View single post by Eric
 Posted: Thu Apr 9th, 2020 04:37
Eric



Joined: Thu Apr 19th, 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4428
Status: 
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Well done for doing the right thing.

Just because we enjoy photography it doesn't mean it takes priority in these circumstances. I've had a couple of instances over the years where I thought afterwards “why didn't I photograph that?”.  But I am always reminded of an instance 30years ago at Sandsend. 

A young guy had parked his van on the sand at the waters edge (below high tide line) to load his mates jet ski directly into the back. I had the camera with me and started to take photographs as the obvious started to unfold. The extra weight of the jet ski sunk the back into the sand and the underflow fluidised the area around him. He dashed to me to ask if I had a tow rope...which I hadn't. He then asked if I was from the press and pleaded with me not to use the photos as it was his works van and his boss thought he was out on a delivery! He ran to a farm nearby and came back with a tractor that pulled him clear. By then the water was well inside and I could only imagine the hot water he would be in when his boss saw the result. But to add insult to injury he had to give the farmer his last £20 to recover him.....quite a lot back in the 1980s!  

That instance made me realise that I shouldn't capitalise on others misfortune....probably why I never became a paparazzi. :-)



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Eric