Network Rail published a warning this week about the dangers of taking photos on railroad tracks. The company, which operates most of the rail network in England, Scotland, and Wales, also released a surveillance video that shows multiple dangerous photo incidents at a rail crossing that happened on in one day.
Photographers and other journalists covering the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian violence are on high alert this weekend after an Israeli soldier was stabbed on Friday, October 16th, 2015, by a Palestinian attacker who was posing as a local photojournalist.
As camera drone sightings near airports continues to rise, the US government exploring new technologies that could help automatically detect and identify photographers and other drone operators who are flying illegally near airports.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced yesterday that it's proposing an unprecedented $1.9 million fine against Chicago-based SkyPan International, a company that shoots aerial photos and videos with camera drones. This is the largest civil penalty ever proposed against a drone operator for endangering airspace safety.
British car manufacturer Land Rover has introduced an interesting new technology that uses multiple cameras to make trailers “disappear” from an LCD rearview mirror while you're driving. By combining video feeds from both the existing rear view and side view cameras with a digital wireless camera mounted on the back of the trailer, the system creates the impressive illusion of transparency.
German photography accessory company COSYSPEED has just introduced their latest creation on IndieGoGo. The CAMSLINGER Streetomatic is a sling strap and camera bag for mirrorless cameras, DSLRs, and superzooms. Aimed to rest comfortably on your outer thigh, the CAMSLINGER promises one-handed operation while protecting against rain, bumps, and dust.
We’ve written a number of times recently about how flying your camera drone near wildfires is both dangerous and illegal, but this week two men also discovered that getting too close to killer whales can also get you in trouble with the law. Two drone pilots recently did just that in Washington, and they received hefty fines.
PRENAV is a company aimed at developing extremely sophisticated automation systems for small aerial drones. Recently, the company announced that they had acquired $1.2 million to help make their drone technology smarter. So, what better to do with a bit of the seed money than fly drones around, create precise light patterns for light painting, and photograph them?
Camera drones piloted by unidentified individuals have been interfering with multiple firefighting operations led by firefighters in Southern California over the last couple of months. Now, San Bernardino County supervisors are seeking to identify the pilots and are offering up to $75,000 in rewards to anyone able to assist them in their search.
With the advent of consumer drones, governments are in the process of creating laws and regulations to keep both operators and bystanders safe. While some countries, such as the United States, haven’t made much headway, others have already established clear and concise rules for drone flying. The UK’s new ‘Dronecode’ initiative aims at communicating these regulations through brief bullet points and an animated video.
Less than a month after Union Pacific launched a public safety campaign that warns photographers against doing shoots on train tracks, another photographer has been killed doing just that.
A wildfire tore through Southern California’s Cajon Pass yesterday, crossing a freeway and engulfing a number of cars in its path. Now authorities are saying that firefighters could have done more to save cars and homes... were it not for multiple drones getting in the way of firefighting operations.
This headline may sound like a piece of satire, but unfortunately it's not: Russia has just launched a new public safety campaign called "Safe Selfies" to warn citizens of the dangers of taking careless and risky self portraits. Apparently there have been a large number of deaths and injuries in recent days that have been directly caused by selfie-taking.
Union Pacific Railroad, the largest railroad company in the United States, has launched a new campaign that warns photographers and the public from taking photos on train tracks.
A cameraman at the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR race escaped disaster this past weekend at the Daytona International Speedway. While working a camera on a tripod on the side of the track, the man found himself just a short distance away from a car slamming into the catch fence after a big wreck.
Selfie sticks may be growing in popularity, but bans of the photo accessory have been increasingly common as well. First sports stadiums started prohibiting spectators from using the sticks, and then major museums started following suit. Next in line: major theme parks.
Disney World and Disneyland are both issuing complete bans on selfie sticks, meaning guests won't be able to bring them into any of Disney's US-based theme parks. Bans will also be implemented at Disney's parks in Paris and Hong Kong.
Samsung wants to help make roads safer by incorporating some camera technology into semi-trailer trucks. By adding a front camera and a giant rear "live view" display to the trucks, Samsung's 'Safety Truck' project makes it easier for drivers to see "through" the trucks and know when it's safe to pass.
If you ever have the opportunity to photograph lions from the safety of a car on a game preserve, be sure you heed the warnings to keep your windows closed and doors locked -- it could save your life.
Camera drones can be dangerous if not handled properly. Singer Enrique Iglesias found that out the hard way yesterday during a 12,000-fan concert in Tijuana, Mexico. During one song, Iglesias decided to reach up and grab hold of a camera drone hovering above him in order to give the fans a live point-of-view shot. Things didn't go as planned.
Aerial photography drones are highly useful pieces of technology that help us to broaden our visual horizons. However, popular consumer drones, from companies such as DJI, can cost well over a thousand dollars - something you certainly want to be careful with while flying. A new product on Kickstarter, SmartChutes, believes that they can help you to protect your drone in the event of a catastrophic mechanical failure or pilot error.
Wedding photographer Gordon Jack passed away yesterday after a freak accident on Friday at the wedding rehearsal of tennis superstar Andy Murray.
