Guss W wrote:

Bad advice.  Good thing you are using a pseudonym or your aggressiveness might be held against you at a later date in court.

A study of those who drew a gun in defense showed that only 24 percent of them fired it.  Simply displaying a weapon is usually good enough to exert a calming effect.  In only about a third of the cases where a shot was fired was the aggressor wounded, so some of the 24% of shooting response may have been just warnings.  So no - you should not always draw with the intent of firing.  Yes, each situation is unique, but re-think your defaults.

Unholstering your weapon is brandishing.  That will land you in court.  Don't draw your firearm unless your life is in imminent danger, and your only option is to pull the trigger to stop the threat.  Threatening someone with a gun is assault with a deadly weapon, even if it's just to stop their aggressive behavior.

Ezhini wrote:

+1

A 145 lb Brindle English Matiff with the darkest of masks was my buddy and shadow. He used to go with me everywhere I went. We only made friends!

RIP Shamie!

Sounds like my Rottie "BOSS", kids could crawl all over him, but if I said Boss just right, he sounded like something coming out of a swamp to eat you!!:-)

RIP BOSS

hbutz New York wrote:
If ever you find yourself walking down a dark alley which you entered knowing in advance that you really should have a gun on you, turn around and don't go down the alley.

There ya go - no need for guns, mace, 911, cops, lawyers, having to sell your home to pay your legal defense.  All it takes is the courage to say to yourself, "I won't walk down this dark alley because it doesn't seem safe."

No training, permits, or license required.

Yep.

Limperis Portraits wrote:
No, not that kind of protection!

I was on the end of a pier just before sunrise, shooting with my 5d mark III, a model, and her escort. I noticed a group of guys eyeing what we were doing. Now I've been on shoots where I have to ignore the curious onlookers, but I don't think this group was interested in what we were doing.

They kept whispering amongst themselves, and I would catch them staring a my equipment. As we moved closer to the shore to exit the pier they moved closer to us. Out of no where a 2 police officers wandered up, and this group quickly move away from us back to the end of the pier.

I am wondering would it be legal to carry mace? I know the best advice would be not to get in this situation. How do photographers protect themselves? Please advise

My assistant has a CPL and carries. I usually carry either multiple blades (yes, I've heard Joker jokes) or a handgun. On occasion though I just arm myself with a stick and a flash at full power. We're either ex-military or security or both, so we never really get into a situation where we've ever needed to use any sort of force (because we use our intelligence first). Worst thing that's happened is a drunk has come and gawked for a bit. Then again, we're in Seattle and it's not as bad as some places.

B-don Mc wrote:
I carry a Beretta PX4 Storm 9mm it's perfect for concealed carry. I have never had any problems with law enforcement.

It's not like the old west with it on display to intimidate or instigate.

A cop on the streets of Atlanta one told me "If you have use it be sure to kill the perpetrator because dead people cant testify"

I have used it several times in metro Atlanta and Vegas. Works very well too.

You've shot people several times?

Light and Lens Studio wrote:
Those who know say very little; those who say a lot know very little.

I'll drink to this.

AJScalzitti wrote:
If you have to shoot in a risky part of town hire security, it's done all the time.

Much less expensive than Court Costs. Best advice.

Loki Studio wrote:
Protecting yourself is reasonable, and the easiest solution is to not attract attention and to avoid areas of high crime. Get insurance for your gear so it is never a loss. 

Escalating violence with a weapon is not the answer.  A call to 911 is the best protection.

try calling 911 in Los Angeles,  they put you on hold and the have to route  you to the right jurisdiction depending on if you on the freeway or some county or city, after you explain  why you need help, and a lot of times the 911 dispatcher asks a lot of stupid questions that wastes a lot of time, and if you can get thru that  god help you if you don't know where you are cause they can't connect you to the right agency. The county and city are served by sheriff department and local police agencies.. The best protection is to have an armed bodyguard with you at all times. escalating violence with a weapon  is better than getting the crap beat out of you  or worse. If you had to pack a 9mm in your laundry basket while doing your laundry   you'd understand. People that have never been victimized will never understand.

Robert Beilke wrote:

Unholstering your weapon is brandishing.  That will land you in court.  Don't draw your firearm unless your life is in imminent danger, and your only option is to pull the trigger to stop the threat.  Threatening someone with a gun is assault with a deadly weapon, even if it's just to stop their aggressive behavior.

So while you get your head bashed in and if you shoot the SOB, you can get arrested for not getting killed?   Yep  it sounds like California.

Kaouthia wrote:

He might, if they're naughty, although they call them "mugshots".

I know I risk brigging for critique but...could mugshot lighting be any worse?  I know rules are made to be broken but you break a rule for reason (artistic vision). You don't break ALL of them at one time.  A single beauty dish would go a long way towards better mugshots. And hire an MUA, willya? they look like cheap instagram effects without makeup.  /rant

MC Photo wrote:

You've shot people several times?

Clint said it best  shooting people ain't so bad ... as long as the right people get shot..

AVD AlphaDuctions wrote:

I know I risk brigging for critique but...could mugshot lighting be any worse?  I know rules are made to be broken but you break a rule for reason (artistic vision).

