Save Your Film, Save Your Camera!
Care in The Summer Sun
There are some people however, who will never respect your camera gear and these are the biggest threat of all…
Thieves
Camera theft is a big business. Stolen cameras and equipment sell very well as second-hand gear, therefore, never leave your equipment or film unattended, and never leave it openly visible in your car. Hide your camera equipment in a cooler when in your car. This will not only keep it cool, as previously discussed, but it will also keep it out of sight from thieves.
When traveling in high visibility areas, such as National and State Parks and other tourist locations, be aware. Theft is a huge problem, especially for people who excitedly “show off” their new equipment or for those who don’t think about theft possibilities. New equipment is as good as cash to a thief. Everyone carrying it is a potential victim, so be smart.
Thieves watch, follow, and then steal unattended camera gear whenever the opportunity presents itself. I witnessed this in the Canadian Rockies. A group of photographers were photographing wildlife, one of whom parked his truck in a very visible area. When he went off to follow an elk, someone who’d followed him in their own vehicle pulled up beside the photographer’s truck, smashed his window, reached in, and grabbed all his gear. The thief drove away with $25,000.00 worth of equipment.
If people see you walking around with an expensive camera, this can just as easily happen to you.
When leaving your camera in your vehicle, don’t give a thief any encouragement.
When I’m photographing and need to take a break and leave my truck, such as stopping to get a bite to eat, I will pull over before I reach my destination and hide my camera packs in a large duffle bag or under some camping equipment. I do not do this as I leave one location to head for another, and I do not do it when I reach my stop.
I literally pull over and hide my gear in between locations.
The less expensive a duffle bag looks, or more beat-up a cooler looks, the less attention it draws. Hide everything related to your camera and it’s gear. Vehicles with exposed tripod legs and visible photo packs will invite theft. So will certain bumper stickers and other decorations…
If you belong to a photo club or camera organization, do not put related stickers on your vehicle. Be sure to remove all labels from your photo packs. If unmarked, thieves often mistake photo packs for backpacks and pass them by. When traveling and making stops, park where you can see your car/truck, or carry your gear in with you. Yes, even to make a pit stop at the rest room. It takes a seasoned thief less time to grab your gear than it will take you to get back to your vehicle.
When flying, I carry on as much photo gear as the airlines will allow. I also roll lenses in my clothing with my regular luggage and put socks and underwear in my photo pack. That way, if anyone sees a photo pack in transit and decides to help themselves to it, they will be very disappointed and all I’ll have to do is buy new socks and underwear!
You can never be too cautious when it comes to keeping yourself and your camera equipment safe! Whether on vacation or just having fun in your own backyard,
taking small steps to insure the safety of your investment will truly pay off.
