Why is this job dangerous?

[Xchroma]

Someone asked me the other day if my job was dangerous. I said yes but could only give the example of being on the side of the freeway shooting an accident and hoping some looky loo doesnt ram into me while I'm shooting.
I know there are a million other reasons why this job is dangerous and would like to hear some real life stories from some of you veterans.
What was your most dangerous situation while in the field?

[BluesDaddy]

Shooting helos coming and going outside the hospital after a major industrial explosion, was nearly attacked by family members of one of the victims.

[<tvcigar>]

Getting run over by a football player or basketball player on the sidelines/baseline always make the day interesting.

tvcigar

[Lenslinger]

While covering Hurricane Gordon's ravishing of Kitty Hawk in 1993, I (and several other unlucky journalists) were waylaid by a freak storm surge. It happened quick. One moment I was shooting the remains of a destroyed beach house and suddenly the sky turned to water. Instantly I found myself swimming uphill in a rushing torrent of dirty ocean, jagged lumber and pissed-off camera crews.

'THIS SUCKS!, I thought as the hand of God shoved my face in the sandy bottom. The giant wave buffeted my still-rolling Panasonic all the way into shore and I held on for dear life, refusing to let go of the cam. After the longest thirty seconds of my then 25 years, the wave receded and the Nantucket Sleighride was over. I scrambled to my feet, thanking God there wasn't a broken two-by-four sticking out of my torso. Then I cursed, loudly and repeatedly.

I felt like the World's Biggest Vidiot as I pulled my soaking wet fancy-cam out of two feet of swirling ocean. 'What could be worse?' I thought as dirty saltwater poured out of the record deck. Looking up I saw what could be worse - a snickering NBC News Channel camera crew perched high on the top deck of a beach-house and zooming in on yours truly. By the time I got back to my bulky bag-phone twenty minutes later, the whole camera-surfing escapade was bouncing across the universe from satellite to satellite - providing endless entertainment for news hunters all over the globe who swore it could never happen to them. Don't be so sure.

Aside from a permanent scar on my palm from gripping the camera all the way in, and an earful of sand and fiddler crabs, I escaped the incident unharmed. But, since the video of my wipeout was featured in the opening minutes of every national newscast that night, plus endless loops on CNN, the damage to my ego took a little longer to heal. These days I proudly show the tape to new shooters - as an example of how dangerous our jobs can be when you least expect it. Some feign concern over my on-screen plight, a few merely snicker, and one guy just about pissed himself at the sight of me dropping F-bombs all over the Carolina shore.

Some legacy... :rolleyes:

[ August 02, 2004, 06:41 AM: Message edited by: Lenslinger ]

[Dble(Punched)Vision]

Shooting a live shot outside the scene of a gang-related shooting. The victem was an employee of the resturaunt. Another employee drove his car over to us instead of walking the 25 foot distance. His two kids were in the back as he proceeded to remind me that "this story had better not tell people" the Thai place is a gang hangout or slant the story in a way that he didn't like. We're about to go live and I explain this to him so he says that he's going to go back in and watch... if he doesn't like the story he has no problem with going to jail.

"Go watch." I told him and he drove back over and parked and went inside. Just in case he wanted to "file a complaint" with us after, I reached into the truck and grabbed my Mag-lite. I may not win, but with 4 D-cells in my hand---he won't either.

We never saw the dude again.

P.S. The intern heard this conversation and decided to hide in the truck and skip her mock stand-ups. At least I got to go home on time!

[Qwickshot]

Hey Lenslinger there is no way you could put some of that footage on B-roll could ya? I bet there are few of us who would like to see it who haven't already. And we all promise not to mock or make fun of you because like you said it could happen to anyone!!! Thanks

[Lenslinger]

Coming Soon, Viewfinder BLUES: Hurricane Stew

(Does the humiliation never end?)

[ August 01, 2004, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: Lenslinger ]

[<NYshooter>]

Dangerous??

Try 9-11

[<To NY Shooter>]

"Try 9-11"

Right, that argument doesn't work for me. As a shooter were we in any more danger than anyone else that day? I don't think so.

[Qwickshot]

Lenslinger we wont humiliate you that much. I just think it would be interesting to see. It could prove to be a photog stress relief as they are rolling on the floor laughing. But not me. So everyone can benifit from it. Can't wait for the release of Hurricane Stew!

