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how often worried about safety on a shoot?
how many times have you been worried about your personal safety on a mayhem photo shoot and/or had something bad happen? this isn't the before the shoot maybe my number will be up type of thing but more that the person on set (or a bystander) did something that got you worried about what might happen next or the person on set did something bad and you had to get the heck out of there. for my part i've never had a major problem on like 75 model shoots but i did have one where i was a bit on edge because of the stripper model's boyfriend (he just seemed tough or something although nothing happened). but in the model forum one model reported feeling at risk on 15% of their shoots and the mom of one of the missing girls basically implied that mayhem was a hornets nest of sex traffickers. not to mention photographers who've said the escort caused some trouble for them or they got offered extra services by the model. Mar 24 13 02:02 pm Link I've never been worried about my own safety on a shoot. Neither am I worried greatly about the safety of the models because I don't shoot in hazardous, prohibited or high crime areas. Or at least haven't so far. On some shoots, however, I am very concerned about the model's safety as a function of the looks being shot. Such as when I shot a model on a mini-trampoline or when a model was perched on a footbridge's railing and was hanging over a creek. Mar 24 13 02:46 pm Link I am never afraid for my safety. I've already been through so much! From having been in car crashes that I could have died in, to been kidnapped by two women (posing as a model and escort) that I met at a nightclub, took to the studio then was threatened and forced to process, print proof, give all the proofs and negative to the woman I shot. The kidnapping was back in 1992, and my fault for blowing through all the red flags of not checking a person out carefully and doing all the other things I do before a stranger becomes a person I know and work with. I've already written at length about that incident, and I was a young man having fun, being careless. My health has been the most dangerous thing to my lifespan, as I've already nearly died from congestive heart failure since April of 2002. On May 5th, 2002, the doctors gave me 3 days to live ... but I sure fooled them! I have no fear of death ... but I have a shit load of stuff to do before I die!  Mar 24 13 03:41 pm Link Orca Bay Images wrote: I do worry about a models safety! Yes! Hey, if I check out suddenly, as long as I get "the shot" before I go ... I'm good! It's so important to leave that legacy, ya know! Mar 24 13 03:43 pm Link Never.... But then again haven't had many MM photoshoots.  Mar 24 13 03:49 pm Link i've had models up on railings in their high heels before. they could definitely get hurt if they slipped (not fall to their death hurt, just lots of Advil hurt). i try to remind them to be careful but there's some risk involved in pushing it to get the shot. and some models are basically tomboys and don't seem to mind doing that sort of stuff. the most common mishap is models falling over on set from pushing a pose really hard. Orca Bay Images wrote: Mar 24 13 05:19 pm Link my best friend, myself and my girlfriend capsized off santa cruz in a small sailboat and couldn't get it flipped back over (we learned later it had gotten full of water on a previous trip). if someone hadn't spotted us and notified harbor patrol i might not be here. near death experiences definitely put things in perspective. Patrick Walberg wrote: Mar 24 13 05:22 pm Link I've not worried about being with a model, now with some phojo shoots, absolutely, but not with models.  Mar 24 13 05:24 pm Link I've never had a problem, but I'm always fearful a model is going to try and take advantage of me. That's why I carry Axe spray with me. Mar 24 13 05:25 pm Link Brian T Rickey wrote:
Mar 24 13 05:26 pm Link same here. i've never felt frustrated or angry or nervous or anything like that with a model. it has all been happy times with models (at least for me). just a few boyfriend escorts who have been debbie downers. JOEL McDONALD wrote: Mar 24 13 05:35 pm Link ontherocks wrote: Yes, often times we survive only to look back and consider the worst case scenario. Good thing that survival instinct is for real and kicks in when it does. Mar 24 13 05:51 pm Link I've been known to fall off of the rocks during outdoor shoots. That's about as much peril involved. (And usually the next image is a smirking "God, what a dumbass!" Expression) Mar 24 13 06:00 pm Link Never been afraid. One time, I was pretty uncomfortable with some punks shouting at us while I did a shoot in my cosplay outfit. But the photographer told me to ignore the "audience" and was very understanding. He said if I was uncomfortable just to let him know and we could move along. Mar 24 13 08:14 pm Link the sad part is that girl dumped me and then asked out my best friend who was the one who had us out sailing on that very windy day (i think we were doing a jibe when