MINIMISING RISK AS A PHOTOGRAPHER IN REMOTE & EXTREME LOCATIONS
- Andy Dorsett
- Feb 27, 2020
- 5 min read
Your safety is your responsibility.
In December of 2019 I was part of a small team that headed to a remote area of Kazakhstan for five weeks to carry out some snow leopard conservation research. Our destination would be a self-erected camp at the base of the mountains that needed to sustain a team of six people.
Temperatures would fluctuate from -10°C during the day to -18°C during the night and a cycle of ever changing weather that can occur in mountain ranges.
The mountains can be an awe-inspiring and peaceful place where you can empty your mind and just appreciate the beauty all around you. It is in these moments that you come to realise just how small we are as humans. The mountains can also be a hostile and intimidating place where one wrong step or lack of concentration could lead to serious injury. Along with this and the fact that you can’t buck nature, weather conditions can change within minutes and anyone not prepared for these environmental changes could be in serious trouble very quickly.
I’ve seen it many times working as a safety & survival consultant on a number of TV productions. Camera operators along with other crew members would arrive on location with totally the wrong clothing and equipment. They would then be so focused on getting the right shot that they would be totally oblivious to their surroundings and the dangers they hold.
SO, WHAT CAN WE DO AS PHOTOGRAPHERS TO LIMIT THE RISKS?
PLANNING
It all starts before you even exit through your front door as a little bit of research can go a very long way. Find out as much as you can regarding your destination, never go in blind.
Check the local weather report for your destination or location, we all know that weather reports can be a little hit or miss sometimes, but it will give you an insight into what to expect and what kit you should be taking with you. If you’re heading into the mountains here in the U.K you can use Mountain Weather Information Service https://www.mwis.org.uk/
Find out the emergency contact numbers and the location of the closet medical centre or hospital.
When travelling abroad check to see if you need any vaccinations and give yourself plenty of time to get them as some need a course of 2 or 3 doses.
EQUIPMENT
Take the correct equipment for the environment and weather conditions of your location. I know that might sound a little obvious, but I’ve seen plenty of people with summer footwear in winter locations. Never leave without a first aid kit. You don’t have to spent hundreds of pounds on flash equipment, but I also wouldn’t advise buying everything from a discount store. On my trip to Kazakhstan I knew the average temperature was going to be below freezing with deep snow in places, and I would have to cross a mountain river several times. The footwear I chose to take with me were a pair of Hot Foot boots normally worn by fishermen. They were great for crossing the rivers and keep your feet warm in temperatures down to -40° C, I never had wet or cold feet the whole trip.
MAPPING
You wouldn’t think about heading out without putting your footwear on, so you shouldn’t think about heading out without a map of some sorts. Here in the U.K. we are very lucky that we have one of the best mapping systems in the world with our OS maps (ordnance survey) which cover the whole of the U.K. either on paper or there is an app https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/
When we travel overseas sometimes there aren’t maps of the areas we are visiting or when there are they can be very basic, but any map is better than no map. There are also other mapping apps you can use if you don’t want to spend money on a GPS device.
Gaia GPS https://www.gaiagps.com/ for android & apple
Alpine Quest https://www.alpinequest.net/ for android (one of the best apps I’ve used)
View Ranger https://www.viewranger.com/en-gb for android & apple
Google Maps
Before you leave home though I would strongly advise that you download the mapping area for your location just in case there isn’t any reception where you are heading.
Then before you head out always place waypoint/marker/pin for your location, so you know where you are heading back to.
At this point I would just like to point out that most mobile phones don’t have the best battery life and the apple iPhone I own is terrible, so you should always carry some form of power pack with you. Also, the iPhone is known to dump power when the temperature gets to around freezing, so keep it close to your body heat. One of the best phones out there if you’re an outdoors person is the Blackview BV9000 series https://www.blackview.hk/bv9800/
And its quarter of the price of an iPhone.
Blackview BV6800 Pro
If you are heading out into a city you can also share your live location on WhatsApp or messenger with a friend. In WhatsApp you have the choice to share your location with a contact for 15 mins, 1 hour or 8 hours. Messenger is limited to an hour. I would always advise using this as a safety measure.
iPhone
1. choose contact
2. click on the + bottom left
3. location
4. share live location
Android
1. choose contact
2. click on the paper clip at the bottom
3. location
4. share live location
ON LOCATION
You should always be carrying out some form of risk assessment and remember that your safety is your responsibility. If you don’t feel safe or comfortable in a location or situation, or if all the safety precautions and risk assessments haven’t been put in place.
DON’T PUT YOURSELF AT RISK.
Let someone know where you intend to go and roughly what time you intend to be back.
Make sure you take enough water and food for your trip along with extra layers if it’s a cold location and don’t forget your first aid kit with extra blister plasters.
As photographers we can sometimes get carried away with the shot we are trying to get and not be paying attention to our surroundings. Once we hold that camera up to our eye, we can lose perspective of what’s going on around us. I’ve seen people step into busy roads, back up and trip over rocks, not see a rather large male boar eyeing them up in a forest and even someone have their camera snatched right out of their hand because they were unaware of the person running up behind them. It doesn’t take a lot of time to take a look around you, assess the situation and make adjustments to ensure safety.
If you are interested in learning more about safety in extreme and remote locations or would like any remote area or expedition training please feel free to get in touch and also visit www.remote-survival.com
Always be safe and always enjoy your photography.
Andy Dorsett
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