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Your craziest/most risky deed for a picture

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DolleBrouwer

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Hello,

Just wondering what you've risked to get a shot. I have two occasions. My first was last January. I walked out on the icebergs of Lake Michigan to get some images of a lighthouse with the icebergs and fell through! The water below was probably 12 feet deep. Fortunately, I was able to catch myself on some sturdy nearby ice and hoist myself out. I went up to my hip in the frigid water and got my tail off the ice! My second was this last weekend hiking around Death Valley in probably 115 F heat. I went about a half mile up a canyon that was even hotter b/c the air didn't circulate out of it and nearly baked myself. I had plenty of H2O, too. As soon as I saw I was sweating faster than the sweat would evaporate I got out as fast as I could. It was a good hour b4 I really felt back to normal.

So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?

Todd
 
Photography can be hazardous to yiour health...

Well, I wasn't doing anything daring, but I almost got shot by the police once, in a case of mistaken identity. I was wandering around the local nature preserve with my camera mounted on a tripod and slung over my shoulder. Suddenly I heard a booming voice behind me shout "DROP YOUR WEAPON!" I turned around and saw two police officers with their guns drawn and pointed in my direction. After I finished soiling my pants, I yelled back "it's just a camera", holding the camera and tripod up for them to see. They approached cautiously, and once they were close enough to see that it was indeed just a camera, they put their guns away and explained what had happened - apparently the resident living in a house direcly adjacent to the nature preserve had been robbed the day before by a man with a shotgun. Being somewhat jumpy after his ordeal, he looked out his window and saw me walking around in the woods with what he thought was a shotgun, and he called the police. I haven't been back to that nature preserve since then....

And then there was the time I almost got beat up by a guy who thought I was taking pictures of his daughter at the playground. I was actually taking pictures of MY daughter, who was farther away, and somewhat behind his daughter (80-200 f/2.8 zoom). But from his point of view I guess it looked like my camera was pointed at his daughter, and he got a little freaked out. He grabbed the camera out of my hands and threatened to break it (and me) in half...fortunately, being digital I was able to show him the pictures and satisfy him that I was not taking pictures of his daughter. He apologized and we had a good laugh over it, and our daughters ended up playing together the rest of the afternoon - I even got some pictures of them (with the father's permission, of course...)
DolleBrouwer said:
Hello,

Just wondering what you've risked to get a shot. I have two
occasions. My first was last January. I walked out on the
icebergs of Lake Michigan to get some images of a lighthouse with
the icebergs and fell through! The water below was probably 12 feet
deep. Fortunately, I was able to catch myself on some sturdy
nearby ice and hoist myself out. I went up to my hip in the frigid
water and got my tail off the ice! My second was this last weekend
hiking around Death Valley in probably 115 F heat. I went about a
half mile up a canyon that was even hotter b/c the air didn't
circulate out of it and nearly baked myself. I had plenty of H2O,
too. As soon as I saw I was sweating faster than the sweat would
evaporate I got out as fast as I could. It was a good hour b4 I
really felt back to normal.

So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?

Todd
Click to expand...
 
DolleBrouwer said:
So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?
Click to expand...
A few weeks ago I was on a sailing trip. When one day we did not have wind, the skipper asked us if we wanted go to swing. (dunno if thats the right word. The thing that kids do on the playgound.) First I thought he was joking but then he came up with a construction where one as hung outboard sitting in a boatswain's chair which was kept outboard by the spinnaker boom. Now that was the only chance for me to get a picture of the outboard while being outside some harbour. I had to take this chance.

Anyhow: When I was sitting there, swinging 3 m above the waterline I felt somehow uncomfortable, while thinking that I carried 1400 eur worth equipment in my hands...

Well... at last nothing happend, both me and my cam got back on board alive and undamaged. (I should add that I secured the camera with the neckstrap and an additional lifebelt.)

Greetz
Y

--
-------------------------------------------
http://www.pbase.com/ypsilon
 
Don't blame you for not going back to that nature preserve! Good thing you didn't meet the house thief on your trek.

