One step right and hold on tight. Steady now.

Transcription

1 July 2012 One step right and hold on tight. Steady now. Tales and safe-shooting tips from agricultural photographers Part 1 By Mark Moore With agriculture known to be among the most dangerous occupations in the world of work, where does that leave the journalists who cover it? What s behind that spectacular image from high atop a storage bin? that dramatic view of a huge harvester rushing toward you, gobbling grain? that endearing photo of a newborn calf with a possessive mother cow close by? Plenty is behind it, in the form of hard work, planning, photo skills, luck and sometimes danger. Welcome to Part 1 of a two-part series of features about the risks and safe-shooting sides of agricultural photography. Here you will find behind-the-image stories and tips from agricultural photographers who are members of the American Agricultural Editors Association (AAEA). Thanks to them for kindly sharing some of their experiences and advice. In this first feature we are pleased to highlight stories and safe-shooting tips from experienced and honored U.S. agricultural journalists Charles Johnson, Christine McClintic, John Otte and Gil Gullickson.

2 From out of nowhere By Charles Johnson, freelancer for agricultural media, Townsend, Tennessee Recently, while on a photo assignment, I almost got run over by a 58,000-pound mechanical citrus harvester. A little orange tree ran out from nowhere like a linebacker and tackled me. I went down hard and the machine missed by a foot or two. It was a close call. I ve also been hit by the rear tire of a flying spray plane while photographing in a peanut field that was an even closer call. While shooting an aerial applicator reloading on the ground, the hose going to the plane s tank flopped out and soaked me with insecticide not a pleasant experience. Several years ago, an old tobacco barn fell down around me as I attempted to shoot out the opening at its top another scary one. I wound up flat on my back, covered with boards but escaped mostly intact. There s probably no point in detailing my photo experiences with snakes, fire ants, alligators, crazed buck deer, the occasional bear and poison ivy. They re occupational hazards. Lots of things can happen while shooting photos because we re paying attention to what we re photographing, not to what s happening around us. I ve learned to keep an eye out for the unexpected. That s the thing that sneaks up and gets us. Almost swept away By Christine McClintic, freelancer and editor, Power Source, Hollister, Missouri

3 During the Mississippi River flood of 1993, I was newly married and covering all of the action in Quincy, Illinois, for The Furrow. Volunteers were trying to reinforce a levee with sandbags along the river banks north of town. Determined to get some photos, I hopped on a train that took me a couple of miles upstream. While I was busy shooting pictures, I noticed that the train, filled with many volunteers, pulled away and headed back to town. I remember thinking: Where are they going? Minutes later, someone shouted in a panic that the levee had been breached somewhere between Quincy and where we were stranded! It didn t take long for flood water to flow through the farm fields like a raging river. Eventually, a National Guard Hum-Vee came to our rescue. Traveling back to town, I saw a river barge break loose from the bank and ram into a gasoline station, unleashing a raging fire in the dark of night. By the time I reached the train station, much of that portion of Quincy was flooded, including the train station. My father-in-law s car was already swept away, including much of my camera gear. We uncovered the flood-demolished car several months later after the water receded. It was, of course, a total loss. Not a great way to make a good first impression on my new father-in-law. However, I was very happy with the pictures that I shot that evening. Lesson learned: When shooting pictures, don t be so consumed that you miss your ride back into town. Look out for the dog By John Otte, Economics Editor, Farm Progress Companies, Urbandale, Iowa I ve heard for years that Brazilians fire grain driers with eucalyptus wood. I wanted to photograph the farmer opening the fire pot door. I waved for the farmer to follow me. As we neared the furnace, my traveling companion called, Look out for the dog. Fortunately, (1) I heard the warning while was still more than the chain s length away from the dog and (2) the dog turned out to be friendly. In October 1979 I went with Rod Swoboda to Ottumwa, Iowa. Rod went to a conference. I went to a farm to photograph a new offset disc. I opened the aluminum camera case, took the leather cover off Wallaces Farmer s brand new and, at the time, only Nikon. I placed the aluminum carrying case, lid opened, against the fence. Took the leather cover off, loaded the film, tramped out across the field to photograph the farmer in action.

4 A half hour or so later here came the farmer s dog carrying the formerly brand new, now pretty well chewed up leather camera cover. The dog snatched it from the camera case, thinking it was a new type of toy. Can you swim with camera gear? Another of John Otte s experiences A Brazilian dairy farmer found that the river flowing through his farm had the ideal sand for construction. He soon calculated that pumping sand out of the river was more profitable than milking cows. His foreman took me to see the dredge. I was in the process of scrambling down the river bank to go out on the sand bar to get a close up shot. It took a while, but I eventually realized, correctly, that the foreman was trying to tell me doing so was not a good idea because the dredge could well be undermining the sandbar. So I made my way back up the river bank and then backed up into the weeds to get a good shot of the dredge spewing sand and water up on the river bank. For the next week I fought a chigger-type infestation almost up to my waist. A checklist for every session By Gil Gullickson, Crops Technology Editor, Successful Farming, Des Moines, Iowa I have never been in any serious danger while taking photos, but I do have a checklist for every session. 1. Don t wear wedding rings out on a farm. I had a friend in college who told me about a fellow from his home town who jumped off a truck with his wedding ring on. It got caught and stripped his finger off. About 10 years ago I was on top of a grain leg and telling a grain company official the story. He held up his hand with half a finger missing and smiled, I know. 2. Bring along rubber boots and wear them out in a field while spraying is going on. Of course, you don t want to get caught in the spray, but remember to have your feet protected when walking across a freshly sprayed field. 3. Watch the wide angle lens while photographing field work. It s not so bad now because most planters have auto steer, but there have been times when planter markers have got a little closer to me than I d like.

5 4. Use care when climbing up step ladders. I bring one with me to get up higher while shooting things. There have been times I ve probably pushed it on some not-so-stable ground, so I d advise folks to watch where they put it. Look for more experience stories and safe-shooting tips from agricultural photographers in Part 2 of this special series. What close calls and safety tips about agricultural photography might you share? Please send them to Mark Moore at moorecommunications@earthlink.net Thank you. This feature was coordinated by the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, University of Illinois, in support of the professional development mission of IFAJ.