but it was in my handbag, just wanted to enter the plane, me silly.
Btw, I do extensively location scouting, where permission is not always granted, so I've been through that many many times.
but it was in my handbag, just wanted to enter the plane, me silly.
Btw, I do extensively location scouting, where permission is not always granted, so I've been through that many many times.
Paint it pink and wear it around your neck on a lanyard. If it is not black/gray or other dark color it won't look as dangerous.
In the same vein, a wooden tripod probably looks less fearsome than carbon fiber.
Excellent !
Perhaps I should get a wooden tripod for shooting on the road. Can you recommend one ? Seriously. Not one of these gigantic heavy things. I know nothing about wooden tripods. I currently have a Bogen 3021 BN Pro, just a plain-vanilla, middle-of-the-road, affordable tripod. Is there such a thing in wood, which lets you set up quickly ?
One reason I keep my 5x7 Kodak 2A, is that wooden cameras, long cable releases, red bellows, brass fittings, etc. invite friendship and draw people from a distance. They make you look harmless.
To that end, I need to get a used pickup truck too, but that's more money than any of my equipment. Perhaps if I could get one with a snow plow, I could justify it with the Mrs.
I remember way back when Dad would leave for Alaska from PDX, it would take less than an hour from the time we left the parking lot for him to buy the ticket, check bags (which contained a 22 rifle), wave good bye, watch the old Constelation take off, and be back in the car headed for home!
About five years ago I was photographing clouds over an industrial area. The local police arrived responding to a report of "someone seen taking pictures in the direction of a chemical plant". I informed them that that was correct, but continued to ask if I was doing some sort of surveying? I don't think I was ever able to get through to him that the big black thing with a bellows on top of the tripod was a camera. I gave him a card that identified me as the Public Works Supt. of a near by town, and told him some of my work is on display in a local gallery. About this time he received a more urgent call and left.
What escapes me is the logic that says this guy with a big unusual camera, tripod, dark cloth, and all, that screams lookk at me, must be up to no good, when with a point and shoot some with ill intent could get everything they need from a car as they drive by!
D Vik
Wearing a yellow hard hat often does wonders. Everyone thinks you're an official worker bee on duty.
Never been hassled for it, but I've thought about it. I'll be especially careful in some urban areas in low light ... there have more than a few cases of cops in NYC shooting people for brandishing wallets, cell phones, or various other suspicious dark objects.
I wouldn't be surprised if gang members have made the same mistake.
Seems like white people are much less likely to get shot pointlessly, but I wouldn't bank on that. If I go down in a hail of bullets, I want it to be for something more worthwhile than the zone system.
"If I go down in a hail of bullets, I want it to be for something more worthwhile than the zone system".
Genius !
No, but there was the time in the redwoods when I had the 8x10 up. I was taking meter readings as a herd of elk surrounded me -- the alpha male started to snort and look at me funny. I have never taken down the camera and put in the pack that fast before! I headed towards some down redwoods where it would not be worth his while to follow!
I used to have a set of traffic cones to go with my yellow hard hat! Working construction had benefits!
Vaughn - I was once surrounded by a herd of about thirty wild pigs, including three
big boars. Was taking a closeup shot of a big manzanita trunk. They couldn't figure
out why I had five legs, three of them wooden, and a big black top. When all their
grunts starting turning from curious to a little more organized, I was about to climb
a tree but started whooping instead, which got them all confused until they started
running around me in a big circle, and then finally back into the woods. The shot
turned out great, by the way. But I think it's only a matter of time till some
photographer breaks the perimeter of an elk herd out here at Pt Reyes and some
bull takes exception to it. Even the mtn lions aren't that stupid.
Drew that just begs the question of why, since your time on earth was limited to a matter of seconds, why oh why didn't you shoot a photo of thirty pigs charging you?
It would have made such a cooler memorial to you than another shot of a tree trunk!
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