Thanks for sharing!
Todd
jdl said:
Well, I wasn't doing anything daring, but I almost got shot by the
police once, in a case of mistaken identity. I was wandering
around the local nature preserve with my camera mounted on a tripod
and slung over my shoulder. Suddenly I heard a booming voice
behind me shout "DROP YOUR WEAPON!" I turned around and saw two
police officers with their guns drawn and pointed in my direction.
After I finished soiling my pants, I yelled back "it's just a
camera", holding the camera and tripod up for them to see. They
approached cautiously, and once they were close enough to see that
it was indeed just a camera, they put their guns away and explained
what had happened - apparently the resident living in a house
direcly adjacent to the nature preserve had been robbed the day
before by a man with a shotgun. Being somewhat jumpy after his
ordeal, he looked out his window and saw me walking around in the
woods with what he thought was a shotgun, and he called the police.
I haven't been back to that nature preserve since then....

And then there was the time I almost got beat up by a guy who
thought I was taking pictures of his daughter at the playground. I
was actually taking pictures of MY daughter, who was farther away,
and somewhat behind his daughter (80-200 f/2.8 zoom). But from his
point of view I guess it looked like my camera was pointed at his
daughter, and he got a little freaked out. He grabbed the camera
out of my hands and threatened to break it (and me) in
half...fortunately, being digital I was able to show him the
pictures and satisfy him that I was not taking pictures of his
daughter. He apologized and we had a good laugh over it, and our
daughters ended up playing together the rest of the afternoon - I
even got some pictures of them (with the father's permission, of
course...)
DolleBrouwer said:
Hello,

Just wondering what you've risked to get a shot. I have two
occasions. My first was last January. I walked out on the
icebergs of Lake Michigan to get some images of a lighthouse with
the icebergs and fell through! The water below was probably 12 feet
deep. Fortunately, I was able to catch myself on some sturdy
nearby ice and hoist myself out. I went up to my hip in the frigid
water and got my tail off the ice! My second was this last weekend
hiking around Death Valley in probably 115 F heat. I went about a
half mile up a canyon that was even hotter b/c the air didn't
circulate out of it and nearly baked myself. I had plenty of H2O,
too. As soon as I saw I was sweating faster than the sweat would
evaporate I got out as fast as I could. It was a good hour b4 I
really felt back to normal.

So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?

Todd
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
That's a good one, Y! Isn't that sinking feeling you feel in your stomach just as you realize what you've gotten yourself into aweful?

Thank you for sharing!
Todd
ypsilon said:
DolleBrouwer said:
So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?
Click to expand...
A few weeks ago I was on a sailing trip. When one day we did not
have wind, the skipper asked us if we wanted go to swing. (dunno if
thats the right word. The thing that kids do on the playgound.)
First I thought he was joking but then he came up with a
construction where one as hung outboard sitting in a boatswain's
chair which was kept outboard by the spinnaker boom. Now that was
the only chance for me to get a picture of the outboard while being
outside some harbour. I had to take this chance.

Anyhow: When I was sitting there, swinging 3 m above the waterline
I felt somehow uncomfortable, while thinking that I carried 1400
eur worth equipment in my hands...

Well... at last nothing happend, both me and my cam got back on
board alive and undamaged. (I should add that I secured the camera
with the neckstrap and an additional lifebelt.)

Greetz
Y

--
-------------------------------------------
http://www.pbase.com/ypsilon
Click to expand...
 
DolleBrouwer said:
So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?
Click to expand...
Not at all. I've walked out on heavily crevassed glaciers, peered inside and snapped away.

I've laid down on the ground and pointed my camera over cliffs thousands of feet high to take pictures of the view below.

I've stood on the edge of cliffs over which a raging creek was pouring in order to get a few of the falls from above.

Lots of times I have set up a tripod in extremely precarious positions to get sharp shots.

You know, stuff like that. But I was never really in danger. It was just hairy and I had to be extremely careful.

--
FJP
 
jdl said:
Photography can be hazardous to yiour health...

Well, I wasn't doing anything daring, but I almost got shot by the
police once, in a case of mistaken identity. I was wandering
around the local nature preserve with my camera mounted on a tripod
and slung over my shoulder. Suddenly I heard a booming voice
behind me shout "DROP YOUR WEAPON!" I turned around and saw two
police officers with their guns drawn and pointed in my direction.
After I finished soiling my pants, I yelled back "it's just a
camera", holding the camera and tripod up for them to see. They
approached cautiously, and once they were close enough to see that
it was indeed just a camera, they put their guns away and explained
what had happened - apparently the resident living in a house
direcly adjacent to the nature preserve had been robbed the day
before by a man with a shotgun. Being somewhat jumpy after his
ordeal, he looked out his window and saw me walking around in the
woods with what he thought was a shotgun, and he called the police.
I haven't been back to that nature preserve since then....
Click to expand...
I hate it when police draw their guns and point them at you when you haven't done anything wrong. One slip up and you are dead. If I ever get the chance, I plan to hold a few cops at gunpoint before things are all over.