If you're planning on buying or selling some camera gear with the help of Craigslist, here's a simple tip: the lobby of your local police station is a safe place to arrange the meeting with the stranger.
American and European regulations generally prohibit pilots from taking pictures while flying planes, and for good reason: sometimes the camera does get in the way of safe flight -- literally.
An investigation in the UK has found that a military airliner took a terrifying 4,400 foot nosedive last year after the pilot's DSLR got stuck next to the plane's joystick.
There have been a number of cases in recent years of people getting struck and killed by trains after doing photo or film shoots on train tracks. One of the cases last year involved the filming of a movie titled "Midnight Rider." While filming on a narrow trestle bridge, a train passed through and killed one of the crew members.
The director, Randall Miller, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and has now been sentenced to two years in prison and eight years of probation for his recklessness.
During a horse race, the track itself probably isn't the place you should be wandering in order to snap the perfect action shot. Even if racers do tend to stay toward the inside of the track, things don't always go as expected. A photographer in Finland learned this lesson the hard way this past week.
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com Tech journalist Dave Mosher of Popular Science recently …
This just in: running up to bears and snapping selfies with them is a bad idea. That's according to a US Forest Service spokesperson who says that tourists are becoming more and more bold with approaching the creature for memorable snapshots.
Each year, hundreds of photojournalists put themselves in harm's way to offer us a glimpse into the horrors of war, and too many of them are going in unprepared, not knowing even rudimentary survival and first aid skills that could mean the difference between life and death when they're out in the field.
That's where the Oculus Rift virtual reality game "Stringer" hopes to intercede, providing rudimentary training for conflict journalists that may just help save their lives.
It's only an idea, a thought experiment that is equal parts cool and terrifying from a privacy perspective, but the Gofor concept is definitely turning heads. Right now, getting into drone photography is pretty pricey, but Gofor imagines a world where you could rent one right from your smartphone.
It's common knowledge that the Giottos Rocket Blowers and the TSA don't get along. In the past we've told you to just leave it at home unless you want it confiscated with no more reason than "it looks like a bomb." But the reason photographer and Canon Rumors forum user Surapon got was a whole lot more entertaining than that.
A New Zealand railroad buff killed by a train Saturday may have been misled by his camera's LCD screen into thinking the train was a safe distance away.
Here's a helpful safety tip for shooting action shots in or around water: if you're using your camera in a rough-and-tumbly environment, do your best to keep it at a safe distance from your face. If you don't, your face could end up looking like the one above.
What do a loaded gun, a stun gun disguised as a pack of cigarettes and an inert grenade all have in common? Pictures of all of them are to be found on the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) new Instagram account, where the government agency is doing its best to show the public the kinds of dangerous things its employees are confiscating on a daily basis.
There has been a series of devastating tornados in the American Midwest recently, and one of the emerging trends -- especially in this social media era -- is the hunt for dramatic photographs and videos. Earlier this week we wrote about how one particular filmmaker created a tornado-proof vehicle to capture footage from directly inside funnels.
That filmmaker is backed by the Discovery Channel and has the funds and know-how to do things correctly (i.e. "safely"). On the other hand, there is also a new generation of storm chasers who are getting closer and closer to the storms in ordinary vehicles; the video above is one example of when people take their cameras too close.
I’ve read too many lists online of “traveling photographer tips” that don’t actually appear to be written by actual photographers. Some things work in the real world, others simply do not. Here’s some collected tips shaped from 7 years of travel experience on the road. I don’t think you’ll find most of these anywhere else.
You've probably heard people say that you should keep your camera gear with you at all times when flying, as there are multiple points in the travel process at which your valuable equipment could get stolen or damaged. In case you're not convinced, check out the video above showing an investigative report that ABC News recently did.
To test airports that have a history of theft, Brian Ross of ABC's The Blotter left 10 iPads inside the plastic bins at security checkpoints. At 9 out of 10 airports, the screeners followed protocol and immediately contacted the owner using the contact info prominently displayed on the iPad. In the 10th case, an agent was filmed taking the iPad out of the bin before it vanished.
A couple of weeks ago, we shared the sad story of how one hiker was killed after …
If you want to protect your pricey camera gear from burglars, one of the safest places in your house (besides a safe, of course) is one that might not be very obvious to you: your kid's room. The Readers Digest published a simple slideshow containing home-proofing tips gleaned from the minds of convicted burglars. One interesting tip is that burglars generally don't go into children's rooms when hunting for valuables to steal.
Are you the once-proud owner of a Canon Rebel T4i DSLR? Has your camera's grip changed from black to white? Have you developed a rash from touching the white grip? Apparently there's at least one of you out there, because Canon has issued a voluntary recall on nearly 68,200 of its T4i DSLRs. As we first reported last month, some of the DSLRs were loaded with too much "rubber accelerator", which can lead to a chemical reaction that causes allergic reactions.
The company issued an advisory at the time and offered free repairs, but is now cooperating with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in issuing the recall -- despite the fact that it has only received a single report of a "minor rash".
This may be a rare case in which a $695 class might actually save your life: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is offering a safety course for journalists who cover war, conflict and disaster zones.