Remember to be careful out there!

[bmattock]

Yesterday, I went out and shot a couple rolls of film in and near downtown Albuquerque, NM. Towards the end of the afternoon, I was losing the light, but I wanted to get a shot of the Amtrak train pulling out of Duke City, bound for Los Angeles.

I had earlier found a bridge that crossed the railroad tracks and which did not have a guardrail that was too high for me to shoot over the top of it. So, I parked my car and walked out onto the bridge.

Through my 200mm lens (sorry guys, I was testing a new/old SLR), I could just see the oncoming train, but it was still at the station. I waited for awhile for it to pull out, but the sun was setting and it was getting both cold and windy on the bridge. Cars were driving by, some yelled things out the window at me which I could not make out.

I finally gave it up as a bad job. As I turned to go, a soda cup from a drive-through restaraunt came hurtling towards me. Some kids in a Chevy were using me for target practice. Fortunately, they missed.

I hadn't done anything to make them mad, but I stood out, and that was enough to make me a target. I suppose if they'd had a brick, they'd have thrown that instead.

So let's be careful out there! Sometimes it is dangerous to be a photographer, even if you're not in a warzone.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[back alley]

bummer bill!

sometimes the general public can be supreme jerks.

did you let them know that you're a former marine?

that alone would be enuf to scare me off!

i have to admit to being very lucky and not really having any rough episodes when shooting.
of course, i live in western canada and the folks here are very polite and nice for the most part. not that we don't have our fair share of jerks...

joe

 

[bmattock]

bummer bill!

sometimes the general public can be supreme jerks.

Only sometimes?

did you let them know that you're a former marine?

No, unfortunately, they were in a car traveling at a high speed as I walked along the walkway over the bridge.

that alone would be enuf to scare me off!

I'm just a big, loveable guy. A teddy bear. Well, some kind of bear, anyway.

i have to admit to being very lucky and not really having any rough episodes when shooting.
of course, i live in western canada and the folks here are very polite and nice for the most part. not that we don't have our fair share of jerks...

My boss and two of my coworkers are Canadians. I'm pretty sure that they're up to something. Nobody is that polite. I was in Vancouver when the Canadians won the Olympic Gold recently. I went downtown, the 'riots' were a bunch of guys drinking beer and cheering. Then they went home. Geeze. When I lived in Denver, the idiots tried to burn the city down. Twice!

They must put something in you guy's water or something.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Doug]

Trains

Trains

Sorry to hear of the unfriendly reaction. Maybe they thought it inappropriate (given "homeland security" concerns) to photograph sensitive infrastructure items like trains. You could be a terrorist researching your next infamous act!

Too bad you didn't get a train pic... you can borrow mine. 🙂

 

[oftheherd]

I too have been lucky during my photo outings. Mostly through the grace of God, but no doubt watchfulness and a velbon tripod as a constant companion helped. It's a shame what the world has come to. Glad their aim was as bad as their manners.

 

[taffer]

In fact the are LOTS of wonderful people out there, it's only that jerks are a lot noisier, thus 'normal' people go unnoticed.

 

[rpsawin]

I like to shoot old, abandoned equipment and machinery. Often times I find this stuff in out of the way places. Lately I've had two close calls with homeless guys. I guess I'll need to take a "spotter" along with me to watch my back while I'm shooting.

B-T-W...it's another reason to shoot with a well-built camera. If push comes to shove you can use it to bash heads...

Bob

 

[bmattock]

I like to shoot old, abandoned equipment and machinery. Often times I find this stuff in out of the way places. Lately I've had two close calls with homeless guys. I guess I'll need to take a "spotter" along with me to watch my back while I'm shooting.

B-T-W...it's another reason to shoot with a well-built camera. If push comes to shove you can use it to bash heads...

Bob

I agree with all you've said - I also like to take pictures of abandoned buildings, decayed urban environments, etc. I don't often get confronted (face to face), because I look rather aggressive, I suppose:

Me, looking aggressive

However, I also agree with you about using a spotter. It's much safer. Not to mention the things you could step on and hurt yourself, and need assistance (a cell phone is also handy, and you should know where you are as well).

