As a woman, do you go out alone at night to take photos?

[Andrea1]

Yes Mark unfortunately it can be reality sometimes.

I certainly never want to live my life in fear but there have been far too many incidents recently in the media that just make me cringe.
What's that saying? Be alert not alarmed!

[Allie]

I've gone on a couple of camera club night shoots (only been available for those few) and walked home alone from one as I had to leave earlier than the event was going to finish and I did think how easy it would be for someone to take my gear away from me - pretty obvious I had camera gear when carrying a tripod (even folded up). I wasn't concerned about it but the thought was there. I have gone out by myself during the day and had the same thoughts for the same reason as it is obvious what you are doing when you take photos especially using longer lenses and tripods which can make you a target for theft at least - probably another reason I think a smaller sized camera or phone camera is a worthwhile accessory. As I work shifts including nights and weekends it does make it harder to arrange company for photography but I think that would be a better solution not only for safety but for the shared experiences however that is rarely possible for me - now that my partner is becoming interested in photography himself maybe this will change.

[Mathy]

I feel more vulnerable about having obviously expensive digital equipment on me, not only a camera (people get mugged for a decent mobile phone these days), than being female. Expensive gear draws attention, being an older female sometimes does, sometimes doesn't. So, I don't carry bags or use neck straps that shout NIKON, I keep everything nondescript.

I agree with Mark, walk and act like you belong where you are, stand tall, make friendly eye contact if necessary, do not act/look like a victim.

For women, many of the Rape Crisis Centres have/run self defence courses which are immensely practical in that, they take into account size, age and possible disability. I can highly recommend them, mainly because they advocate/stress the psychology of how to handle yourself first, preventative measures second and how to actively defend yourself third. I spent a few years doing some martial arts, not for self defence but because I really like the spiritual aspect, that's also very helpful. Even Tai Chi, which seems like a form of Yoga, is a martial art and has it's uses. A martial art that is particularly good for women is Wing Chun because, it was actually developed by Buddhist nuns and suits people of smaller and slight stature - any of these options are also beneficial for health and wellbeing also.

I'm hoping it's not the case these days, but women used to be not physical and not used to moving/using their bodies. I'm lucky, I've always played sport and maintained a strong physical sense of self. This is a very important component to feeling safe/competent. There's lots of fitness classes that incorporate boxing, kick boxing etc. Try them, women/girls aren't taught to hit things, men/boys seems to have an advantage in that area. It's not the hitting that's important, it's the self belief and confidence that comes from the exercise that is the benefit.

And it doesn't matter whether you're male or female, we all have a right to 'be' in the world without being harassed or bullied by others - who are basically weak individuals anyway. Being assertive is a good start and will often make such individuals go away - you just have to practice doing it - role playing until you're comfortable with saying what you want to say, calm the fear in your belly. If worse comes to worse, then yes, I will use anything I can get my hands on and I will hurt any individual who attempts to get physical with me, because when someone crosses my boundaries to that point, I've got a very bad temper and no compunction about causing some damage. Another benefit of doing a self defence course or those fitness classes mentioned above is that you learn to not waste your time on being pretty, if you're placed in a position where you have to hurt someone, then learn the quickest, most effective and most painful way of doing it

At the end of the day, none of us, male or female want to be walking around scared. And none of us want to be physically confronted. Doing the work that makes you feel confident, assertive and capable of verbally/psychologically dealing with most situations helps to avoid/diffuse conflict without feeling scared, and most of the time, that's sufficient, cheers Deb

[ElizabethAtkinson]

I always go with other Photogs for night photography, not because I am concerned about safety, but rather it is an organised group session. However, saying that, I will always do street photography with another person for safety reasons (yes two people taking photos in the street can be intimidating but if the person says no to a photo [if they have seen me snap it] I respect that and delete/don't take the photo).

[extraball]

as a male, I would feel uncomfortable alone, in some nite-time areas around the city. I would definately steer clear of the "alcohol soaked" zones, and consider taking a friend.

[Chromo]

It usually doesn't occur to me to be honest. I find most people I meet are decent and friendly. I know there are some bad people out there, but they just seem pretty rare to me, so I don't worry about running into one. I think a smidge of common sense and being aware of my surroundings is all I need.

I have done a few night shoots in Sydney, some with a club and some alone. The only difference I found was I enjoy having someone to chit-chat with about the exposure, and to bounce ideas off. And it's always fun to compare completely different pics taken of the same thing - good insight to improve if your pic looks like garbage compared to the pic taken from right beside you! So for me, it's more a company and learning thing, rather than a safety thing. I guess if you're alone and engrossed in composing a shot, your situational awareness is a little compromised, so maybe night shoots in sparsely populated areas are best done with a buddy (for both men and women)

I live in a rural area now, and it is even less likely to occur to me. I mean, if there's nobody around, there's nobody to worry me! The media reports on the unusual, and sells emotions - they don't report on the millions of people who had pleasant, uneventful evenings. Yes, I supposed there is a very slight chance that something bad might happen to me, but I perceive it to be tiny and random, and I don't want to miss out on living my life.

[ricktas]

It usually doesn't occur to me to be honest. I find most people I meet are decent and friendly. I know there are some bad people out there, but they just seem pretty rare to me, so I don't worry about running into one. I think a smidge of common sense and being aware of my surroundings is all I need.

I agree. I think the media rely's on our fears and most news we hear is bad, so the extent of any issues are amplified by the media.

[Dylan & Marianne]

Marianne for the same concerns does not feel comfortable going out solo on dawn or dusk shoots except where there are people present.
For the guys out there, I agree with Mark's sentiment - if you do go out and portray yourself as a victim, i reckon it does increase the odds of you becoming a victim. I'm a super skinny guy but usually I'm out in the cold and padded up I don't look quite so wimpy lol. Adapting to your environment helps even if it means throwing a few random celebratory comments in reply to a drunken crowd yelling your way rather than head down, looking insecure and scuttling off

[scarlet artemis]

I felt so concerned when I came back and read some of the other posts - now I know why my husband worries about me so much! He insists we take the baby and go out together on weekends when we can. i think he gets it that by the time both of them are ready and we've driven out of sydney to location, I'm going to get crap shots of beaches and landscapes because the light is all wrong....that's the prob I have at the moment, is learning to make use of the light I have to work with and maybe developing good flash handling techniques in the next few months as I'm forced to take more photos in shade

Would love to get out alone in a remote location somewhere and have the time to compose a shot without worrying about safety or keeping up with a fast moving toddler and husband whilst lugging all my gear. But I might be preg, so its all only going to get harder. No complaints though, I choose my life.

[lenscap]

I am always careful when I go out alone in the daytime and I haven't gone out alone at night because of the safety side of things. It is a pity we can't go out alone and feel comfortable. I generally find a friend who is happy to go for a drive with me and will patiently wait while I take my photographs.