Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-03-28)

10 28 March 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

THE

VEWS

EXPRESSED

NTH

SCOLUMN

ARE

NOT

NECESSAR

LYTHOSE

OF
AMATEUR

PHOTOGRAPHER

MAGA Z

NE
OR
TMED

AL

MTED

P

icturethescenario.You’ve

arrivedintoa countryyou’ve

longedto photographandare

aboutto setoffonanepic

adventureto captureimagesyou’vealways

wantedto take.Asyourearrangeyour

handluggageandslingyourcameraand

lensoveryourshoulder,yourstrapsystem

unexpectedlyfailsandbothplummetto

thefloor.Everyonearoundyouturnsand

wincesat thedamagecausedbythat

sickeningsoundof glasshittingconcrete.

I couldn’thavehadmoresympathyfor

thepersonto whomthishappenedat

Reykjavikairportrecently.Thegentleman’s

unfortunatemishapmusthavefeltlikehis

triphadfinishedbeforeit hadevenstarted.

Thankfully,thereweren’tanytearsandhe

didn’tseemtooconcerned.Hopefullyhe

hadinsurance,a backupbodyandother

lensesin hisbagto fallbackon.

Beawareoftherisks

Weallknowtheriskof damagetoourkit

is extremelyhighwhenwe’reworkingin

treacherousconditionsorat challenging

locations,yetsometimeswe’resocaught

upin themomentof gettingtheshotwe

switchoff.It’sat thisprecisemomentthat

we’remostvulnerable.

AsI photographedReynisfjarablack

sandbeachonIceland’ssouthcoastI

witnesseda photographernearlylosethe

entirecontentsof hisbackpacktothe

AtlanticOceanwhena hugesneaker

waveobliteratedthebeachashe

franticallyattemptedtochangehis

camerabattery.HadI notjumpedin and

intervened,hiskitcouldhavebeenswept

outtosea.Thentherewasthe

photographerwhogotcutoffbythe

incomingtideandwroteoffhisDSLR

afterit becamesubmerged.

Thenextday,unexpectedmeltingof ice

insidea glaciercavecreateda sudden

rushofwaterwherenobodyexpectedit.

A quickwarningtothephotographer

nexttomewhohadplacedoneof his

camerasonthefloorwithhisback

turnedpreventedhiskittakingan

unexpectedbath.Thentherewasthe

photographer who thought his crampons

weregoodenoughtotacklea

ridiculouslysteep,icydescent– they

weren’t!Cameraandlenstookthefull

bruntof hisfall.I didn’tgettoinspect the

damage,butluckilyhewasokay.

Slowdownandtakeyourtime

Accidentshappen,of coursetheydo,but

I can’thelpbutfeelallthedamagethatI

witnessedonmytripcouldhavebeen

avoided.Losinga cameraorlensthrough

a momentaryslipof concentrationona

once-in-a-lifetimetripdoesn’tbear

thinkingabout,especiallyif youdon’t

havetheluxuryof a backupcamera.

Havingseensomanyaccidents,trips

andfalls,it hasmademerethinkmy

approachtophotography.It’snowtimeto

slowdownandcontemplatetheperils

thatcomewithphotographingin the

landscape.If you’rereadingthisbefore

headingout,I’drecommendyoudothe

same.It mightjustsaveyou

embarrassment,a costlyrepairbill,or

worse,losingyourcameraorlife.It’s

importanttoremember, no image is

worthsucha risk.

MichaelTophamobservedaworryingnumberof

kit-basedaccidentsduringarecenttriptoIceland.Is

it time to slow down and rethink the way we work?

View point

Michael Topham

MichaelTophamis ReviewsEditorofAmateur

Photographer. In hissparetimeheshoots weddings.

Visitwww.michaeltopham.co.uk

©

ROD

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Beawareofthelandscape– noimageis worth

damagingyourkitfor,orrisking your life

‘I witnesseda

photographernearly lose

thecontentsofhis

backpack to the ocean’