There it was… standing in the dramatic backdrop of Monument Valley in Utah, I saw a mud puddle that was begging for my attention. I think Hailey and I knew almost instinctively that we wanted to photograph of our Jeep Wrangler ripping through the muddy puddle at high speed.
I knew for sure that the shot I wanted to create was going to get me soaked and covered in mud. I also knew that meant my camera was going to be soaked and covered in mud. Hailey and I paid for all our gear, no Sony sponsors here, and gear is unreasonably expensive. My camera body $3999, lens $1000, multiplied by two, but we didn’t even hesitate. I gave my buddy the signal, and he drove the Jeep through the water at about 50 km/h from about 2 meters in front of us.
We got the shot. But both of our cameras were absolutely soaked and covered in mud. The thing is, creativity and vision is more important than anything else. Cameras are tools and it’s your job to find a tool that can keep up with your creativity. If your equipment is holding you back and your not creating your vision because you’re too afraid to scuff up your camera body, or get mud on your lens, then you’re going about it backwards.
I’m not saying to throw your camera off of a cliff with complete disregard. I think you can be a responsible camera owner but also prioritize creativity at the same time. First of all, use the cameras that can keep up with you and your shooting needs. Secondly, insuring your gear will give you a little bit more peace of mind if the worst possible outcome happens.
There’s a general misconception with camera gear and the photography community and that’s that camera’s are sensitive and fragile. Some are more than others, but at the end of the day, these cameras are tools. They’re work horses. Start using cameras like the tools that they were designed to be. I think a lot of camera owners would be surprised to see how well their equipment fares against the outdoor elements, such as salt water spray, sand, dust, snow, and sun.
Check out more posts like this at lifeoutsideonline.com from Ryan Richardson.
Yes, sure whatever. These shots can be easily taken with a telephoto.
What's this got to do with landscape and nature photography? Just wondering.
Agree with the idea to let shooters know they don't always have to baby their gear, especially if it's a quality camera w weather sealing. But this seems a little gratuitous. A 50 km/h dash though a muddy trail at close range to the photog is a little ill advised for both the cameraman and the trail. Tread Lightly!
Thanks Ryan. A noble idea but not necessarily practical for most of us. You could take these shots with a protective glass panel in front of your camera.Only joking, but remember when Indiana Jones was confronted by snakes in the tomb. He and the cameraman had some protection there.