Precarious Perches

[Martin Miller]

I have never seen this topic discussed, but for me it is an integral part of doing large format in the field. For some reason I gravitate towards pictures taken from precarious perches. Either I am climbing up rocks and setting up on boulders, tripod on one, me on another, or working in streams stepping from wet, slippery, wobbly rock to wet, slippery, wobbly rock. Often when I am finally in place, I can hardly see the front of the camera to set the aperture and shutter. I am usually standing on a rounded boulder with no margin for movement in any direction, constantly reminding myself where I am, lest I become so absorbed in the image making that I take a step to the side or backward and into trouble. Considering the frequency of these situations, I have led a charmed life in that no harm has (so far!) come to my person or equipment. Surely I am not alone in my proclivity to precarious perches. Anyone been less lucky? (Maybe I don't want to hear!) - Martin (www.millervisuals.com)

[Jack Davis]

In my opinion, one of the inherent benefits of getting up before dawn to go take pictures is that you usually have the scenery to yourself - and don't receive nasty stares from National Park staff or other authorities when you step over the "lawsuit railing" that keeps the stupid people from falling into the Grand Canyon.

I can't count the number of times I've stepped beyond the railing to the edge - at some of the classic spots in America - Artist's Point at Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Painted Wall at Black Canyon of the Gunnison N.P., South Rim of Big Bend N.P.

I too am probably living on borrowed time...but if God didn't want use to step to the edge he wouldn't of invented rise/fall movements or wide angle lenses.

[Eric Z. Beard]

Hi Martin,

I just started with my first LF camera month or so ago, and I've already found myself in those positions. My first expedition to go out and get some B&W sheets exposed (my first B&W ever, actually) was on Whiteoak Canyon Trail in Shenandoah National Park. The upper falls are viewed from a very precarious location; the front leg of my tripod was about an inch from the edge, which juts out so that if you take a peek down, you don't see anything for what looks like a half a mile (probably just a few hundred feet but for the east coast that's about as good as it gets :). Definitely not a place you want to make a mistake!

And at the other places I chose to take shots, I always found myself balancing on some mossy, wet rock in the middle of the stream. It's definitely worthwhile to learn how to set your shutter speed and arpeture by feel, because it's basically impossible to walk out in front where you can get a good view. Maybe we should carry little mirrors with us.

Many of the great shots I've seen of the Grand Canyon et. al. out west make me think "Where the heck was that guy standing?". I think it adds to the allure of the image, so it's definitely worth the risk.

EZB

[Bruce Watson]

I think you describe my workflow perfectly. That's why we have Vibram, and hip waders ;-)

[Michael Veit]

It's not only landscape shooting that sometimes gets your heart racing. My favorite subject matter is a series of abandoned and decaying grain elevators in this area and I often climb to the top of these places by way of rusted staircases that have had the actual steps removed to keep -- well, idiots like myself -- from getting up top. The one inch wide brackets that held the steps are still there and those are enough to climb up on, so long as you don't focus on the 70 foot void you're straddling. I haul my equipment up after me on clothes line.

Even at the top of these places there's no real safety as the concrete floor is crumbling or even missing in many places. Several times I've had my concentration broken by the sickening sound of the floor cracking beneath me. So far, things have always held.

Who knows whether our photos are actually improved by some of the lengths we go to get them. It makes us appreciate them more in our own eyes, though.

[Tadge Dryja]

I'll second the decaying buildings one. Though I've never felt terribly endangered, there have been lots of times when I've thought my camera might not live to see another day. This (http://tadge.net/pipes.htm) photo for example, was taken on the burnt-out upper floor of an abandoned insane asylum. The tripod slipped while I was taking it down, and almost fell through to the floor below. I caught it though.

But a brick fell and landed a few feet away from my friend downstairs shooting with a hasselblad.

This is, of course, exactly what photography is all about. heh.

-Tadge

[ronald lamarsh]

I've taken some chances but the grain elevator/rusty staircase thing makes me quiver. Most of my chances are taken in the wilderness, Mt Rainier park, I am always alone and last trip found myself picking my way down a steep slope on a slippery dirt track to get to the Emmons morraine. once at the morraine you have to hopscotch your way across boulders ultimately perched on one. Then there is always the danger of the odd lahar sweeping you down the morraine in 20+ft of mud and rock.

[Bobby Black]

I , too, have put myself in a few situations that, in retrospect, were by no means safe in order to get the shot that I wanted. That also includes scrambling around on terrain that isn't exactly easy even when you don't have a pack full of gear with a tripod strapped to it.

Recognizing this -- as well as the fact that I'm not going to stop -- I've started learning about the basics of rock climbing and its equipment. My plan is to have some of its safety protection gear with me -- and use it. A couple of locking carabiners, quickdraws, rope and other safety items are going to be going with me in the car from here on out and, if I feel the need to play in the rough, at least I know I've taken at least a few precautionary steps and am doing so properly.

