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We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.


The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has a branch located about a three minute walk up the road from my work. This Marine and Atmospheric Research branch obviously has a reasonably high turnover of computer equipment, because at least once a month, a new skip appears filled to the brim with old computers, monitors, televisions and all manner of cords, wires, motherboards and who knows what else.

I finally got over my shyness (and fear of being thought a terrorist/perpetrator of industrial espionage) to creep into the facility and take a few photos yesterday. Don't worry though, I didn't need to evade vicious guard dogs, scale razor wire or even jump a fence. I did, however, cross a road and walk through a car park.

Yes, I managed to look both ways too.

Now I know that there are some keen photographers here, so I would like to know what is the riskiest photograph that you've ever taken? Rampaging wallabies? Birthing wives? Hungry children? Airport security?

Answers in the comments and the winner gets my respect, admiration and awe!

Comments

kylie said…
good question!
many years ago i went for a walk with my dad and my husband. we walked along a beach and across a sandbar to get to a lighthouse. during the walk a storm started to come through. the air was heavy, the clouds black, my hair literally stood on end. it was obviously going to be some electrical storm and i was terrified. there was no shelter, just us and the elements and the walk to anywhere remotely like safe was an hour or so.
we didnt go for the purpose of taking photos but we did take some and they were undoubtedly the riskiest i ever took
Anonymous said…
I totally understand the shyness thing.I sometimes get to self concious and miss some good shots, especially if the topic is odd! I can imagine you felt much the same photographing e-rubbish!

Most risky photo...probably more risky to my camera than my ego or self but I once walked through pools of water created by freezing melted snow to get a photo from under a water fall....the water was so cold my legs ached but it was unreal being behind the water and under the rock face. Sometimes the experience of doing it is soooo worth it!
Ann said…
I've probably taken a few over the years, but these are the most recent, and ones that I was specifically told were not allowed.

http://annamog.blogspot.com/2008/09/forbidden.html
yournotalone said…
The riskiest was a police guarded Russian Natioanlit event - I climbed on a tree to film and to make shots from above before police takes me down
Kris McCracken said…
Kylie, electrical storms are very tempting to go out and about with a camera, but there are bloody good reasons to not do so too!

Lisasarsfield, many moons ago I ventured out in the early morning to wade out neck deep into a frigid river in the middle of winter with a borrowed Pentax to get a series of shots of an impressive bit of mist.

Too bad I buggered up the film in the dark room, resulting in some unsightly blotches on the prints!

Ann, it was nice of them to let you get those last few shots. They are steller!

Aigars, now that very much sounds like a scary tale. I heard a similar one with some not-very-friendly police in Belarus "politely" asking the photographer to stop filming.

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