Returning home form photographing a small event at our local war memorial, I came across a bright red "Virgin" London air ambulance helicopter, touched down 300 yds from my house!

A worker had fallen off scaffolding at a building site and I was the only guy there with my Leica photographing this spectacular heli' fly majestically out of our local church car park - the pics are on the way to the local rag! A minor scoop but how many of you always carry the Leica, just in case?

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), May 08, 2002

Answers

Weird posting considering the lunch I just returned from. Left work just over an hour ago to go for lunch. Three block from work I'm sitting at a red light, a minivan going through a green light taps the front end of a car making an illegal turn. The minivan flies into the air, lands on it's roof and ploughs into another car. My Rollei 35 was on the seat next to me. Got out, along with others to see if anyone hurt (non seriously). All this within 25 feet of me. The last thing on my mind was poking a camera into these peoples faces. I have a great respect for journalists (not to be confused with ambulance chasers), but I definitely am not one. The minivan was probably going no faster then 35 or 40 KPH - watching it fly through the air dissolved any thoughts of ever owing one.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodick@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.

I carry a camera w/me as often as possible just because you never know when something interesting might happen. Last year, I had my Contax IIa w/me & was 1 of the 1st bystanders @ the scene of a fire in my neighborhood. Unfortunately for my chances of getting anything in the local rag, it wasn't long before the professionals from that rag (the Washington Post) showed up w/their enormous digital cameras! On a less serious note, a few months later, when Tom Cruise & Steven Spielberg were in town to make "Minority Report" & were filming scenes in my office building, I had my M2 & was ready to go.

-- Chris Chen (Wash., DC) (furcafe@NOSPAMcris.com), May 08, 2002.

never leave home without my Leica.even if photo not the morning news,its my diary of my life.what is point of having one of the bet boxes in the world,if one only keeps it for show.For me show and tell. as for the Rollie 35,well i have dropped it so many times,it has new shape!thats due to poor design and stupidity by me.First always check the victims,then get your snaps.The fire,tom and steven perfect xamples.Good work.i will not carry one of those dumb 80~200AF slr. Maybe i'd get different pix but not better.i prefer the 50mm. so saying yesterday caught these folks participating in movie for wedding video.real fun snaps.those were taken with EOS,28~85mm lens...

-- jason gold (leeu72@hotmail.com), May 08, 2002.

Always carry one or two Minox 8x11 with me.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 08, 2002.

i usually have my konica hexar (black original) with me, not that i'm trying to shoot accidents, fires, crimes - cause then i wouldn't much else... i live in DC ;-)

the purpose is rather to document moments of life in general

cheers,

pat

-- pat (modlabs@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.

Yes, After Sept. 11, now I always do. I witnessed the tradgedy first hand, but was too stunned to even think of photographing the horror. Needless to say my M6 was home safe and sound but too far away in Queens to be of any use. Now my M7 stays with me everyday when I commute to work.

-- John Abela (jamriman@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.

I used to, but now I have to run a gauntlet of security x-ray and metal detectors several times a day, so I gave it up. Jeez, I hate D.C.

-- Joe Buechler (jbuechler@toad.net), May 08, 2002.

i always carry my M6...if they make it waterproof...i'd bring it with me even in the bathroom (eewwww...)

-- Dexter Legaspi (dalegaspi@hotmail.com), May 08, 2002.

Hi Giles. I'm one of those who make it a point to carry my Leicas around as often as I can. Or at least my cameras are always loaded with film and mounted with lens ready for action. I have a similar occasion where a car parked stationary caught fire for no apparent reason. Nobody had a camera, I was lucky with my trusted M4+90mm lens mounted and APX 400 loaded to capture the rescue scene and the buring Car. The photos got published in the newspapers and I got a small reward for it. Visit

http://www.offstone.com/photo/messages/155/4520.html?1019099155

and enjoy. I make it a point to bring my Leica to work on Fridays now.

Greg

-- Greg (greg_choong@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.

Since buying my Billingham hadley, my camera comes everywhere with me. Now I can take my camera anywhere without feeling like a tourist.

A good lesson for us all Giles

-- kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), May 08, 2002.

Kristian

I have my Alice, nice to contain 2 Leica bodies. It's so nice using the bag and nobody really notice it or regard it as a camera bag because of its design, its good water-resistant too (not heavy down-pour). One of the reasons I could sling across my shoulder and carry my Leicas with me most of the time.

-- Greg (greg_choong@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.

Hmm.. just trying the tag link out..

Burning Car and Rescue

-- Greg (greg_choong@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.

i usually carry a camera, but when i dont i'm still shooting!

-- grant (lotusphotography@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.

When I took up photography as a teenager I was never without my camera - even carried it on my paper route. I used to wander around town doing informal portraits. One day I saw a guy being pulled out of a creek. He was an epileptic; he'd been fishing, had a seizure, and drowned. I was a bit jumpy - I knew him from a 'portrait session' of several months before - but I took pictures anyway. This displeased one of the cops, who gave me a dressing down for what he saw as an invasion of privacy. A professional photographer surely would've shrugged it off... anyway, to answer your question, I still carry my camera around, but I'm quite happy to have never witnessed another accident.

-- Scott Munn (scott@bokeh.net), May 09, 2002.

I would add that the guy (happily) didn't appear to be seriously injured, infact he walked to the helicopter. It will be flattering if they use any pictures but should I ask for a fee? This is a typical small London suburb "local issue" newspaper.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), May 09, 2002.

Copyright is the most important issue here if they use your photo. Make sure they don't reuse it anywhere else without your permission. You need to make sure they return you the negs afterwards. Money wise, I got a $30 voucher for mine. I guess I'm not really after the money but I did make clear to them that they must return the negs and give due credits. Good luck.

-- Greg (greg_choong@yahoo.com), May 09, 2002.

Hi Giles

The guy sure must have had a private health insurance, for a helicopter to come for someone who can walk. If he'd had to rely on the NHS he probably would still be on his way, walking to a waiting room :-)

-- ReinierV (rvlaam@xs4all.nl), May 10, 2002.