Free Going out on your own at night - anyone have any advice?

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Just posted this in the Move Shoot Move user group and got quite a lot of replies - but most are from America talking about worrying about animals... so thought I'd post here and see if anyone has a similar experience or any ways to get over it:

Rather random question- how do you guys feel about going out to shoot your images on your own often to remote places late at night or do you go out in groups?

Does it creep you out a bit? How did you get over that?

I went out to a place called Magpie Mine in the uk last night with the intention to shoot the Milky Way but being the only car there I must admit it felt so remote and a bit creepy at 1.30am that I elected not to get out the car and after half an hour In the car park trying to pluck up the courage to go I ended up driving the hour home instead! Feel like a bit of a lemon this morning but wondering if anyone else has had similar experience?!
 
Probably less risk than in the centre of the city at that time of night! :LOL:
Seriously my thoughts immediately go to making sure that you go prepared for environmental challenges rather than people challenges.
Make sure that someone knows where you are going and your route and that your mobile phone is well charged and has a signal, and you have batteries for your torch etc etc.
 
depends where you live.

almost nobody gets attacked badly where i live, if they do its people drunk walking around alone and a group of youths jump them.

in a city people do get attacked all the time so no its not all that safe
 
I can't think of anywhere rural in Britain where I would have a problem at night. Mind you, keep your ears pricked for lampers, some of them are nothing like as good shots as they think they are!
 
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The best advice is to go with a friend or a group. Make sure you are prepared as well as @gramps says.
 
I thought it was going to be about risk of walking round city centres and having gear nicked late evening.
While most places are still pretty safe clearly some are more high risk but you might not know if unfamilir with area.
TBH same is true of some rural locations and car parks as some can have different 'uses' at night, if you are the only one there not sure what would happen though except there's a risk of a disabling accident or injury
 
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Thanks all,

I did tell a couple of people where i was but that only caused them not to sleep either and to worry, causing me more anxiety!

Appreciate its all pycological and in the mind, and i am much safer in an empty car park etc but the thought that im on my own and some dodgy folk might be about still lingers....

The problem with going in a group is, getting that group together. All my photographer friends that would want to go are dispersed around the country and we are always so busy its hard to arange compatible dates let alone on a clear night, at new moon!
 
A_S said:
Just posted this in the Move Shoot Move user group and got quite a lot of replies - but most are from America talking about worrying about animals... so thought I'd post here and see if anyone has a similar experience or any ways to get over it:

Rather random question- how do you guys feel about going out to shoot your images on your own often to remote places late at night or do you go out in groups?

Does it creep you out a bit? How did you get over that?

I went out to a place called Magpie Mine in the uk last night with the intention to shoot the Milky Way but being the only car there I must admit it felt so remote and a bit creepy at 1.30am that I elected not to get out the car and after half an hour In the car park trying to pluck up the courage to go I ended up driving the hour home instead! Feel like a bit of a lemon this morning but wondering if anyone else has had similar experience?!
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It can be a creepy place at the best of times and can be well guarded by the local cows.... Not sure I'd fancy being there alone at night.......
 
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I get where you are coming from. I've been out several times overnight on my own shooting night skies. I guess you get used to it.

You are safer than in a city centre though I think. The only concern in my eyes is the value of the gear you are carrying.

Places such as Stonehenge, Durdle Door, etc are so popular that you'll meet other photographers there I expect - I went DD last weekend with a few others & met several 'strangers' there too - now mutual Instagram followers I must add. The places you have to watch for are the rural places where 'youths' :) drive to so they can drink beer & smoke weed etc - local lakes, picnic areas etc
 
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I totally get where your coming from, It can be scary/daunting being out in the dark on your own. Many times I've gone to a local wood to shoot bluebells at sunrise and found myself struggling to get out of the car in the complete darkness. But like you said its not always easy to go with other photographers so sometimes you just have to brave it and get on with it
 
Over the years I've spent a LOT of time outdoors in both cities and countryside at night, I've never felt the countryside unsafe, at least not from human type risks, as already said thats more a town thing.
Yes walking through a woods in the dark can feel a bit creepy when you start, but thats what keeps the others away. After a while your not bothered at all. Cities can be risky but if you look confidant and look like you belong normally you'll be fine.
One of the things that worries people in the outdoors at night is noises, various animals can made the weirdest sounds, owls can mew like a cat, Lots of things scream supprisingly loudly it's all about getting used to it.
 
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A_S said:
Just posted this in the Move Shoot Move user group and got quite a lot of replies - but most are from America talking about worrying about animals... so thought I'd post here and see if anyone has a similar experience or any ways to get over it:

Rather random question- how do you guys feel about going out to shoot your images on your own often to remote places late at night or do you go out in groups?

Does it creep you out a bit? How did you get over that?

I went out to a place called Magpie Mine in the uk last night with the intention to shoot the Milky Way but being the only car there I must admit it felt so remote and a bit creepy at 1.30am that I elected not to get out the car and after half an hour In the car park trying to pluck up the courage to go I ended up driving the hour home instead! Feel like a bit of a lemon this morning but wondering if anyone else has had similar experience?!
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Don't feel like a lemon, Andrew.

