Photographer safety and big expensive lenses

[Roger Clark]

I'm a little rattled. For the last several nights I have been computing the position of moonrise and finding locations with foreground subjects to photograph moonrise. Two nights ago moonrise was a little before sunset, last night around sunset, and tonight it was quite dark. Today I chose a park on a hillside overlooking the city of Denver. It was a nice moonrise but the atmosphere was a little turbulent. There was no one in the park (which looks like a big field) and few lights so quite dark. As I was taking my last images a distant light on a building across the street was turned on and there were two people outside. I packed up my gear (500 f/4 on full wimberly; backpack with 300 f/2.8 and other lenses, 1D4). As I reached my car one of the guys had gotten in his car and turned it on and moved the car with brights on to shine directly at me. There were no other cars on the street. He was clearly targeting me. I moved to get in my car and he started pulling out of the parking lot toward me (I was parked across the street from the parking lot). He started to pull up beside me like he was going to cut me off, but I pulled ahead and started to head home (a couple of miles away). He was following me. I made a couple of turns that would be an unusual backtracking route to see if he was really following me. He was. I made a strategic turn in an area I knew and he followed. I made a U-turn, which he did too, and at that point I made a strategic reverse maneuver to get behind him into a position he could not back up but still gave me an escape route and he had a red stoplight in front of him. I got his license plate number and called 911, and reported I was being stalked. I gave the license number and my location and the car started moving ahead. I started following it, letting it move further ahead of me. I stayed on the phone with 911 and made a turn to lose the vehicle, then another turn and headed home, having lost him. The 911 operator was nice and stayed with me until I was sure I had lost him. I do not know if they intercepted the vehicle.

As an amateur astronomer I am often out at night in dark places (usually away from a city). And as a photographer, I have hiked in bear country, and in lion country on the Serengeti. I have been close to brown and black bears, lions, and other predators. I never felt as unsafe as I do in a city carrying big expensive camera gear, especially alone. Sad.

I do not know if the guy following me though I was a threat (with the idea photographers photographing at night must be planning a terrorist attack) or was intent on robbing me. Either way, what he did was not right.

I think I'll carry my bear spray next time I go out like that.

Have you had any experiences like this, and what do you do for safety?

Time to go download my images.

Roger

[Eric Virkler]

It is unfortunate that we even have to consider these things. I've had no bad experiences to date. Thanks for sharing to keep us wary and aware. I think your bear spray idea is an excellent idea. I've heard that using bear spray on a bear is illegal in California, hopefully it's not illegal to use on a mugger. Either way, I'd take my chances with the lawyers later and err on the side of my safety and use it.

Eric Virkler
Faces of Nature Photography
www.ericjvirkler.com

[Andrew Merwin]

I think the pepper spray is a very good idea. If this happens to me, I would drive toward the police station & call 911. The only people who have approached me when I have been out late @ night are the police. They ask me what I am doing & when I tell them they just move on.
I think it is important to disengage as quickly as possible. That's why I would drive to the police station & call 911 while driving through the most populated areas I could find. There are a lot of very angry people out there. Also, I never know if someone is carrying a gun. Can you believe it is now legal to carry a loaded firearm in YNP?
I too hike solo. I have some concerns, but I always carry pepper spray. Usually I am so far into the back country that there are very few people there unless they are hikers. Bad guys are too lazy to go far into the wilderness to do evil. I do however, have some concerns at THs where I am much more accessible, usually tired from a long hike, & less alert because of my tiredness. When approaching a TH after a hike, I will stop before entering the TH parking area while staying out of sight to see if there is something I should be wary of. I think alert caution is the best bet to minimize my risk.
I am glad everything turned out ok for you.

[Roger Clark]

Here is the image I got tonight:
http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries...472.b-900.html

Roger

[Roger Clark]

Andrew,

The local police station was several miles further away. I was not going to lead him home, and if I could not lose him, I was headed to the police station.

I too have been approached by police many times when out doing photography and/or astronomy. In every case the encounter has been positive. It is much easier now with digital to talk with the police as you can show them the cool pictures you have been taking.

Roger

[Bill Jobes]

Sorry you had the unsettling experience, Roger.
Your evasion tactics seem to have been appropriate and effective. For peace of mind, I'd suggest following up with the police to learn the outcome from their perspective. At least they could tell you if it was an overly aggressive 'concerned citizen.'
No question that our gear can be a magnet for unwanted attention.
In other security threads I've seen over the years, the consensus seems to have been that pepper spray is the most commonly used shield, as it's non-lethally effective on both two-legged and four-legged critters. There is, as well, a school of thought that stronger deterrents are also in use.
It will be interesting to see what the current thinking is on the topic.
By the way, that's a fantastic image. I've never seen anything quite like it.

[Bob Barnett]

That is why we are allowed to carry guns. Nobody can protect you except for you. I have a concealed carry license and I always have a .45 or .380 on me while hiking or taking pics in remote areas. IMO it is the resposible way to go. I have a wife and kids. Take a class, learn to protect yourself, and carry.

