The perils of photography

Engaging in dangerous activities...

Life is all about taking risks. And although we most often associate risk with adrenaline-pumping activities such as bungee-jumping or rock-climbing, certain perils of photography definitely deserve to be recognized. Unless you are a photojournalist in the midst of documenting a war, taking a photograph under normal circumstances is not really considered life-threatening.  In a nutshell, you find what you want to capture, you compose your frame, focus and press the shutter release button. You can however find yourself in a dangerous situation, in which case subject matter, location as well as weather conditions all come in to play (e.g. photographing Yosemite as Ansel Adams did). Whether you take photographs the old-fashioned way or shoot digitally, there are certain risks you must be prepared to face.

One of the perils each and every photographer must come to terms with is the potential loss of images (negatives or memory cards) whether through accidental destruction, theft or careless behavior. From personal experience, it is wisest to take in the experience as a whole, therefore putting less pressure on the image being created.

The final product is more than just an image freezing a moment in time. It is a  process and a merging of events, of people's feelings and moods prior to, during and after the shutter is released. It is comforting knowing there is a story behind every photograph, such as the one above. Not only did the intended photograph capture three girls sitting on chairs in the water, but also an afternoon of slippery rocks, moss and uncontrollable wet animals racing back and forth.

So go on, take your camera out and live a little!