Be Safe

When you are looking through the viewfinder, be sure you know what's going on around you. Shooting sports can be dangerous, I have been hit by foul balls, basketballs, footballs, sent to the emergency room once by a hockey puck, and flattened by football players-high school through pro.

You get involved following the action, and someone blindsides you, or the action gets to you sooner than you expect. You kinda expect the prospect of getting hit shooting sports. But you better watch out for critters.

Charlie Lanter and I were doing a story on a local farm several years ago. I was standing near a fence shooting this neat ostrich, totally involved with the image in my viewfinder. Charlie yelled and yanked me backward. The other ostrich in the fence was coming after me. A near miss.

So, doesn't matter where you are, or what you are shooting, be aware of your surroundings. Watch out for strange critters and people. Be safe.