[btsatman]

Originally posted by Lenslinger:
Coming Soon, Viewfinder BLUES: Hurricane Stew

(Does the humiliation never end?) Hey Lenslinger, it can go well with Kevin's lost truck story. (http://b-roll.net/rolling/losttruck.html)

[Air_7]

Dangerous ??? to some maybe ????

I was covering the "Williams Fire" a brush fire 2002 in So Cal with another buddie when L.A.Co.F.D. decided it was time to leave as there was only one way out of the canyon....Well while everyone was leaving and I got in my truck someone said that a house was on fire....So I got back out and went and shot it and also a very dramatic evacuation and 20 minutes after that we where in area ignition (that is when there is fire 360 degrees arouund) with flame lenghts over 100 feet. We parked at a US Forest fire station which was a dedicated safety zone with a strike team that couldn't make it out either.....This was almost as fun as making a skydive...Like I said, Dangerous to some people. Yes I keep rolling and got awesome footage...We where trapped in the firestorm for about an hour and then We Went BAck in where they fire rolled through and it was like a war zone as we got amunition going off, structures burning, propane venting !!! Now that was a little differant as we had no idea what may happen, trees falling......We made it out with some pretty awesome footage....At lease we know how to react and will not run from a fire when you have a structure that will protect you...We got some great training and can't wait tell the next one....Most firefighters won't ever see this in there intire carrer...

See Yahh "Smokin" !!!

[2000lux]

Well, I take a bullet proof vest with me every day for a reason. Fortunately I haven't needed it, yet...

[ August 02, 2004, 01:40 AM: Message edited by: 2000lux ]

[RichVid]

Air_7 speaketh the truth...we came out of that fire just fine but ever since then, he types like he's on prozac :) - It was truly an amazing experience...

The thing is, it was our (and it is your) choice to go into harms' way...let's face it; we're not like firefighters or cops where we literally get paid to get killed...Some of you guys have hands of steel around the camera when the doo doo is coming down all around and others might run like hell...In the grand scheme, who is right and who is wrong?

As for the excellent Lenslinger story...that is a great example of something sudden and unexpected happening in the course of doing the job...Different say, than making a choice NOT to leave a canyon that is obviously ready to explode in flame. What can you do except try to find something to learn out of it (and thank God)... I'd say News Photography is indeed a hazardous occupation...

[focusthis]

I've done a few aircraft carrier launches and landings. Just walking to the aircraft requires a swivel-mounted head to avoid being blown off the deck, sucked into an engine, or hit with any debris in the jet exhaust.

"Bolter" is the term used when the landing aircraft misses all the arresting cables needed to stop the plane. In case this happens, the planes rev their engines to full throttle when they hit the deck, hoping to get enough airspeed to fly off and try again.

"Crap" is the family-friendly version of what I said when this happened to me. I lurched forward in my rear facing seat to the growl of 10,000Hp. When I finally thought "This isn't right" was about the time we would have gone off the bow, and been plowed under by 92,000 tons of sovereign U.S. territory. ( apologies to Broke )

[Air_7]

Originally posted by focusthis:
I've done a few aircraft carrier launches and landings. All I can Say !!!! :) "YOUR LUCKY" :) and I'm gealous !!!! :P

[Terry E. Toller]

How about covering a fire and have two cops beat the C*** out of you because you waved to them and one thought you were flipping them off. The cops can be more dangerous to work around than the gang-bangers. At least when some punk kid with his pants around his knees comes your way, you know there's going to be trouble...

[Some Guy in LA]

Western Fires and more.
Those darn Hurricanes.
Floods.
A sniper who came out firing.
Drug busts.
North Hollywood Shootout.
Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras from 84-86...I saw very little but a friend died.
Heck, any war.
LA Riots...the worst...nothing made sense.

But as we have learned in these pages, simply raising a mast or crossing the street in a hurry can kill ya.

Be careful out there!

[flipflops]

When i first got into TV i covered a airplane crash survivor. We went up in a plane to get some vid, the guy we went up with was 86 years old! I didn't know if I should be scared the guy might die at any time or if i should feel safe because he has a lot of experence. It was about a year or two later and the guy died in a plane crash!

