Ever felt threatened?

Crash Test · 18 Oct 2003, 23:41 (Ref:755438)

Have you ever been shooting something, and said to yourself, 'what the heck am I doing here?'

Yesterday, I was fairly certain I was going to be going home in a wooden box....

At a car show, there was the first local appearance of the world's most powerful bike, a 5000hp jet engine jigger with a big muther afterburner. They put on a special thing for a couple shooters and the TV cameras. Once they moved everyone to the side, and away from the back, they chocked up the front wheel with a block of wood. We were put to one side and they fired it up... oh my god... there go the eardrums!

Anyways, the thing obviously didn't blow up, and we got some good results, and I'm here to live another day.

Anyone else had a scary ordeal?

KC · 20 Oct 2003, 13:07 (Ref:756946)

I haven't really been scared to often while shooting. I have thought later I am glad that somehting bad did not happen.

At Ft. Worth the Loose Cannon Top Alcohol Flat Bottom drag boat hooked a hard left and came toward the lake bank right at me and the driver's wife who was videoing the pass. He quickly shut it down and squared it up and idled down the course. His poor wife passed out. She must have thought he is going to die, kill all of us on the bank and half the spectators at the race.

avsfan733 · 20 Oct 2003, 22:45 (Ref:757563)

wow KC thats scary.

I have never had one as a photographer but have said that to myself afterawrds because of what could have been

MolsonBoy · 23 Oct 2003, 01:38 (Ref:760161)

Crash Test, I shot jet dragsters all the time when I was a full time track photographer. My usually routine was to shoot the launch and then duck below a concrete wall, cover my camera and wait for the dust to clear.

If you get the chance to shoot the bike or any jet powered car again use you flash to fill light the bike or car. If your camera has a backlight setting then give that a try or manually set the camera and flash.

What I did, if I can find the neg to show you, is to meter the flames and quickly set my flash to one stop less then wait for the second blast of flames. You should get a nice exposure of the bike/car and great exposure of the flames.

kdr · 23 Oct 2003, 22:05 (Ref:761330)

i think crash tests picture kinda works as a silhouette - maybe if he was a little lower to really show up the outline of the bike against the flame.

KC · 24 Oct 2003, 17:02 (Ref:762079)

In his pic, the fire and conflagration are the focal point and the silhouette adds to it becasue it offers information as to why its happening and who is making it. Cool shot!

Andrew Kitson · 25 Oct 2003, 15:36 (Ref:762764)

Wow! That bike is scary! So was this, well afterwards anyway when I thought what might have been.
Mallory Park, March 1971 and Ronnie Peterson's steering broke approaching the Esses in his F2 March 712 while leading. The car cleared the earth bank and landed upside down tight against the spectator fence. I was 12 years old and standing at the front,about 6 feet to the left of this shot. I remember being showered with earth, stones etc and everybody trying to duck. One young lad was hurt, not seriously, by flying debris and Ronnie got out OK.
Ronnie came back over later with the nose of the car which he signed and gave to the boy, who had been to the St.John's first aid tent.This picture was taken by our own Dave Marshall (DaveM).

Crash Test · 27 Oct 2003, 05:23 (Ref:764121)

I probably shouldn't have started this thread as a really scary one happened on the weekend- see CART forum and 'I don't like Bruno' thrad...