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Safety first · Wildlife and Adventure Photography

• 0:08
  > Graham>Foreign, something that I have touched upon but not done a specific podcast about is just staying safe when you're doing wildlife photography. this also extends to other types of photography where it involves travel, going to places that you don't know and things can be different. But I thought this was worthwhile. I was prompted by an article I was reading and I thought actually there are some really good points here and there are things that I have of my own to add. So I thought that would make hopefully a useful podcast. So I'll just jump through these things one by one and talk through them. First of all, if you are going somewhere that a bit more remote and what I mean by that is you're perhaps unlikely to bump into other people where you're going. Now this might be near where you live, you may have places you can go, that are a little bit more kind of like being in the wilderness near to you or they may be places where you have to travel. This could be again local from home or when you're somewhere completely different overseas or in another part of the country. So, so a lot of this is common sense, but I think with some aspects our reliance on technology can come back and bite us if we're not careful. So this is why I think some of these things are very useful to think about. So the obvious one first of all is just to let someone know where you're going. And obviously if you don't show up, at least people have some idea of where to start looking for you. And there could be all sorts of reasons why, you're late or you don't turn up at a particular time where you're supposed to, whether that's at home or meeting with other people somewhere. But do give them an idea of where you're planning to go. Now, excuse me.
• 2:20
  > Graham>Something that I find quite useful these days is a thing called three words. And if you haven't come across that, Google it. But it's basically a mapping system. But it's, what they've done is basically map, I think, I don't know, I don't know if it's just the land or the whole planet, but basically the areas where you're likely to be those areas have been mapped into one meter square, a one meter square grid. And each square in the grid has its own three word identifier. So each one of these is unique and it is a very, very good way of providing people with at Least the starting point to go look for you if there are not obvious landmarks around. Obviously if you're going to an address then we would normally use the address. But the three words, mapping system, if you haven't come across that is very, very useful if you're out in the wilderness. Now, another thing to think about given that we are we all do it, I do it on my phone, I use it in the car. But GPS is just brilliant these days and things like Google Maps or whatever else you're using for just finding our way around even when we're off the beaten track. If you've got a good signal, on your phone you can use gps and there are external GPS receivers that you can connect into your phone or into your watch or whatever else you have that is designed to do that. So that's fantastic and very, very convenient. The downside is that it does rely on battery. All of these things need to be recharged at some point. And if for whatever reason your technology fails that you haven't got enough charge or you can't get a signal, then it's very easy to get come unstuck a little bit. So here's where you might want to think about going old school a little bit and just having a paper map, a fold out map of the area that you're going to, especially if you're off the beaten track. If you're again in more of a sort of wilderness type place, it's definitely well worth it to have a paper map you can for back on. Obviously it does help if you know how to read a map. but assuming that you do, then that is a very useful backup plan to have something else. In fact the point that this person made was if you do get completely lost and you don't have a map, then there are other things you can do. And an obvious one is to look for a river and just follow it downstream because the way people tend to operate that's where we like to be. So again it does very much depend where you are. But if it's somewhere that has towns around or villages somewhere, then the chances are if you follow one of these rivers downstream or even a stream downstream, you will come to houses and other people at some stage. So it's just something to think about. And perhaps these kind of things are worth just having to think about before you do go on this trip.
• 5:34
  > Graham>Whatever it is to think about. What are the contingencies, what's your Contingency plan if your technology fails, for example, whether it's batteries, you, drop gear in the river or whatever, or you just can't get a signal, what is plan B? So that's a very good thing to think about. And it can make the difference between, getting back safely or having a really, traumatic and difficult, possibly in fatal, situation.
• 6:06
  > Graham>So, again with things to carry. So I'm going to talk about things to carry. one of them, and I say this because I'm thinking about it, that this person suggested and this person been some pretty remote places, was to just have some ID on you, some form of id, that won't actually, deteriorate so that you can be identified. If the worst comes to the worst, at least at some point someone's able to, identify you. So obviously it's not going to help you out too much. But for family, friends, anybody who, would like to know what happened to you, then at least you can be identified. So hopefully it won't come to that. But, you know, these are all things to think about and it does no harm. Whether it's passport, driving license, one of those laminated things, they're all good. okay.