Cops draw their guns at anything these days, its too bad.
 
But there wasn't any one (or more) in particular that made you go, "Oh, %#&#! What have I gotten myself into?"
Todd
fjp said:
DolleBrouwer said:
So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?
Click to expand...
Not at all. I've walked out on heavily crevassed glaciers, peered
inside and snapped away.

I've laid down on the ground and pointed my camera over cliffs
thousands of feet high to take pictures of the view below.

I've stood on the edge of cliffs over which a raging creek was
pouring in order to get a few of the falls from above.

Lots of times I have set up a tripod in extremely precarious
positions to get sharp shots.

You know, stuff like that. But I was never really in danger. It was
just hairy and I had to be extremely careful.

--
FJP
Click to expand...
 
I was taking a photo of a Pigmy Rattlesnake in the Everglades National Park and viewing it thru my SLR lens. I approached closer to get it in the frame and relaized later that I had my wide angle on and was far too close for a wise man. Nothing happened other than I got a photo.
 
Using a wide angle for a rattlesnake photo! That sounds like something I'd do! :-) That was a great one!

Todd
Chip00 said:
I was taking a photo of a Pigmy Rattlesnake in the Everglades
National Park and viewing it thru my SLR lens. I approached closer
to get it in the frame and relaized later that I had my wide angle
on and was far too close for a wise man. Nothing happened other
than I got a photo.
Click to expand...
 
DolleBrouwer said:
But there wasn't any one (or more) in particular that made you go,
"Oh, %#&#! What have I gotten myself into?"
Todd
Click to expand...
I used to do that all the time during regular hiking, but not that I can remember just to take a picture. I've very carefully got into precarious positions for photographs, but not something I suddenly realized I couldn't back out of easily enough. I guess I'm more reflective when I'm going after a photo than when I'm just out hiking. Actually, I don't do stupid things anymore, even in straight hiking. I've had enough experience now to know what to avoid.

--
FJP
 
... from just imagining some of that. :-)

Maybe some people might think I'm a lunatic for this, but I do regularly travel the NYC subways very late at night w/ my D70 out in full view and ready for a photo opp as I head home. I live in a nice neighborhood, but my subway line and most neighborhoods it services are not the safest around. OTOH, the one time I almost got mugged many years ago did happen at 4pm on a work day on one of the safer lines running along downtown Manhattan. Still, the subways (and streets of NYC) have gotten a lot safer over the years -- and there certainly are more cops patrolling the subways these days.

I guess I feel a little like you do. It may seem dangerous and risky, but I trust that I know what I'm doing and do it regularly. I did joke about using my new, expensive monopod for protection :-) until I lost it shortly afterwards at one of the bad neighborhoods at the end of my subway line. :-(

Man
fjp said:
DolleBrouwer said:
So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?
Click to expand...
Not at all. I've walked out on heavily crevassed glaciers, peered
inside and snapped away.

I've laid down on the ground and pointed my camera over cliffs
thousands of feet high to take pictures of the view below.

I've stood on the edge of cliffs over which a raging creek was
pouring in order to get a few of the falls from above.

Lots of times I have set up a tripod in extremely precarious
positions to get sharp shots.

You know, stuff like that. But I was never really in danger. It was
just hairy and I had to be extremely careful.

--
FJP
Click to expand...
--
Just another amateur learning to paint w/ 'the light of the world.' (John 8:12)
Motto for the season: 'Cameras are for making photos, not war...'
See my profile for more + some basic photog resources.
As usual, YMMV + caveat emptor.
Contact me at [email protected]
Indulge my fancies at http://www.pbase.com/mandnwong
 
in Costa Rica. Hey, I had to get a long-exposure shot of a live volcano just once in my life. I watched lava spew, bubble and roll down the volcano toward me until dawn. It was fantastic.
DolleBrouwer said:
Hello,

Just wondering what you've risked to get a shot. I have two
occasions. My first was last January. I walked out on the
icebergs of Lake Michigan to get some images of a lighthouse with
the icebergs and fell through! The water below was probably 12 feet
deep. Fortunately, I was able to catch myself on some sturdy
nearby ice and hoist myself out. I went up to my hip in the frigid
water and got my tail off the ice! My second was this last weekend
hiking around Death Valley in probably 115 F heat. I went about a
half mile up a canyon that was even hotter b/c the air didn't
circulate out of it and nearly baked myself. I had plenty of H2O,
too. As soon as I saw I was sweating faster than the sweat would
evaporate I got out as fast as I could. It was a good hour b4 I
really felt back to normal.

