Photography Health and Safety
Like any field in the world one should always be aware of the responsibilities and dangers that one may encounter during his/her working field. Photography is no excuse and like many hands on work it involves a high risk of danger both to the kit at hand and one’s safety. Although as students these things may not be on our A list when handling a photographic task or work, it is one that involves true significance when thinking and understanding its purpose.
As a photographer, always seeks the trust of the client. This trust means more than just agreeing upon meeting on a venue and taking multiple snaps. This trust means that one should take into account several precautions in order to perform at one’s best when requested. The initial task that a photographer should record is thus his kit within an insurance agency that gives a full coverage of the kit at hand. Another significant part that a photographer should take is his own self-insurance that will cover him when things go wrong. Although this might sound obvious but public liability is one key concept that if one takes his field with great seriousness one should look into this thing carefully.
A photographer should always take extra caution when dealing within things that are not in his line of expertise. Places such as construction scenes, factories, chemical zones, wildlife, foreign terrains etc; individuals should always seek the best safeguarding measures that will decrease the risk of harm both to him/her, the environment and kit at hand. Not only should one be cautious of the place that he is shooting but safeguarding other peoples lives.
Whenever a photographer is commissioned for different tasks he should be prepared for extra precautions when dealing with the kit. One should look into supplying back up alternatives, example SD cards, batteries that will be used in case of a hic cup in the system. Although this may be difficult to predict, things can go wrong. Insurance is thus one significant key for a photographer to have at hand when dealing with such tasks.
Articles about photographers and the risk they take during their work:
1 https://fstoppers.com/wedding/news-uk-wedding-photographers-driven-bankrupt-angry-customers-6035
2 http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/08/23/columbus-wedding-photography-burglary.html
3 http://petapixel.com/2013/09/29/wedding-photographer-wanted-ad-makes-us-lose-little-faith-humanity/
4 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/gang-rape-photo-journalist-mumbai-outcry
6 https://fstoppers.com/video/btsv-drew-gardner-shoots-zebra-2813
michelletrapani 