we flipped). i guess girls do really like their bad boys. sigh. Patrick Walberg wrote: Mar 24 13 08:16 pm Link sounds like your photographer was a decent chap. i feel like as the photographer i am responsible for everyone on set. i've read about guys in bushes. and bystanders are always asking my models out (or at least whistling at them) on location shoots. i think i'm too shy to be a model. but maybe if you think of it more like acting and giving a performance ... Valerie Kelly wrote: Mar 24 13 08:20 pm Link Never really. I can take care of myself unless something extremely crazy were to happen. Mar 24 13 08:20 pm Link I am ALWAYS worried about safety on shoots, however, at the same time, I want everyone involved to have fun and enjoy themselves. Whether it is my safety, the safety of the model, or anyone else participating, I care about the health and welfare of everyone involved. Of course most things in life do come with potential risks, so we balance risk with reward and work to minimize risks where possible. Ultimately, it seems unlikely that it would be fun (or enjoyable) to have something bad happen, thus I think REASONABLE caution, research, and caution are not bad things when appropriate. Mar 24 13 08:30 pm Link i've fallen off of things at weddings before. i get so focused on getting my shot that i just step right off into space. Vintagevista wrote: Mar 24 13 08:39 pm Link Felt worried? I'd say probably 1/3 of my paid shoots. I've walked out before it was over (and without getting paid) 2 times to avoid any escalation. I've ended a shoot earlier than I probably would have without mild concern on where things were going maybe 10 times. The rest I felt like we'd sort of steered the situation out of a problematic place, and into sometimes somewhere weird but not dangerous - like now my photographer is crying and reading me poetry about his ex girlfriend, so I'm not really feeling in danger and would probably cause more friction if I didn't stay and get through this whole moment, or somewhere that makes it clear they're just socially awkward or strange but in no way a threat - like the dude seems to just really like talking about anal sex during a shoot and seems to have moved away from anything reflecting me and anal sex, and now he's just talking about anal sex in general, so I'm not feeling like maybe I'm about to get groped or anally sexed any moment, or maybe the photographer just doesn't seem to realize that calling me honey and slapping my ass isn't cool, but responded well to my telling him not to and now everything's fine. *shrug* Being worried happens, especially in paid shoots, where there's less personality matching. Usually people with personality quirks that can come as a surprise but aren't problematic comes up in the reference check. I've been worried for the photographer and myself and the other model once in a three model shoot +boyfriend, but we outnumbered him so it was pretty much ok. Mar 24 13 08:44 pm Link Pistol, 380, right front pocket. Never been worried. If I thought more was needed, I'd decline the shoot... Mar 24 13 08:46 pm Link If you think you only need a .380 to keep you safe, you can't be too worried then! :0) I am " aware" more than worried. I'm always aware of my situation, what's around me, whos around me etc. That's the same as when I go to the local shopping centre or football maybe even more so than when I'm shooting. I did some security/ body gaurd type training many years ago and I guess it sort of meshed with my instincts because It's never left me even though I never went into that field. Having Kids didn't do anything to lessen the awareness factor either keeping an eye on what they were always into growing up! I am usually more aware of the security of my gear than anything else. Like a lot of shooters, I often go to dodgy places I wouldn't go near except to take pics and there are often other people there that don't seem to have much legitimate purpose for their presence. A couple of years back I was shooting in a deserted factory and noticed some " Graffiti" artists paying me, rather than the model, a bit too much attention and starting to strategically position themselves. I quietly pulled out the folding knife I carry in my camera bag, put it in my belt, put my camera away and extended my mono pod and walked right up to whom I thought was the too close ring leader and said " If your planning what I think you are, you better go get some more friends because I can assure you, 5 of you aint going to be enough." They made some innocent excuses and left pretty quick. So did we when I knew they had actually gone. These guys were mainly pot heads so wouldn't have been much to deal with but if they did come back with some mates that did know how to handle themselves, it would not have been good for me and potentially worse for the model. The only time I did get physical with anyone was when I was shooting a model at a nude beach ( her suggestion) and got stalked by a real sick weirdo who just wouldn't piss off and kept wanting to " help" with the shoot as well as " Help " himself with the other