos
of him coming down. I got about a third of his fall and in horrer
watched him come the rest of the way down. I won't get into details
but it was disturbing to witness but the worst part for me was the
sound. The police will email me and I'll send them the pics since
they need them they said. I'll then trash them into oblivion. I
went home in a cold sweat with my heart feeling like it was going
to beat out of my chest. After talking it over with my wife,
brother, friend etc, I feel a lot better. But it sure hits home the
fragile nature of our lives.

Has anyone else shot anything close to this kind of thing who may
want to share with me their thoughts since I kind of feel you guys
are my unseen friends so to speak.

Appreciate your comments,

James
Click to expand...
 
Just curious where this happened. What Canyon was it? I don't recall reading of any hiking or climbing fatalities over the past few months on NPS or Utah news briefs.
 
Weird story. Thanks for the link. How these guys managed to get a free climbing permit without safety equipment is a mystery. Perhaps they were new and just ignored safety equipment. Were they using any rappeling lines or safety lines that you saw? Climbers dying in straight falls like that is rare. Usually inuries occur from malfunctioning equipent, rock slides, or hypothermia, etc etc. I don't mean to sound coarse or unsympathetic but accidents like these are easily avoidable and usually result from sheer stupidity or negligence. Free climbing without safety gear/lines is one of those situations(assuming thats what they were doing).
 
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