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05/27/2004 11:40:50 PM · #1 |
Hiya! I'm a veteran lurker, but this is my first post. So please bear with me. :)
One of the recent posts ("Lesson learned: don't leave your camera at home") brought to my mind an incident from years ago. While driving home, I came across an accident where a teenaged motorist had struck an elderly pedestrian. My timing was such that the ambulance hadn't arrived yet, and the old lady was being tended to by a samaritan (an off-duty paramdeic). I had a film camera in the car all ready to go, and I have to admit, I was very tempted to take it out and start shooting. I had such a perfect spot too, where the victim, the samaritan, and the distraught driver all would've fit into one picture.
At that time, I was thinking maybe I could sell/give the pictures to a local media. However, two things prevented me from taking the camera out: Respect for the victim (she was bloody and unconscious) and I didn't want to get any potential nasty looks/comments/confrontation from other bystanders.
(Epilogue: Days later, I found out that victim was my friend's brother's friend's grandmother. I was told that, sadly, she expired while en route to the hospital.)
Would you have taken pictures if you were in my position? Have you ever been in this situation? Your responses would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. :)
--T.C. |
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05/28/2004 12:41:26 AM · #2 |
Can't answer your first question, but I shall answer your second. A few weeks ago, there was a big crash right in front of my apartment window (I live on a busy street), when two cars were drag-racing and one tried to pass a truck and spun out of control. I actually saw the beginning of the accident as it happened.
Fearing someone was hurt, and wanting to help, I leaped up, slipped on some shoes, and ran out the door -- but not before grabbing my digital camera. The good news -- no one was hurt. The speedster's red convertible was totaled. By the time I got there (less than a minute after the crash) there were dozens of spectators gathered about. I wanted to start snapping pictures but was afraid someone would take offense, so I didn't.
After a bit, the passers-by grew bored and left the scene. The car was still in the position it had landed, and there was almost no one around. That's when I snapped a few quick pictures. I just couldn't intrude before that. The pictures were mostly for my own record of how life unfolds around here. |
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05/28/2004 01:12:29 AM · #3 |
Assuming that there was nothing I could do to help and never having been in that situation before and only having a photographers instincts to go with, I would say shoot, but don't intrude, if that makes any sense...
Edited to add: And contrary to my current signiture, sometimes it isn't fun, but ya gotta do it anyways just because that's what we are... photographers
Message edited by author 2004-05-28 01:14:21.
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05/28/2004 01:42:36 AM · #4 |
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05/28/2004 01:45:21 AM · #5 |
| Actually, I have to add one thing. If I hadn't had to use FLASH to snap pics of the accident (it was at night), I would have probably snapped away. I'm getting a little better at disguising the act of taking a picture, by holding the camera down by my waist, etc. But the flash would have given me away. |
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05/28/2004 01:48:17 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by boomer:
Actually, I have to add one thing. If I hadn't had to use FLASH to snap pics of the accident (it was at night), I would have probably snapped away. I'm getting a little better at disguising the act of taking a picture, by holding the camera down by my waist, etc. But the flash would have given me away. |
The power of the SLR...
Message edited by author 2004-05-28 01:48:53.
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05/28/2004 01:49:25 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by TabbyCat:
Would you have taken pictures if you were in my position? Have you ever been in this situation? Your responses would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. :)
--T.C. |
Well I think it depends on your situation as to whether or not you'd take pictures. Even if I had my camera with me, I doubt I would have taken pictures because I would not be thinking about it, and instead I'd be thinking about how can I help this person, etc. However a photo-journalist or reporter may be thinking more along the lines of "I should get a shot because it's my job....", etc. Nothing wrong with either senario, they are just different points of view based on the person.
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05/28/2004 01:54:16 AM · #8 |
It's a hard question to answer.
pulitzer photo link
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05/28/2004 03:08:09 AM · #9 |
That's a hell of a link. There are some great photos and commentary there.
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05/28/2004 03:17:38 AM · #10 |
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05/28/2004 03:54:13 AM · #11 |
If you were in such a distressed position on the road, would you like to be photographed ? I would not.
I would never ever take a picture of any person involved in such an accident. I would never want to be a photojournalist because of that reason. I always avoid accident scenes whenever I can, let the rescuers do their work, don't get in the way, show respect for the persons involved.
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05/28/2004 06:15:04 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by Brooklyn513:
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Don't miss the last shot in that flash display - outrageously wonderful.
Ed
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05/28/2004 06:55:11 AM · #13 |
I would also not take a picture of a person in such a state of distress.
This actually happened to me in September 2002 and prior training got the best of me. I had been trained in accident scene management and critical first aid for my old job.
I was driving on Route 20 in Quebec province. All of a sudden, a vehicle two cars in front of me started swerving, left the road by the right shoulder and plunged into the ditch then off a five foot embankment. Pulled over as fast as I could, called 911, grabbed the first-aid kit (sitting right next to the camera bag) and I was off at a run. The driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. Other passerbys and myself tended to two injured vehicle occupnats while others were taking care of the distraught driver until police and ambulance personel arrived.
When it was all over, I was just glad that I was able to help.
That said,I would never pull out my camera on an accident scene even if I wasn't involved in first aid. I have too much respect for people. But that's just me.
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05/28/2004 08:05:52 AM · #14 |
In the early 60's I made my living by photographing auto accidents. I sold the pictures, along with my ability to testify in court, to one of the insurance companies covering the cars involved. I was always careful to avoid getting in the way of police, ambulance workers, wreckers, etc and the police provided me with the information about what insurance coverage was involved. If they didn't or didn't have time, that information was public record and I could get it when their shift ended and they filed their paperwork. The task was not to picture the victims but the circumstances of the accident including skid marks, views of any intersection from a distance, debris in the road, evidence that traffic signals were working properly or not, weather conditions, etc.
While it provided my livelihood for a few years and paid for my college education, I also witnessed a devestating amount of human suffering, tragedy, and even death. The rememberance of these scenes still affects my driving today. I think about it almost every time I get into the driver's seat. Now I simply pass any accident whether I have a camera with me or not. I'm no longer "in the business" so, unless there is some other way I can help, I simply stay out of the way and let the professionals do their job. |
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05/28/2004 08:17:20 AM · #15 |
My little brother visited my here in Japan once and while walking around a tourist attraction full of supposedly tame monkeys, one of them jumped on his back and began biting him pretty ferociously. I started swinging at the monkey to scare him away. But, rather than doing anything to help, the guy next to us just turned his camcorder on my brother and started filming. I wanted to smack him. As soon as the monkey took off, the guy ran to his car and sped away.
That's not exactly the scenario you described, but that incident made it pretty clear to me how I would like to react (or more specifically, how I would not like to react) if I'm ever in a similar situation.
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05/28/2004 08:55:03 AM · #16 |
WOW, thanks for the responses/link and especially your experiences, guys! I'd touch on each of your posts, but that would take up too much space. So I'll just say thanks very much again, and keep 'em coming. I think this is a very interesting topic and people would benefit from reading the various responses.
--T.C.
"To shoot, or not to shoot, that would be the question my friends", indeed, goinskiing! :) |
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