hand. I lost it when I was shooting the model against a bit of wind eroded rock and all this dirt and rocks fell on me from the overhang above where the guy was lying watching on again. I literally reached up and grabbed the guy by the throat and unloaded on him. I think the worst part was probably the amount of spit coming from my mouth as I lost the plot yelling at him. He wasn't the only weirdo following us that day but he was the most persistent. That one experience put me off ever going near a nudist beach to shoot again. Probably the real danger hasn't worried me all that much. I have been in some very suspect buildings with very questionable staircases 6 floors up, walked along gantrys and beams where smarter people would not have gone and just taken some substantial but recognised risks. I have never come to grief with things like that but I have got hurt quite a few times with stupid things like twisting my ankle walking back from a beach on a public footpath,slipping on moss walking along a bush track and busting a heap of ribs going to an island in a river to shoot and the clown driving the punt to get us there crashed into a 12 ft high channel marker in the middle of the river. I did drop a Nikon F4 on my toe at a shoot once and broke it rather painfully. The camera was perfectly fine. The things that have hurt me are the no risk things you would never think about or consider dangerous. The risky stuff has never caused me anything worse than a splinter in my hand. Mar 24 13 10:16 pm Link that's a sobering statistic. i had no idea it happened so often. what's up with all those photographers? spending time with a model making images is fun in and of itself. can't they just leave it at that? seems like some of those guys would be better off hiring an llama herder who is willing to pose for them. Damianne wrote: Mar 24 13 11:19 pm Link Mar 24 13 11:36 pm Link Once, I was worried about the safety of my camera - but I grabbed my backup and all was good.  Mar 24 13 11:44 pm Link Only time I've ever been worried about my safety (and I'd wager the model too) was when we were hiking at a local park and we went down this one path with tall grass on both sides of us....got about halfway through to the clearing and out of nowhere we hear the telltale sound of about 3 or 4 rattles coming from the grass but couldn't tell exactly where or how close. Freaked us both out, and we high-tailed it back to the parking lot. Mar 25 13 12:17 am Link ontherocks wrote: Most of the time it turns out to be nothing. Mar 25 13 06:52 am Link Mar 25 13 06:52 am Link Damianne wrote: Get a new mouse!! Mar 25 13 06:54 am Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: It's cold! Mar 25 13 07:01 am Link Never. I've had moment where the photographers was being creepy and I wanted to leave because I didn't want to have to put up with him anymore. But actually wanting to leave because I didn't feel safe? Never happened. Mar 25 13 07:01 am Link To note, I felt only at risk with a photographer twice. One of those times I actually was at risk. The other two times the photographer and I were in a bad part of town shooting, and had standbyers cause trouble. So once again, to shed light on that 15%, the danger is not always through modelmayhem. Mar 25 13 07:08 am Link "Something bad happen" could include a camera problem or a model not showing up. I feel there's always a possibility that something bad can happen, but I see nothing to be gained by worrying about it. Better to give a little thought to what ever risk is involved and either address or accept those risks. Mar 25 13 08:47 am Link I was in real danger of falling on a model when shooting from a rickety ladder once. But she and I both thought it was worth the risk. Life is like that - sometimes you have to take risks. Mar 25 13 08:55 am Link ontherocks wrote: Well now that I've read more of the thread, I guess I'm not the only one, lol. Mar 25 13 08:57 am Link ontherocks wrote: After over 500 shoots and 8 years, 3 ugly human encounters and several wildlife encounters with bees, feral hogs, and water moccasins. Orca Bay Images wrote: My worst-ever human encounter was at a rural public park: Mar 25 13 08:59 am Link judging from Lost, feral hogs would be bad news! rp_photo wrote: Mar 25 13 09:04 am Link i read about someone who broke two Canon 5D MK IIs in a row because of a bad CF card that bent the pins. that's the kind of bad i worry about most for weddings. i did read about a photographer who was shooting formals in a park and had her gear bag stolen from right next to her at knifepoint in full view of the wedding party. Abbitt Photography wrote: Mar 25 13 09:10 am Link Hancock Image Services wrote: S&W 442 in same place for me with 1 or 2 speedloaders. Mar 25 13 09:11 am Link we shot a model at a train station once and a homeless guy came up and started advising us about the shoot and especially the model's wardrobe. in our town even the homeless are critics! he didn't do anything harmful but photo shoots can definitely attract interest. E e v a wrote: Mar 25 13 09:12 am Link |
smart man. always good to be prepared.
