It's hard to fix stupid.. I've spent hundreds of hours in the boats and canoes photographing birds and or landscapes. Sunday was not much different. My buddy showed up with his boat so we could photograph the Osprey nesting at Blue Cypress Lake. Only difference this day, Dave had taken the front swivel chair out while working on the boat. No problem I grabbed a bucket to sit on while steering the boat from the front deck using the trolling motor. Without the seat I had more room to maneuver and soon abandon the comfort of the bucket. I would kneel while moving and stand while shooting. We ducked behind some cypress trees to capture osprey chasing each other. A slight breeze and a gentle rock were the conditions. I had just turned the boat around and switch off the trolling motor and we were slowly moving forward. I turned my back to the front of the boat and was looking up thru the trees. Now all time slows down, without warning we hit a submerged stump, instant stop. I'm going in no question.... In a flash I turn the camera off, as my ass is bouncing off the edge of the boat, I'm unwinding the camera strap from around my left wrist, as my upper body passes the front deck I toss my camera towards the boat. I see the camera gently land on the edge, pause and begin to roll off as the boat rolls upwards again, my last vision as I go into the drink. Maybe 3 seconds in the water. One Nikon D600 & the newer version of the Nikon 80-400mm lens. Camera and Lens have been in rice since Sunday, getting shipped out today. Camera may be fixable not sure about the lens, it was soaked, still standing water inside the glass. I almost cried on the way home, no monies to replace the eqipment.... It did get me to thinking, I do buy Insurance when I travel out of the US. Who can afford insurance, who can't when they have an accident. Guess I'm sharing my story to remind us all you can't fix Stupid and accidents do Happen. If you camera sits in the closet maybe don't worry about it, if you use it all the time, maybe think about getting insurance......

It's hard to fix stupid.. I've spent hundreds of hours in the boats and canoes photographing birds and or landscapes. Sunday was not much different. My buddy showed up with his boat so we could photograph the Osprey nesting at Blue Cypress Lake. Only difference this day, Dave had taken the front swivel chair out while working on the boat. No problem I grabbed a bucket to sit on while steering the boat from the front deck using the trolling motor. Without the seat I had more room to maneuver and soon abandon the comfort of the bucket. I would kneel while moving and stand while shooting. We ducked behind some cypress trees to capture osprey chasing each other. A slight breeze and a gentle rock were the conditions. I had just turned the boat around and switch off the trolling motor and we were slowly moving forward. I turned my back to the front of the boat and was looking up thru the trees. Now all time slows down, without warning we hit a submerged stump, instant stop. I'm going in no question.... In a flash I turn the camera off, as my ass is bouncing off the edge of the boat, I'm unwinding the camera strap from around my left wrist, as my upper body passes the front deck I toss my camera towards the boat. I see the camera gently land on the edge, pause and begin to roll off as the boat rolls upwards again, my last vision as I go into the drink. Maybe 3 seconds in the water. One Nikon D600 & the newer version of the Nikon 80-400mm lens. Camera and Lens have been in rice since Sunday, getting shipped out today. Camera may be fixable not sure about the lens, it was soaked, still standing water inside the glass. I almost cried on the way home, no monies to replace the eqipment.... It did get me to thinking, I do buy Insurance when I travel out of the US. Who can afford insurance, who can't when they have an accident. Guess I'm sharing my story to remind us all you can't fix Stupid and accidents do Happen. If you camera sits in the closet maybe don't worry about it, if you use it all the time, maybe think about getting insurance......

It's hard to fix stupid.. I've spent hundreds of hours in the boats and canoes photographing birds and or landscapes. Sunday was not much different. My buddy showed up with his boat so we could photograph the Osprey nesting at Blue Cypress Lake. Only difference this day, Dave had taken the front swivel chair out while working on the boat. No problem I grabbed a bucket to sit on while steering the boat from the front deck using the trolling motor. Without the seat I had more room to maneuver and soon abandon the comfort of the bucket. I would kneel while moving and stand while shooting. We ducked behind some cypress trees to capture osprey chasing each other. A slight breeze and a gentle rock were the conditions. I had just turned the boat around and switch off the trolling motor and we were slowly moving forward. I turned my back to the front of the boat and was looking up thru the trees. Now all time slows down, without warning we hit a submerged stump, instant stop. I'm going in no question.... In a flash I turn the camera off, as my ass is bouncing off the edge of the boat, I'm unwinding the camera strap from around my left wrist, as my upper body passes the front deck I toss my camera towards the boat. I see the camera gently land on the edge, pause and begin to roll off as the boat rolls upwards again, my last vision as I go into the drink. Maybe 3 seconds in the water. One Nikon D600 & the newer version of the Nikon 80-400mm lens. Camera and Lens have been in rice since Sunday, getting shipped out today. Camera may be fixable not sure about the lens, it was soaked, still standing water inside the glass. I almost cried on the way home, no monies to replace the eqipment.... It did get me to thinking, I do buy Insurance when I travel out of the US. Who can afford insurance, who can't when they have an accident. Guess I'm sharing my story to remind us all you can't fix Stupid and accidents do Happen. If you camera sits in the closet maybe don't worry about it, if you use it all the time, maybe think about getting insurance......

Martin:

Don't sweat it, you will eventually get all your gear back and you will be out there taking the great photos you are capable of. This is your passion and sometimes you must put yourself in precarious situations to get the shot you want.

I take documentary photos for an official state game commission Peregrine Falcon monitoring program. I find myself clambering around the undersides and tops of bridges hundreds of feet over the water. I am often roped in while I shoot from the face of a cliff. I take precautions when working over top of people like tethering my gear to something stable but, if I drop it, my insurance will cover the cost of replacement. I shoot from canoes too, so I know the risks.

You did nothing stupid! You did what comes naturally as part of your passion and what enable you to take the shots you do.