• 6:58
  > Graham>What else to carry? Well, one thing is to be prepared for changes in weather. And this is an important one because obviously weather certainly depends where you are, of course, but in some places weather can change very quickly. And you can start out, it's a nice sunny day, you know, nice and warm or that kind of thing. And then very quickly you can have storms come in. It can be absolutely tipping down with rain, and it becomes a very different sort of situation to be operating in. So a lightweight jacket, weighs almost nothing. You can throw it in your backpack. so I definitely recommend it, having a backpack of some sort to carry things in. you might want to have water with you. So you might have something like a camelback where the water is in a bladder in the, backpack. So that's very convenient. But do carry water with you just in case. You might want to carry some snacks. They're very. It's very easy to put protein bars or these little energy snack things into your bag. You don't need too many of those, but it just gives you something, if for whatever reason you can't get back to, base, wherever that is when you were planning to. And also think about your camera gear, because, look, you, you know, you want to have some sort of protection for it. And the thing I always recommend is a splash cover, so a spray cover. So I've got one of those for my gear. It's basically intended for a long lens, so I usually use a 100, 400 mil lens on my camera when I'm out. So, this spray cover, will cover that lens. Now they're primarily designed if you're likely to be taking photographs from a boat or somewhere where there's a good chance you're going to get sprayed with water. However, where I've actually ended up using this thing most is in very dusty environments because it's a way of keeping the dust off the camera. obviously the lens needs to be exposed. So I use the lens cap, to protect the lens as much as possible and I just keep it, keep that lens clean.
• 9:10
  > Graham>But where it's really useful is it stops getting very fine dust getting into the camera electronics, which you definitely don't want because then that can cause you all sorts of problems. And by the same token, if you've got something like that, if you do get caught outside, some distance from where you can get cover, you can at least not worry about your camera gear getting a good soaking.
• 9:32
  > Graham>So again, things to think about, other things to carry with you and perhaps to wear. So if you are out in a remote area, I would definitely recommend good quality hiking boots. some environments they might not be the most comfortable. If it's very humid, maybe more sort of canvasy shoes would be better. But do think about where you're going and think about having the right kind of footwear because obviously, without the worst coming to the worst, you're probably going to have to hike out of wherever you are. So you want to make sure that your feet are protected and you've got good quality, good quality footwear that's appropriate for the environment that you're in. Another thing to think about are, animals, as in little ones, insects, things like that that might want to get into your clothing. So things like leeches, stuff like that and some insects. So in some environments. And I had that in, Uganda when I was walking, we were trekking to find mountain gorillas. So it's the mountains, it's forest, it's very wet because that's the time when the gorillas come down from the trees and spend more time on the ground because they're eating bamboo shoots.
• 10:44
  > Graham>But it means that you're in an environment that is very wet and it's ideal for things like leeches and stuff like that, that like to just. That can very easily just latch onto you as you're walking through undergrowth. So you might want to think about long, trousers to wear. Gaiters are another thing. And with the trousers in Uganda we were always told to put, put our trousers into our socks so that there was no, skin open that these things can jump onto. But gaiters are another thing to just think about wearing over your boots if you're in that kind of situation. so it's all about staying safe. But safe can be not getting some horrible disease. And things like mosquitoes are probably the thing that you're most likely to come into contact with. And of course they do carry things like malaria, m, dengue fever, all sorts of nasty things. So do have insect repellent with you. Keep it as part of your just daily kit, whether it's in your first aid kit or just in your bag. make sure it has deet, which is good for repelling insects because prevention is obviously much better than, cure. things like animal, scratches. Well, rabies, stuff like that. You probably. You'd be really unlucky to get scratched or bitten by a rabid animal. It can happen, obviously. so again, the thing is to just be aware of how to handle, animals. Most animals don't see us as food. We're not normal prey for most animals. one or two might. So this might be, larger, predators. And it tends to be predators who are older and we might become kind of easy pickings, the way they look at us. But on the whole, animals won't attack us for food. Obviously crocodiles and things like that would have a different opinion on that. so I guess first thing there is just to be aware of their environment. If you're in an area where there might be crocodiles, big saltwater crocodiles, Nile crocodiles, those sort of things. don't go wading through the water to try and get good photographs because they're very, very good at hiding themselves. And they attack very quickly. So you don't want that kind of situation. the reason that you might get attacked by an animal is more that you're seen as a threat. Now a lot of animals will tend to move away. Things like, snakes, will generally get away from us. However, some rely on camouflage and rely on being hidden. And this is a situation definitely in some parts of Australia where people tend to get bitten by some of the more venomous snakes, mostly because they've stood on them. That that that will typically happen. And in fact, things like snake bites generally happen. It's generally a combination of bare feet and stepping on a snake in the dark or getting, close to one in the dark, and it's not happy. You don't, you just don't see them. So a lot of them do move around in the dark. And, you just need to be very wary of that. So if they are in the area where you are, just be very careful, about where you're walking and do wear good footwear, at least to give you some degree of protection from that kind of situation. Now, thinking about that and particularly being in the dark, carrying, a head torch is a really good idea, even if you're not expecting to need it. If for any reason you're delayed. If you're out again in a remote area and the sun starts going down, if you're photographing sunrise, and sunset and the hours before, sunset and after sunrise, they're the golden hours.
• 14:34
  > Graham>They're really good times to photograph a lot of animals because that's when they'll often be feeding or be moving around. So it's a great time to get that shot. You've got great color in the lighting. You might be able to get a great sunrise or a great, sunset. But obviously, you're going to be in the dark at some point. So do carry a head torch. Make, sure you've got fresh batteries if you're going out somewhere. but do. But they're very good. They're very useful to have. They just stick on your head, obviously, and then your hands are free. It's very easy to see what's going on.
• 15:08
  > Graham>So I absolutely recommend that you have one of those at least in your backpack. And, as with all of these things, if you are relying on batteries, make sure they're new batteries and that they're reasonably charged. Okay, so that's covered. a lot of things. Other things to think about in terms of first aid kits, do think about sticking plasters, disinfectant, compression. bandages are good if you're in an area where there might be snakes. So, if you get a snake bite, the thing to do is not to move around. obviously you want to get to safety as quickly as you can, but don't try and avoid running because, most poisons are pumped through the lymphatic system. And that all works by walking and running. So the best treatment is to put a compression bandage over the side of the bite. So obviously you need to have a compression bandage there. have a look at where you're going.
• 16:02
  > Graham>I mean, there's all sorts of things I could suggest. First aid is a whole other subject. It's good to have some basic first aid training if you can. And, also look at what is likely to be most useful, where you're going. And just have a small first aid kit with you, just to deal with anything, any sort of small things, or provide any, immediate treatment should something untoward happen.
• 16:28
  > Graham>Okay. one other thing you might want to think about carrying with you is a knife. Now, this comes on to another thing to think about, and that is what's legal where you're going, what are the local laws. But if you've got a knife of some sort, so a pen knife might be enough. But obviously knives can be quite useful in, emergency situations. So maybe, you know, cutting things, tying things, whatever you're doing. So, a, knife is definitely a useful bit of kit to be carrying with you. on the subject of local laws, again, do your research, look at, what is acceptable and what isn't. So in many countries, photographing government buildings is not allowed and you can get into all sorts of trouble if you're caught doing it. there might be other rules and regulations. So you just need to be aware, conscious of what they are. Now a good thing if you are somewhere that is in your home country. I always recommend that people get a good local guide. So they are likely to know the terrain, they're likely to know how to handle animal situations, they are, likely to know the rules about where you can take photographs and where you can't. So a good guide is absolutely well worth the money in terms of having a good experience and staying safe while you are, wherever you are, taking photographs. Now, just on that, if you aren't somewhere that you don't know, be, you know, just be a bit aware. If you're carrying a lot of camera gear, that can make you a target.
• 18:01
  > Graham>Not just in, you know, in any country really.
• 18:04
  > Graham>there are always places where people, will see that you're carrying a big camera and that can immediately mark you out as somebody who they might want to steal that camera from. So, so if you do get into that kind of situation, the best thing to do is to let them take the gear. you know, it's not worth your life, basically. get insurance before you go, so that if you do get into that situation, you can at least reclaim the money later. yeah, you might lose photographs, you know, back up obviously as much as you can, but there's a change. You might lose everything but you know, compare that against losing your life.
• 18:43
  > Graham>It's just not worth it. So do be aware of your surroundings, do be street aware of who is around you and what you're displaying. If you're in an area where you stand out as a tourist then that can mark you out. I remember going to Miami and picking up a hire car and being told not to look at the map in the car. This is before gps, but please, places like that, and there are many, many places in the world where people are on the lookout for tourists. So if you're in a very touristy place or where people are expecting tourists to go through, just be very, very aware of what's around you and what you're displaying.
• 19:26
  > Graham>And look, it's always better to lose that gear and reclaim it rather than ah, risk in life. So that's a key one.
• 19:36
  > Graham>What else? I think they're probably the main things in terms of what to think about. Obviously when you, when you're going away, particularly if you're doing wildlife photography, you might well be just focused on the animals and the sort of situations that you might get in while with animals. I always recommend getting a good guide, as I've already explained, spoken about and just do some preparation, just think about, you know, what might happen weather wise. What sort of things do you need to take with you if you do have a mishap, you get a scrap. I mean it's easy to have a fall, it's very easy to slip up in a lot of places and, or you know, have a small accident and, and cut yourself. So you need to make sure that you clean, put disinfectant in there.
• 20:22
  > Graham>Obviously the purpose of bleeding is to clean a wound, and then you have plasters or some sort of first A, so that you're covered because ultimately you want to come back from that trip, alive, you know, with all the parts that you had on you when you left, you know, come back as the, the fully assembled person and yeah, can't come back with a really good experience under your belt. But the best way to do that is to just think a little bit about what could go wrong and take some steps so that you have a plan B should that particular situation arise. So that really is it in terms of safety. and I have spoken about safety before but it's a bit more in passing. So I thought it was worth doing a podcast that looks specifically at a few things to think about. There may well be others. this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of things to think about. And if you, if you are going somewhere overseas that you don't know, obviously, as I've said, you know, go the reputable companies, you've got a guide to look after. You also have a look on your government websites about, the situation in that country.
• 21:39
  > Graham>What are the government recommendations about travel there? obviously if they're telling you not to go, then don't go unless you have a really good reason. But you would need to be going knowing that the, the recommendation is that you don't. if there are travel advisories up, just be aware of them. You know, read, read through them, see what's being recommended and take the appropriate steps. just another one that springs to mind, which is one that's often recommended to people in, countries where you may, someone may attack you and try and steal your money, is just to have a dummy wallet with you, have another wallet with maybe an expired credit card, a little bit of cash, so that at first look, it looks like it's your actual wallet. And hopefully it's enough for someone to grab your wallet and then run and leave you alone. And only later they find out they've actually, other than a small amount of cash, they haven't stolen anything. So that's another thing to think about. I generally have a money belt, so that's a little belt, a little sort of zipped pouch bag thing that you, just strap next to your skin under your clothing. And that's where I'll tend to keep things that I really don't want to lose, like, passport, cash, those sorts of things I have if I have to take them, but I, or I don't need to show them. again, things like passports, I'll also put in, like a plastic bag, just a sort of sandwich bag thing just to keep it, stop it getting wet. Just one of those bags, plastic waterproof bags that you can seal and that just looks after it. So there's all sorts of things you can do. As I've said, this isn't an exhaustive list, but it is intended to prompt you to just have a think about where you're going and, you know, what would be the good ideas for things to take with you. Okay, so that is it. as always, I hope you found that useful. please support the podcast and, check out the website, see what's going on. There are training options running.
• 23:38
  > Graham>there's my artworks. Please buy some art, and, I'll speak to you on the next podcast. Bye for now. Well, I hope you enjoyed that. Now, I just want to say thank you for tuning in and joining me in the, Wildlife and Adventure Photography podcast. If you have enjoyed today's episode, please give me a like a subscribe, maybe tell your friends, and by all means leave a comment. And if there is a subject you would like me to cover in the future, please let me know. And I'll be very happy to do my best. So, thanks again for, joining me, and I look forward to seeing you again. Next podcast. Bye for now.