Risks for Camera Operators

Photography is a great hobby and skill, as well as a visual art many people enjoy. However, there are risks that are inherent in the trade and are particularly specific to camera operators. Not paying attention to these risks can be costly, both in equipment and personal safety.

Situational Awareness

Failure to have situational awareness as a photographer can get you seriously hurt. Situational awareness involves a constantly updated knowledge of your immediate surroundings, making a point to understand what those surroundings mean to your safety and using that understanding to constantly anticipate dangers. Too often shutterbugs put their eye in a camera and forget the world around them. This temporary ignorance is usually what leads to falls, walking in front of moving vehicles, getting bitten by animals and an assortment of other avoidable problems.

Violence

Photographers taking a photo of something controversial or an already-tense situation risk becoming a victim of the ensuing violence that may occur. Protests involving protesters making contact with law enforcement is one scenario for risk of physical altercation. Also, photographers who get too close to the action can find themselves getting punished by police officers for disrupting the peace and disobeying crowd control. The price can be equipment damage and/or personal injury.

Your Intentions

The zeal to get a good photo or assert one's ego as a photographer can get a person into a lot of trouble as well. Your interest to photograph, if not disciplined and courteous, can be interpreted by others as boorish or rude and can cause altercations. Check your ego at the door and always make sure to have people's permission before you start snapping away.

Misinformation

Not doing your research about where you are photographing and what you are going after can get a person into hot water quickly. Tourists are notorious for going to countries, taking a photo of the wrong thing or at the wrong time, and then finding themselves in trouble with the local authorities. Do a little homework about what's appropriate in a location before going, and you can save yourself a lot of potential headaches.

The Elements

The sun, weather and the elements can all be brutal to a photographer and equipment if not properly anticipated. Rain and dirt are probably the most common causes of camera damage. Additionally, sun can damage internal camera workings and film. Water, particularly sea water, can short-circuit any electronics, and the salt will permanently destroy such equipment.

Legalities

The world is not free to photograph. In fact, taking photographs and printing them can sometimes get you sued by the person in or entity involved in the photograph. First, any photos taken while committing a crime such as unauthorized entry or tresspassing can be taken away and any royalties can be seized. Second, if you invade someone's privacy, it is also a punishable crime. For example, focusing a camera inside someone's house window is a serious breach of privacy. Third, printing photos of people without their permission when not in public can also lead to lawsuits. People have a right to control their image and who makes money from it.

References

• Reporters Without Borders: Photographer Injured By Police
• Legal Rights of Photographers
• Launch Photography: Under the Rocket: Before and After

Resources

• Book: Business and Legal Forms for Photographers