[vdoguy]

How about having a mast up when a thunderstorm rolls trough? Or being sent up a mountain pass when it's snowing in the valley so you can tell everyone to stay home? Or shooting in 80 mph wind that's blowing over semis that aren't even moving and having to chase down your tripod because as soon as you let go, it becomes a tumbleweed? Or having a truck miss by less than a foot as you were shooting a flood and weren't even standing in the roadway? Or having to run away from a wildfire and feeling the heat burn your skin? Or falling backwards as the police bring in a sniper and other media knock you into a cement ash tray in the middle of a walkway and thinking the whole way down "Save the camera and keep rolling 'cause this is going to make a really cool shot" and winding up with a severe contusion to the humerous when the camera slams down on your arm? Wow! I really do lead an interesting life!

Or the constant burn and deterioration of the membrane in your nasal cavity as Pepsi comes out your nose every time you read a post by Lenslinger??

[ August 02, 2004, 12:24 PM: Message edited by: vdoguy ]

[(Sin)ical]

Eventual heart attack from the daily cheeseburgers in the 5 minute rush for a lunch break.

[ August 02, 2004, 01:33 PM: Message edited by: (Sin)ical ]

[<I ain't bullet proof>]

So, twice I've had someone pull a shotgun on me. Stuck it right in my face the one time. Been threatened by family members of shooting victims plenty of times. Live shots following gang shootings where bangers circled the truck, raising my pucker factor. Worked through Hurricane Isabel last fall, and thought that was worse than anything else. If anything kills me on this job, I'm convinced it will be the weather.

[RichVid]

I think it'll be an earthquake if not a fire... On 9-9-01 we had a nice 4.4 quake roll through downtown LA...I was parked underneath a set of overpasses at the 110/10 split (gotta be in the shade)...And kinda went...Whooaaa...and pulled my vehicle about 20 yards up...I was able to get about 15 seconds of the streetlights wagging back and forth up on the freeway-which was nice -but a little scary...If and when the big one hits, I hope I'm able to start rolling (while I'm runnin')

[ewink]

If I am killed on the job it will either be in a traffic crash or a tornado.

Probably a tornado though. People running into a building I'm the only idiot running out.

[2000lux]

One photog' I worked with once said, "Why am I always running the wrong way?"

Hey a volcano! Let' go!

Ooh look, they're killing people over there. Wait for me!

Oh boy, a hurricane! I'm on my way!

[<NYshooter>]

I disagree with your disagreement about 9-11.

The previous poster just nailed the reason why - because we as journalists always run towards dangerous situations right along with the cops, the fire dept., etc. We still get killed in the crossfire of war, or even captured and killed overseas despite the fact that we're neutral.

I lost a fellow shooter that horrible day. No one deserves to die underneath 110 stories. They couldn't find him for months.

[focusthis]

After that last post, this will seem pretty lame.

I was shooting an intv with the Governor of MD yesterday. I notice that he's distracted. I remember that we're on a golf course. My "Oh $hit" light went off and I flinched as a ball landed 5 feet from us. I made a nervous joke to his security detail and thought about my previous post about the carriers.

It's one thing to get amped up about dangers you're aware of. It's another to realize your number could've come up as a Titleist 5.

[<feathers>]

I haven't been out enough to get any real danger under my belt yet but:
Bad neighborhoods- the kind cops avoid and you're 110lbs w/ several K's of gear on you.
Being told to bring your mace and that they'll try to get you an escort
weaving thru the swamp & hearing someone say- don't move.. don't move.. holy sh*t that's a black widow on you.

[ewink]

I can honestly say that if anyone ever said there was a black widow on me I would let out a scream that would make 3 year old girls call me a sissy...

I would then proceed to run in circles flailing my arms yelling 'GET IT OFF!'

I also thought of this... Two weekends ago I was listening to the scanners and the cops were talking about people shooting guns into the air.

Reminded of what goes up must come down, I decided to stay inside for an hour or so...

On topic... i have been thinking of it and I would have to say I bet power lines are the #1 killer of photogs, followed closely by traffic crashes. The former is easily avoided but the latter... I know they tell you to drive defensivly, but it's not always easy to tell when some idiot is going to zip up behind you and hit you at 120 mph sending parts of you and your car all over... :|

[<senior citizen cameraman>]

check out www.rorypecktrust.org (http://www.rorypecktrust.org) for a list of all the freelance cameraman killed in war zones recently....

more journalists died in the advance on Baghdad in 2003 than US soldiers.....