As well, I think twice about bringing expensive gear to such a shoot. An old Yashica Electro GSN is not hard to replace, even if you like it a lot, and it can indeed be used to repel boarders. And, if the intent of the bad guy is to rob you, let 'em have the thing. They'll find out at the pawn shop how little it is 'really' worth.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[back alley]

love the t-shirt

joe

 

[oftheherd]

I like to shoot old, abandoned equipment and machinery. Often times I find this stuff in out of the way places. Lately I've had two close calls with homeless guys. I guess I'll need to take a "spotter" along with me to watch my back while I'm shooting.

B-T-W...it's another reason to shoot with a well-built camera. If push comes to shove you can use it to bash heads...

Bob

I saw that happen in Korea several years ago. One man tried to strongarm rob another of his 35mm SLR. After he got it up the side of his head, he lost interest.

The victim took it off his shoulder and gave it one swing ending at the perp who staggered off as fast as he could, whinning and holding his head, while the victim walked the other way and reported the incident to the military police.

I often wondered if the perp found any leasons about treading the straight and narrow, or just tried to find less dangerous things to steal.🙂

 

[fcg]

im often out and about,over here-
in the nyc and urban areas-and like tobe able to move well.
so the 6 and 10 lb tripods stay home unless im with a group.
the amount of gear slows me down-so its 3 lenses at most and a body or 2 and the relevant necessities; and it goes in the trunk; locked.
in general im reasonably careful and try to get the photo job done without hanging around..thats why i like rf systems.- and yes i do shoot nikons as well. now,
one of my favorite accesories is a handmade wooden base -and ballhead brace; which allows me tobe steadier. and a solid persuader;.the cameras are totally replaceable and i have extras.but;yeah; the cameras i use are expensive; and so
i watch the people i pass ; carefully;if the gears out</> for their reaction/or recognition.otherwise
the gears into a bag and its well worn.
now;after 911 i will awalys carry a m series camera on planes for its weight- on the end of that strap - a solid persuader; will leica replace it? well maybe....its unlikely i will actually wear this stuff out- so;
and im really lucky.
sometimes i m with a pair of huskies- my friends dogs; they love me- and im sure they would definitely eat anyone foolish enough to bother with me.
so yes ive been a target for 35+ years and have little problems.
out in the country &-im not actually shocked -i grew up in the midwest
people are sometimes thoughtless.
so my photo motto is move fast ; keep youe eyes on the people.meter+
do the shot ; dont mess about and egress with dispatch.
fcg

 

[Doug]

fcg, there is wisdom in what you say... Staying aware of your surroundings in an important factor in avoiding assault. Confident awareness, and discretion. Since photogs are practiced at watching for picture opportunities, I think this gives us a bit of an advantage. Attackers tend to pick victims that act like victims; unaware, avoiding eye-contact, absorbed in their own activity or thoughts. This is taught in self-defense training, and matches my own observation.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The only episode that I had close to this was in high-school (ohhh, 30 years ago), shooting a football game from the sidelines. Fans of the opposing team decided to single me out. A Tele-Astranar 400mm F6.3 held like a bat with an Argus/Cosina STL1000 at the end of it is a formidable weapon. Happy to say, no takers.

 

[zev]

I am new to this forum, first time posting, and in two years of doing urban landscapes and the like, someone "offered" to buy my Canon A1 in an abandoned industrial part of Brooklyn, when I said no thanks, he offered to sell me one for a dollar fifty. And in Madrid, two guys spotted my camera and followed me around for a while.

Which is part of the reason I like to use older equipment - nobody pays much attention to my Olympus XA, you look more like a tourist than a photographer, and if I have to part it or my Yashica GTN, they're easier to replace than more expensive equipment.

And if I may change the direction of this thread a bit, are there any seventies rangefinders with exposure lock? (I'll put in a new post on that)

Zev