Safety

Many photographers work in a wide variety of conditions and circumstances, if only because they carry their cameras with them on holidays overseas. Landscape photographers regularly hike along remote trails to early morning locations, sometimes in appalling weather conditions. People photographers explore less-than-attractive urban areas, sometimes at night, in search of characters with interesting faces or lifestyles. Others climb hills and mountains, fly over their subject in aircraft of various types, travel through sparsely-populated regions, or train as scuba divers to work underwater.

These activities, and many more that have not been mentioned, all imply inherent risks. The purpose of this section is to highlight some of the more significant dangers and suggest simple measures which, when adopted, significantly reduce the incidence of injury or the possibility of becoming the victim of criminal activity.

Readers should note that the advice given in this section cannot address every conceivable risk and must therefore be regarded as incomplete. Those engaged in potentially hazardous activities should always seek professional, expert and local advice. This section is therefore primarily a reminder to do so.