Stories Of Daring Photography Work

I laid down on the ground, between the legs of a juggler, shooting with a Canon 5D Mark III - about $6K worth of camera and lens - while he juggled a soccer ball, a plunger, and a 5lb hammer.

John, very good work. Love that sky. That 5lb hammer could have hurt.

I had to get up on a rock ridge with snow everywhere to get this shot. I remember my foot sliding on the snow right at the edge where it dropped 150 ft.

It was a dark and stormy night. The cold intense, the wind howling.

Antonin, if THAT was "daring" for you, I would hate to think what you would do with a herd of Bison charging you....lol

That is what happened with me trying to shoot Bison. I was out there with them and no vehicle. Good thing for that ditch.

Speaking of bovines, she may look lovely but it was surprising when I turned round and I saw this running towards me at full pelt

Big animals (especially with big horns) charging a photographer is not cool...right Chris?

hehe, no, it isn't but I do love a bit of risk when taking photos, I suppose if you are shooting wildlife and nature it is something that comes with the territory.

You are so right Chris. Like being out away in a forest where you can get LOST. Where there are no PATHS. Where it can get DARK. Snakes, mountain lions, wild boars...and so forth. But you know, the photos you bring back are worth the effort.

Yep; the wilds are so awesome. I love looking for places others have never shot. Don't do it as much since I reached my mid-60s but the thrill is still there.

Thought I was going to lose an eye.

Due to their isolation from humans, most animals on South Georgia are not wary of humans, in fact many find it hard to contain their curiosity. This young King Penguin was a great example.
He was in a group of young King Penguins standing around in a river bed, plucking out their baby feathers and trying hard to look grown up. This guy must have got the group nomination to check out the big red thing with two legs, two arms and no beak.
He casually wandered over to where I was kneeling and tilted his head, looking at me from all angles, he gave me a soft nudge with his beak and seemed very interested in my camera...actually too interested. I was clicking away and suddenly he opened his beak and lunged at the camera. I got the shot but then had to take "save the camera at all costs" evasive action and landed on my backside in a pile of penguin droppings.
The penguin just looked at me, thought the big red thing was very clumsy and boring and wandered off to report to the group.

Good shot Amanda. It's not easy (I know) to get such shots. You don't even have time to see what you have gotten till you are back away.

Antonin,

You are risking humor to be here. OMG!!

Dave

Last in line, last to lay down...

Ed, that is an amazing shot. I literally gasped.

Amanda, yours too is just incredible. Perfect shot, perfectly depicts the subject. Well done!!

Most of mine are from my TV news days. I was working at the three letter station here in Columbia a few years ago. I was shooting a "stand up" with my reporter. That's the part of the story where the reporter is seen in the field facing the camera. This one was going to bridge the first part of the story with the second part. We were in front of a house in a not so great section of town and were recording. The reporter counted down "4, 3, 2..." and the 1 would be silent and then she'd start her stand up.

But we both heard something then. I kept rolling the whole time as we peaked around the corner of a house and saw a man trying to steal an AC unit out of the house. We were far enough away that he didn't see us at first. We step back to the sidewalk, but still able to see him. She calls 911. I keep rolling. A police car arrives pretty quickly and while I'm still rolling, she tells him what's going on. I don't believe the man has seen us yet; I'm pretty sure he was doped up. The officers go up to him as we move off property but while I still roll.

They talk to him a few minutes and then let him go! I'm flabbergasted! The guy walks right up to us and says, "So you called the cops on me?" AND PULLS OUT A KNIFE! The officers see this and come and get him, arrest him, put him in the back of the police car... all in time for a wonderful piece on the 11 O'clock News.

The other time was when I was at a small station in Rock Hill, SC. Me and a reporter were on scene of a strike at a plant. It was literally people with bull horns and signs picketing in the street and all I'm thinking about is the wonderful video and audio I'm picking up and already thinking about awards I may win over this story. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I see my reporter reach out for me, grab me by the shoulder and yank me toward her. I'm like "What the hell?"... just as an 18 wheeler flies past me in the same I was standing in1 She literally saved my life. I thanked her later, but right then,there was video and audio to get!

At the point of no return, atop a steep cliff on the rim oh Bryce Canyon, I asked a park ranger what kills the most folks at the park. Wryly he replied that fat old guys who hike down into the canyon, but cannot get back up account for most, and a close second is the guy who gets too close to the rim, and rides the long slide.

Daring or dumb? I've seen my share of idiots going over the barriers in National Parks to get that "great shot". Or people who send their five year old out with a video camera to take a nice close up of a bison in Yellowstone.

Ed, great shot. Good thing David wasn't on that bike..lol.

Edward, then there are those who the Forest Rangers let into a burning Park with a camera to get shots like this....haha.

Last Fall during the elk rutting season, I was photographing a large bull elk when I heard another bull bugling across the lake. I looked across the lake and saw another nice bull trying to figure out how to get to the herd of elk I had been photographing. The bull finally decided he was going to swim across the lake rather than going around. Once he crossed the lake, he thrashed some trees and was preparing to go steal some cows from the elk herd. However, he now had to cross a river to get to the elk herd. I was standing on a bridge to keep my distance from the raging bull elk. Once he reached the river, he decided he didn't want to swim again and decided to cross the bridge to save energy. Everyone that was on the bridge scattered and ran off to safety. I however, saw this an an opportunity to get a once in a lifetime shot. I kneeled down at the base of the bridge and snapped some photos as the bull elk was headed right at me. He was on a mission and I put myself in harms way for this shot. After a few photos, I quickly moved out of the way as he passed by me and went off to battle for some of the cows in the elk herd.

Bill, was your tolerant ranger merely tolerant, or did he maybe have a grudge?

Ranger to annoying kid named Bill/Shane/Greg: Sure,you can go get a close-up of that Bison/Elk/Fire. How could he possibly hurt you?

Gregory, matter of fact I got a call from the Forrest Department inviting me to the big forest fire. Maybe Mike or David called them up to invite me...lol.