donnahde Loc: Newark, DE

I shoot sports and other school events for Lifetouch Photography and I got trampled at the 10 yard line by a quarterback and half of the other team that was chasing him Friday night. My cameras, monopod and I got thrown to the ground but luckily the only injury I sustained was a big toe injury to my left foot. One of the guys must have stepped on it with his cleated shoes. It bled around the nail so I'm sure I'll be losing that. It's also already black and blue and throbbed all the way home. The game was 95 miles away. I was supposed to shoot a Homecoming Dance last night but they found someone else to come from hours away. I couldn't put a shoe on and was supposed to stay off my feet. I had no idea how I would have protected my toe from the hoards of young people but I would have done my best if they couldn't find anyone. My motto is the job must get done! (-:

Best part of this is the kindnesses of those young people. The players picked me up and the quarterback who "tackled me" and many others came to check on me as I sat on their bench with an ice pack on my foot. I told him I'd live and that it was not his fault. It was MY job to get out of his way!

I was very lucky in this case. Anyone else have any photography near miss or head on stories to share?

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

Yes, a friend of mine was shooting cross-country (as opposed to race track) car racing. He was standing on a low bank beside a curve in the road. The cars were coming towards him, then almost at the last moment they made a left turn... at least they were supposed to. One car kept going straight and fortunately was stopped by this bank. My friend was standing less than 2 feet away from the car's hood right in front of him. I shudder to think what might have happened if the bank wasn't there and he'd stood at the same level as the cars.

donnahde Loc: Newark, DE

Oh my!! That is scary to ponder. Thanks for sharing.

diensthunds

Question is "Was the camera damaged?"

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

I used to shoot pro football from the sidelines and any time a player's jersey numbers started to fill up my viewfinder I knew it was time to quickly jump out of the way.

donnahde Loc: Newark, DE

No, miraculously enough the camera was not damaged. I had my 55-300 lens on my Nikon D5100 on a monopod and the other camera was in a case on my shoulder but not zipped. Everything fared well except my toe and that will heal. And I got the continuous shots of the quarterback and they're all good except the last one just as he hit me. Too close. I've always been able to jump out of the way before but not this time. Even one time when the field hockey game I was supposed to shoot was hours late and it got cold and I had nothing with me but a zippered blacket. I was sitting on the sidelines with the blanket around me when the player and ball came straight at me. I jumped up from a sitting position so fast it amazed even me but I didn't get touched.

donnahde Loc: Newark, DE

Yup! And I knew that but for some reason this time I was oblivious and froze. Pro even more so. Those guys are even bigger!!

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I used to shoot bicycle races, and on a few occasions I got to ride on a camera motorcycle (moto for short) in some road races. If you've never seen a pro bicycle road race, it is crazy to be in the middle of one. Take 100 or so riders in a tight pack, lots of other motos, team cars, official cars, all going down the road at 30-35 mph, and it's surprising there aren't more crashes. I was never in one, but I have passed some crashed motos. Once we got caught on a steep twisty descent in the middle of some riders, and the cardinal rule is not to interfere with the rides, so we were forced to stay at their speed, which was 50-60 mph. It crossed my mind that I could die that day. More than one photographer in Europe has been killed trying to shoot the final group sprint.

donnahde Loc: Newark, DE

OMG, I can't imagine, but I have friends who were riding together just the two of them and got too close to each other and crashed. The woman just got home after almost 6 weeks in the hospital and rehab! Think that's one sport I will strive to avoid or shoot from a helicopter above it!

Flyerace Loc: Mt Pleasant, WI

I was using my Nikon FTN film camera to shoot motor cross motorcycle racing. I was laying near where the motorcycles were flying by. Getting great shots. Suddenly, someone grabbed me by the feet and pulled me away. I didn't realize a rider had lost control and was coming straight for my head with his rear wheel. Thankfully, no one was hurt and the camera just got a lot of dust on it. (In those days, the cameras were absolute workhorses-nothing bothered them) I didn't know the guy who pulled me away, but I thanked him profusely for saving my neck.

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

Years ago I shot Indy Car Grand Prix racing on a road course.
One race a friend of mine who was also a photographer and I decided to leave the designated press areas and go stand on the side by one of the turns with the cars going by right in front of us.
After not too long an official spotted us and came rushing over yelling... "Are you guys crazy?!"
Well I guess we were but we got the shots.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Without your big toes you cannot walk. They are the primary source of balancing. In survival school we learned how needed the big toe is. I read about a soldier who lost both his big toes, then had to re-learn how to walk all over again using whatever form of artificial toe would have been used in the 1960's. I smashed one of mine and had difficulty walking. Get your's X-rayed.

donnahde Loc: Newark, DE

Wow! What a story! Glad that guy pulled you away so you could tell it!

donnahde Loc: Newark, DE

Ha! Yea, you were crazy!!

donnahde Loc: Newark, DE

Thanks for your input, David. The medical guy (ATI) at the game checked me out and assured me it was not broken and based on my ability now to wiggle and walk around I'm sure, too. It looks ugly as heck and I'm quite sure I'll lose the nail but the discomfort continues to lessen. Every now and then I got a spike of pain for no apparent reason and then it subsides. Just part of the healing process I'm sure. My sweetie is insisting I stay off of it and keep it up as much as I can deal with. (-: