Be aware of your surroundings!

Safety is always important when you are shooting, you always need to be aware of your surroundings. If not you may make the mistake I made and find yourself surrounded by herd of bucks during mating season. 

If you look at these images you would think that I was in the middle of nowhere but I was actually in Richmond Park of London, England. Richmond Park is one of the old royal hunting grounds that has been converted into a public park. The large herds of deer are so used to people that you can walk within a few feet of them. This is discouraged as the animals are still wild animals but if you are too busy photographing them animals to pay attention to where you or they are going, you can suddenly find yourself surrounded by them with no easy way out. Which is exactly what happened to me.

I was so busy taking pictures of these deer who were not running away from me that I just kept moving toward the herd to see ho close they would allow me to get. It was amazing the deer were fighting all around me. When my memory card was full I took the camera from my eye and I realized I had gone to far. I had lost track of the edge of the herd and I walked right into the middle of the deer and they were all around me some watching me and others trying to prove they were the strongest. I didn't know what to do so started moving slowly toward a tree and eventually made my way out of the herd without incident.

When it comes to photography all of my photog friends know that I am not afraid to do something really dangerous if I think I can get an amazing shot. As a result I have lost a couple of very expensive cameras and lenses by dropping them in water. One time while I was in Togo Africa on a hike I climbed to the top of a waterfall to get a better shot. Once at the top I realized if I was on the other side I could get a better shot from the other side. While I was attempting to cross the mouth of the falls I slipped and fell. Thankfully I was able to grab hold of some nearby rocks and hold on until a couple of guys could climb up and help me up. I survived but my camera and lens were ruined.

For your safety and the safety of your equipment is best to always be aware of where you are going even if the best shot is just a few more steps away. You can't get the best shot if you or your equipment don't make it there.

Be safe shooting.