Would this approach be helpful to everyone? Maybe, maybe not. It's a bit more weight to carry, but then I can eat a few less cheeseburgers to make up the difference. FWIW, its been a fun thing to learn this new activity to augment my photography, and, IMHO, I do have a bit more peace of mind with which to concentrate on doing what I love -- shooting film.

Bobby

[darter]

Here's a moment to reflect on all the photographers who have died trying to get the right picture.

[Pat Kearns]

Back in 2000 I spent a week out in Utah & Arizona hiking and photographing in the parks. Some of the trails were rocky and steep but they didn't give me any problem. The next week returning to work I slipped and fell in the hall leaving the building. Fractured my left leg in 5 places. I have to say that the great indoors can be more hazardous. Just be careful while making your photos and have fun while you are doing it. By the way, do you mind if I take out an insurance policy on you?

[Bruce Watson]

I think it started for me in high school. I worked for the local paper covering high school sports. After a couple of years, the older photogs. started draging me along to college games on the weekends.

I knew I was in trouble when I held my ground during a sweep. The linebacker creamed the tight end, and they made a "V" in front of me - the linebacker going to my left, the tight end going to my right. First down!

Then I looked around, and all the other people on the sidelines, players, coaches, officials, and other photographers had moved off by at least 10 yards. Hmmm....

But my picture ran on the front page above the fold. I also got a lecture from the photo department head about safety. But he had to fight to contain his smile ;-)

I've been like that ever since. And no, I don't even remember who was playing. But I do remember looking at that negative as I pulled the film off the reel. That's a feeling you don't soon forget.

[Harold_4074]

Perhaps we should keep in mind the difference, often ignored, between doing something "successfully" and doing it "safely". The former means that nothing went wrong the last time you attempted it; the latter implies that it will (always?) go right on future attempts. Sort of like parachute jumping---practice constantly, but do it right every time.

Hogarth Hughes' comment reminds me of the sensation of being on the sidelines of a high school football game, with a TLR, and seeing the ball centered in the finder and wobbling as its image grew rapidly larger. I never actually got run over by a pass receiver or hit by the ball, but there were a few close calls!

[Tom Hieb]

Twice, I have lost camera and tripod over the edge of a cliff. One went into the water and was never seen again and the other came apart very impressively on the bare rocks several hundred feet below. I believe that I am now more careful about working at the edge of cliffs or in streams. My wife, however, thinks I'm crazy and, according to her, she has numerous little talks with God whenever she watches me taking pictures. So I guess one person's careful is another's crazy.

Lately, when I am working near the edge of a cliff or other dangerous place, I have started clipping the tripod to my belt or a chest harness using a short bungee cord and carabineers. This doesn't help me from going over the edge, but it does help with sudden unexpected gusts of wind or clumsiness (the camera that hit the rocks was accidentally bumped off the edge of the cliff by me). I don't do this if I think it might be dangerous to me, and I have learned to just walk away from some of the most dangerous spots (there are always other good pictures to be had). But those darn cliff, boulders, swift moving mountain streams,… they are awfully tempting.

[Brian Ellis]

On my most recent 10 day photography trip I successfully negotiated some pretty slippery seaside rocks and other similar risky places, only to trip and fall on my face when checking into a hotel at the end of the trip.

[Jim Rice]

Your local industial supply place will have a climbing harness for around $200. It won't help much with the trip, but once you get there it will tie you off to something substantial and drastically (as in save your life) shorten your fall. Don't make me tell your spouse about it.

The auto supply store has a little mirror (for exposure settings)swivel mounted to a telescoping wand. Six bucks and light and compact when folded. Of course, I'm too big a pussy to need either one, but I have had to climb towers, and I do occasionally work on my car. :p

[Jim Rice]

Spare the 'blad guy, Dan. OTOH, Leica guys are fair game. Sorry, Ralph.

[Jim Rice]

But then I suppose it depends on what Ralph is packing at a given moment. And if it's one of those big bore thingies, I take it all back.

[Ralph Barker]

Jim - the mark of a good "dangerous-places" photographer is to see the falling brick out of the corner of one's eye, then quickly draw his/her .44 magnum and obliterate the brick on its way down. These folks can be identified by the light coating of brick dust on their shoulders, and the distinctive bulge under their jackets. ;-)

Alternatively, a hard hat might not be a bad idea for industrial locales. I hear there's a reason people who work in such places wear them. ;-)

[neil poulsen]

One time I had trained my venerable S2a at the end of an overpass on an intriguing scene. As I was preparing to take the photograph, I heard a crash behind me. As I backed away to see what had occurred, everything went into slow motion. There had been a collision in the intersection on that side of the overpass. One of the cars had turned, and it's back end was headed straight for my camera. Without even thinking, I danced in, retrieved my camera and tripod and danced out again. Probably less than a second later, the back end of that car crashed into the very location at which I had been photographing. It all seemed so synchronized. Everything went perfect.

Its funny how people can react in that kind of a situation. I knew I loved that camera and didn't want to lose it. But thinking about it later, the outcome could have been very different. I wonder what I would do now if a similar event occurred again.