It's only a camera

Our hobby can be a risky affair, but surely that’s part of the fun of being a photographer?

- Tom Mason

I have just got home from the river, and whilst I’m not that bothered, it hasn’t been the best of mornings. It’s been raining here for the past few weeks, but having been away, my camera traps have been out, alone, in the wild.

Had I been home, I would have likely run out one evening as the rain whipped against the house, knowing the river would be rising. However, that wasn’t the case. Instead, I was away scouting out some new workshop locations, and this morning I’ve been picking my way through the flooded waterway, pulling out what remains of my two cameras. One, luckily, I managed to find, albeit flooded, the other is missing… presumed dead.

Risk. It’s the spice of life. The unknown possibilities that can come from putting it all on the line. I’ve always been a fan of risk, from ‘I can probably make that jump on my bike’, to ditching a place at university to pursue life as a wildlife photographer, when most people said it was stupid.

I’m comfortable with calculating the outcomes, weighing the options and then going for it, and so when it comes to photography I’m the same. You see, if you’re never prepared to risk it, the likelihood is you’ll always come out with something