So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?

Todd
Click to expand...
--
Julia Greer
 
yunfat said:
I hate it when police draw their guns and point them at you when
you haven't done anything wrong. One slip up and you are dead. If
I ever get the chance, I plan to hold a few cops at gunpoint before
things are all over.
Click to expand...
That would probably be a Bad Idea.
yunfat said:
Cops draw their guns at anything these days, its too bad.
Click to expand...
True, but when the bad guys typically have bigger and better weapons than the good guys, can you blame them? I would have done the same in their shoes, I guess. If you tie their hands too tightly, they can't do their jobs. This is getting way off topic, but around here the cops aren't even allowed to exceed the speed limit when they are chasing the bad guys, lest they cause an accident and the police department gets sued. Sad, but true. So the lesson there is, if you want to rob a bank, tell the guy driving the getaway car to go 65, and the cops can't touch you....
 
DolleBrouwer said:
So, am I the only lunatic? :-) What's your story?

Todd
Click to expand...
Well, I had two choose from a wider range of stories including toxic waste or using a steplader on a roof, getting choked by illegal polish gamblers or how I happened to cause the accident with the wedding carriage, but I´ll tell you another police stories...

In order to study phtography in Germany you have to show your dedication with a portfolio, which consists of given assignments and free series. It was probably around 1998 when I went to Albania again with a plan to cross over into Kosovo. At this time everything north of Tirana was politically quite unstable with the UCK (or KLA) roaming quite free. I´d met a kosovo albanian who had worked in Switzerland (a lot of them did) and spoke some bits of german. So we went up to Kukes, the last albanian town at the border by minivan and boat. The journey took us nearly a full day, and while driving on some dirt roads in the mountains suddenly the driver came to a stop. In front of the van stood two masked men with machine guns. I looked to the right (as I was sitting at the right side window) and there were more. I was near fainting and mentally prepared to say goodbye to my equipment, so I just dropped my camera bag on the floor and kicked it to the bag of the van. The guy told me not to worry, this was police (well, he was smuggling amphetamines and morphine, and he kept calm.) Everyone had to get out and after a little confusion with my german passport I got separated. Nobody cared for me while everyone else got body searched, but I didn´t really relax for the rest of the drive...

Sorry I had no picture to post as I never came around to scan them.

But here is another one: This thing bit (or bite?) me after taking the picture (Sorry for the bad quality but I was around 12 years old) and I had to get a rabies vaccination of more than ten injections over the next few month...

Should have flushed it down the dry toilet at this mountain hut instead of photographing and rescueing it...

 
Nothing too majestic...

Once I climed to the top the near top of an oak tree, about 50 feet, equipment and all, to get a really good birds-eye view of setting fog on an evening forest.

Another time did an accidental, high speed ' stoppie ' to get what I thought was candle light in the upper window of an abandoned country house, and with visible shadows moving behind the drapes on the windows.

A " stoppie " looks like this:



I hit the brakes too hard and almost flipped the whole thing.

Another time someone/something part tracked/part chased me through the woods for about 5 miles. Very unsettling.
 
It wasn't that bad really, but it's about the riskiest thing I've done for a picture. First a little background...

The Degree Confluence project is (or was) a web project to visit and photograph all major Latitude / Longitude intersections over the world that happened to fall on land.

With this in mind, I set out to get the last remaining confluence in California. It was located in the Saline Valley of California's Death Valley Nat'l Park. It was just me, my Jeep, camera and a couple of 2 litre bottles of water. The drive, once off the pavement was about 60 miles to the point of closest approach to the confluence, then there would be about 3 miles of hiking to get to the location at about 7000 feet or so. Temperatures in the bottom of the valley were well into the 100 f range as I recall. After driving this extrememly rugged dirt road for most of the day, arrived way too late to start a 3 mile hike alone and I had not prepared to stay the night. I took some pictures that you can see here:

http://www.confluence.org/confluence.php?lat=37&lon=-118&visit=1

And got back in the Jeep for the 30 mile drive to get back out the other way. Got home at about 1am after driving 400 miles.
 
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