Most remote/dangerous place you've photographed?

[Josh Z.]

Well... Maybe not really dangerous... But it does give me a chance to share recent natural encounters.

This past weekend I was hiking with the 4x5 about 2 miles from the car at dusk when I came across a mountain lion about 50 yards in front of me on the trail. I must have been quiet enough (probably not a good thing in hindsight) coming up the trail that he didn't know I was coming until we saw each other. He quite casually walked across the trail and disappeared into the forest. I spent about 10 minutes listening to twigs break as he retreated. It was certainly a privilege, even if it did get my heart pumping a bit.

Then just today while taking the dog for a walk I practically stepped on a snake. I'm pretty sure it was harmless (certainly not a rattlesnake) but still... Nearly stepping on a snake in rattlesnake country is not something I'd like to repeat.

I'm waiting for that inevitable encounter with a bear... I have my tripod jedi defensive swings memorized

[Brian K]

Most dangerous? Utah. I had a bullet whiz by me at Utah lake last year.

[tgtaylor]

Well, I'd have to agree with Bill Jefferson's post above except for me it was 1967. Otherwise I'd say night photography (with a tripod) in the San Francisco tenderloin district.

[tim atherton]

Most dangerous - maybe Londonderry at the height of the "Troubles"?

Most dangerous and exotic? Maybe several kilometers out on the sea ice on the Beaufort Sea at night trying to photograph the Aurora Borealis when there was also a Polar Bear around and you couldn't hear much because of the creaking and groaning of the ice (at least I had my trusty .303 with me...)

[Ben Chase]

(at least I had my trusty .303 with me...)

Let's hope the first shot lands where it needs to! A friend of mine has a .454 Casull, and if you have ever shot one of those pistols - there's no doubting it would stop just about anything.

Wonder if bear spray also works on Kodiaks, or would it just make their meal a bit more spicy?

[tim atherton]

Let's hope the first shot lands where it needs to! A friend of mine has a .454 Casull, and if you have ever shot one of those pistols - there's no doubting it would stop just about anything.

Wonder if bear spray also works on Kodiaks, or would it just make their meal a bit more spicy?

It's a trusty old Lee Enfield SMLE No.1 MkIII that I bought for $50.00 and eventually put a modern stock on.

Used a lot for caribou for food travelling along the arctic coast. Only shot a polar bear once - it had come into town and was eating dogs and then was heading for the school playground for some small tasty kids...

On bear spray - I think if a polar bear is that close, you've had it. They aren't afraid of humans - they just figured you are a seal standing up. The spray would probably just add a nice bit of spice to the meal...

[Vaughn]

I've taken the 4x5 on some solo Grand Canyon hikes that seemed fairly isolated. Took some photos with the 4x5 looking across Franz Joesph Glacier in NZ...had to keep an ear open for falling rocks. After I moved on, I some some pretty good size rocks rolling over the place I had been. Been lots of places where it would have been deadly to have brake a leg or something. But I'm no fool...I've never photographed in the inner city...LOL!

Vaughn

[adrian tyler]

i was photographing inside the auxilluary building in a nuclear power station during the fuel rod change 3 weeks ago, leaning over the pool of water where all the waste fuel rods are stored to get a shot... got some great portraits too with all that tension going on, but i looked a picture myself with the protective overalls and headgear lugging a wooden 4x5 around...

[Terry Hull]

Most remote-Antartica. Most dangerous Vietnam 1968.

[vann webb]

Downtown Raleigh, NC. Got accosted by a wino with all my gear strewn all over and tripod set up for a night shot. Was by myself and have never felt so unnerved. Guy was extremely crazy. Haven't been back to that area ever again. Most remote place. The desert on the way to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, I guess qualifies as the road to nowhere, so to speak. Hardly dangerous, though. I like remote just fine. It's people that scare me when I'm trying to photograph.