Just get arrested in Santa Barbara

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/08/23/wan … a-barbara/

Mike Kelcher wrote:
When shooting in areas like that described in the OP,  a Glock 17 with a party mag of hollow points often finds it's way to my concealed holster. Since I don't live in the Peoples' Republik of Kalifornia, I have a legal right to carry it due to having the right to obtain a permit for such.

Fortunately, I've never had to shoot anyone, but it came in handy as a deterrent once. In that situation, the group of "onlookers" seemed to have as much interest in my gear as they did the model. When one pulled his knife, I pulled a gun. Then, they fled which was fine with me.

Its not as difficult to get that license as you may think. I know several people with it.

fullmetalphotographer wrote:

Its not as difficult to get that license as you may think. I know several people with it.

it's impossible to get one in Southern California unless  you know some bigwig in law enforcement  down here. And  a lot of the big shots are coming under fire  for all kinds of issues   like bribes, nepotism, corruption  and so on..

Mike Kelcher wrote:
When shooting in areas like that described in the OP,  a Glock 17 with a party mag of hollow points often finds it's way to my concealed holster. Since I don't live in the Peoples' Republik of Kalifornia, I have a legal right to carry it due to having the right to obtain a permit for such.

Fortunately, I've never had to shoot anyone, but it came in handy as a deterrent once. In that situation, the group of "onlookers" seemed to have as much interest in my gear as they did the model. When one pulled his knife, I pulled a gun. Then, they fled which was fine with me.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six.

unfortunately it happens a lot, a jacked camera is worth a few bags worth of dope easy. I was doing a  shoot in downtown LA in front of some guys store, and this guy offered to help me set up.  Yeah right...luckily the store owner recognized him and threatened to  kill him    yeah he left in a hurry  ..

-B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote:
And if the muggers are decent guys, hopefully they will let you keep your CF cards so you don't lose your photos as well as your camera!

Only us English would consider polite muggers

the lonely photographer wrote:

Clint said it best  shooting people ain't so bad ... as long as the right people get shot..

Too confusing an answer for me. Are you saying you've shot people in two different cities?

Loki Studio wrote:
Protecting yourself is reasonable, and the easiest solution is to not attract attention and to avoid areas of high crime. Get insurance for your gear so it is never a loss. 

Escalating violence with a weapon is not the answer.  A call to 911 is the best protection.

yeah when seconds count, the cops are only minutes away, if you can get the call out.

That being said, arming oneself is a serious matter, you have to be actually prepared both physically AND mentally to use this escalated level of force. Can you actually live with yourself, if you injure or kill another human being?

Robert Beilke wrote:
Unholstering your weapon is brandishing.  That will land you in court.  Don't draw your firearm unless your life is in imminent danger, and your only option is to pull the trigger to stop the threat.  Threatening someone with a gun is assault with a deadly weapon, even if it's just to stop their aggressive behavior.

the lonely photographer wrote:
So while you get your head bashed in and if you shoot the SOB, you can get arrested for not getting killed?   Yep  it sounds like California.

and Canada

Dagger133 wrote:
That being said, arming oneself is a serious matter, you have to be actually prepared both physically AND mentally to use this escalated level of force. Can you actually live with yourself, if you injure or kill another human being?

I ask myself this all the time. I have yet to find out, but I believe the answer to be 'yes'. I could absolutely live with myself after harming somebody else if the alternative was my death or serious injury.
Anybody who says otherwise has never been mugged or held up.

fullmetalphotographer wrote:
Its not as difficult to get that license as you may think. I know several people with it.

That totally depends where you live as it is decided by the county sheriff. Some areas are ok and some are completely impossible. In SF for example they dont even have any paperwork you can fill out for them to turn you down. In other words you cant even apply to be turned down.

Sacramento County has the largest population which sheriff believes in the 2nd amendment. Most Southern counties and Bay Area counties are for all purposes no issue.

fullmetalphotographer wrote:
Its not as difficult to get that license as you may think. I know several people with it.

I didn't thing getting mine was difficult at all. Here we have a right to one and the local Sherriff MUST issue one to you, if you pass a simple test after 8 hours of education, unless the Sherriff can show that you are mentally unsound, have a history of being violent, or you fail to get NCIC approval. The Sherriffs here used to have sole discretion and could routinely deny permit applicants if they wanted to...but that changed. Kalifornia though, along with NYC and Illinois, seem to have gun laws that are so strict and restrictive that they seem like a "foreign" countries.

the lonely photographer wrote:

So while you get your head bashed in and if you shoot the SOB, you can get arrested for not getting killed?   Yep  it sounds like California.

Or Florida..poor Zimmerman.

Kaouthia wrote:
Just get arrested in Santa Barbara

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/08/23/wan … a-barbara/

Add two horizontals bars to this setup and you have Peter Hurley lighting

http://www.borrowlenses.com/blog/2012/0 … h-strobes/

On the subject, the best defense is located in the space between the ears...

Studio Still wrote:
From where I sit in Canada, you guys are from Mars.

good for you.