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Not much good doing this if you live in the UK...and for what it's worth I'd be really uncomfortable out in the field knowing that someone I was with might be carrying a concealed weapon. Cultural difference I guess...
Roger, glad to hear that you got home safely.
Nicki

[Mike Tracy]

We have property in Montana where it's accepted and encouraged to venture into the woods carrying a sidearm for protection against bears and on my land I have frequently encountered rattlesnakes. In Fl. I keep a .40 cal Glock in my tackle box which is always in my truck. If you are concerned with the legal repercussions of defending yourself with bear spray tote a can of wasp spray with you. It's just as effective against a assailant.

[Roger Clark]

Good morning.

Thank you all for the kind words. Regarding pepper spray, it is legal here in Colorado. I usually do not carry it hiking in Colorado, except the San Juans.

Regarding guns versus bear spray, I've read a study (I think it was Forest Service) where 50% of people defending themselves with guns against bears have a serious attack. Often a gunshot to a bear will increase the severity of the attack. Bear spray is more effective and reduces the severity of an attack if attacked and the bear survives.

Roger

[Mike Tracy]

If one is uncomfortable carrying a firearm another suitable means of defense against predators are ordinary road safety flares. The Alaskan bush pilots who take tourists to federal lands carry them in the field.

[Grace Scalzo]

Sorry to read that this happened to you, Roger. Glad you are ok and thanks for taking the time to share this with us. It's a good reminder to remain vigilant always.

[joemac638]

Hello Roger. I hope this experience does not adversely affect your future outings. Get back on the horse.
The unemployment rate is very high and for those photographers venturing into public parks and lands alone, a weapon will probably not help. You are too wrapped up in the moment to be aware of any would be stalkers.
Your safety is far more important than the equipment!

[Roger Clark]

Joe,

That reminds me a time I was photographing mountain goats and landscapes on Mt Evans (Colorado) with my 4x5. I have made several exposures, e.g. producing this one:
http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries...vans_goat.html

Then I moved to a new spot. I was under the dark cloth focusing when my rear was nudged. I got out from under the dark cloth to look and there was a mountain goat. She had nudged me hoping for a handout! (I didn't give her one.) Now if she was annoyed and gave me a boot, I was on the edge of a many hundred foot cliff, to the left of the scene above and could easily have gone over the edge.

Roger

[Jim Michael]

Bears don't return fire. Paper, rock, or scissors?

[Norm Dulak]

If one is uncomfortable carrying a firearm another suitable means of defense against predators are ordinary road safety flares. The Alaskan bush pilots who take tourists to federal lands carry them in the field.

Certain individuals in the BPN forums seem to rely heavily on firearms. To each his own.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Stuff the guns Roger, keep posting those beautiful images. :)

[Joel Eade]

I live in a small southern town where it is generally very safe, muggings and assaults are rare around here. Even though I don't carry a gun I think that it is so common that most people assume you have one! I don't know if that works as a deterrent or not but we have very no violent crime.

I would recommend not going alone to such places and carry whatever means of defense you are comfortable and competent to use quickly, safely and effectively.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

I am very sorry to hear about that bad experience that you had. To be honest I will say that sometimes I feel the same way, panic! even I don't own such expensive arsenal of equipment! but being in some parts of the country, especially San José downtown, I don't even think of getting my camera out of the backpack, is very different when I am in the countryside. You experienced a nightmare being awake, good thing you was able to get home in one piece.

[Nancy A Elwood]

Well, as a woman, and as a photographer, I feel quite comfortable when I am alone WITH my 9mm Sig;). I too have a concealed weapons permit and regularly go to the range to practice. My main purpose for the gun is to scare and then get away, but if it is him or me, do not care so much about equipment, it will be him!

[Bob Barnett]

Well, as a woman, and as a photographer, I feel quite comfortable when I am alone WITH my 9mm Sig;). I too have a concealed weapons permit and regularly go to the range to practice. My main purpose for the gun is to scare and then get away, but if it is him or me, do not care so much about equipment, it will be him!

Good for you Nancy! Women are the fastest growing segment of concealed carry applicants. Again, nobody can protect YOU but YOU! I pray you never have to use it.

[Johan Kruger]

Reading your story reminds me of, well, home. Although there are many many safe places here in South Africa, there are sooo many places I wont dare go alone to take photos, not even in mid day. How about a photo buddy ? Safety in numbers :)

[David Smith]

Being a retired LEO, I think that you were extremely lucky to get away from a possible mugging or robbery and maybe even serious injury.. While I agree that Bear Spray would be an effective measure against wild animals, wild animals do not carry guns and knives.. I also carring a concealed firearm under a Federal law, the L.E.O.S.A. I can legally carry in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and all U.S. Territories..

Before you make your choice of what to protect yourself and your family with, consider this.. If your assailant is armed and you spray him with Bear Spray, it will probably p+++ him off even more and you will probably not survive. Even sprayed with Bear Spray, he will probably shoot or stab you. I know it is a hard decision to carry a concealed firearm, but the bad guys chose the game and there is "No Second Place Winner"..

So, you can live in a fantasy world that it will not happen to you, or you can live in the real world and be prepared..

JMHO

Dave