You were undertaking a new experience and I think all of us, to an extent, are affected by/suffer from the collective unconcious. There is nothing wrong with feeling, at least, a bit uneasy in the dark. Like most things the more you do it the better(or more comfortable) you become.

I am very happy outdoors at night in the countryside but I would be much more concerned in town.

As already mentioned depending where you are in the countryside, it can be unexpectedly noisy.

Dave
 
A_S said:
I went out to a place called Magpie Mine in the uk last night with the intention to shoot the Milky Way but being the only car there I must admit it felt so remote and a bit creepy at 1.30am that I elected not to get out the car and after half an hour In the car park trying to pluck up the courage to go I ended up driving the hour home instead! Feel like a bit of a lemon this morning but wondering if anyone else has had similar experience?!
Click to expand...

I don't think that would bother me at all as it's not as if you're going to be attacked by wolves or a bear and it sounds like an isolated place so there shouldn't be any drunks or muggers about so that leaves things that go bump in the night or aliens and the likelihood of either doesn't really get my spine tingling so I'd say go for it.

The last time I went out at night it was so dark I could hardly see my hand in front of my face and was worried about what I might be standing in and my fingers were freezing. Those are things to worry about more, maybe :D

Go for it! :D

But maybe tell someone where you're going and you could always give them a call if you feel a bit nervy.
 
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Thanks all

Maybe because I come from suburban Birmingham the city has never worried me.

Anyway that place is really creepy. See the post about it by Paul Hanley the other day.

Post #13 invade this doesn’t work

www.talkphotography.co.uk

Advice for astro newbie :)

Hi all I know we've got some real experts on here in terms of astrophotography so I was hoping I could tap into a little of your knowledge. Astrophotography is something I've wanted to delve into for quite some time now, however it does seem a little daunting. I had a trip to the Lovell radio...
www.talkphotography.co.uk www.talkphotography.co.uk
 
Only risk around here when night shooting is that someone alerts the local boys in blue, who have nothing better to do, so come and wreck your night vision with their excessively bright headlights & torches. Every time they've come, they've been interested in what can be seen in the night sky with binocs
 
I once made the mistake of going out to do some astro photography at what turned out to be a Cornish dogging site, you can imagine the reaction when I got out the car with a tripod and camera, luckily I did not have a flash!

I lived in an extremely remote area and it took a few nights to get used to how noisy it can be in the country with lots of animals about don't feel like a lemon, sit in the car for a bit with everything off and get used to the silence with occasional odd noises, after a while you will get used to it and maybe like me really enjoy it.
 
Baloo said:
sit in the car for a bit with everything off and get used to the silence with occasional odd noises, after a while you will get used to it and maybe like me really enjoy it.
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Sounds like you enjoyed your dogging experience....:LOL::exit:
 
I think if I bumped into someone in the middle of the night in a remote place they'd likely be more scared of me.
I'd be more likely to have an "encounter" in the middle of Glasgow than the middle of the countryside.
It's not something that worries me tbh.
I'd be prepared to use my tripod for self defence if required.
 
Wouldn't worry about being in remote places (although have you seen Deliverance?). As others have said. make sure you let someone know where you are going and roughly how long you are going to be just in case you hurt yourself or you break down. Whenever I go off-road cycling here on the moors in Cornwall I either use LiveTrack on my Garmin or, if you don't have something like that, you can use 'location' on Whatsapp to show someone where you are at all times. It's good to have a backup plan, you never know what life is going to throw at you, in the dark, in a remote place.
 
Baloo said:
I once made the mistake of going out to do some astro photography at what turned out to be a Cornish dogging site, you can imagine the reaction when I got out the car with a tripod and camera, luckily I did not have a flash!
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience when I went to photograph badgers one evening with a couple of friends. We had been there to photograph adders early one morning and spotted the sett so decided to revisit one evening. We parked up early evening and we got back to the cars in the dark only to find the area was a dogging site. We left pretty sharpish!

I’ve always been a bit worried about going out early/late to places I don’t know for photography. It stems of the years I spent working standby going out at all hours on call to fix faults/responding to alarms. Met a few characters then. Worst people were the drunk ones on the way home on Friday/Saturday night.

If it’s a rural location I’m not so worried as I’m unlikely to meet others. I’m more worried about walking off the edge of a cliff in the dark and meeting other people. If its a urban location I’m a bit more worried especially about theft. A while ago I photographed otters on the river of our local town centre. It was a bit of a worry walking about with thousands of pounds worth of kit in an area that does have a great reputation.
 
Your imagination can sometimes exaggerate the normal, especially when alone and in a dark, secluded place.
Always let people know where your going and when you'll be back. Torch, head lamp would be essential and ensuring a good phone signal.
I shot a horror series of images in a very remote area, only to find we'd blocked a courting couple in further down the lane. They called the police as they were afraid to approach due to the hatchet, pints of fake blood and candles. I don't know why lol
 
You’re not a lemon, I spent many a night wandering London taking pictures, some street stuff and some long exposure light trails and the like, never bothered by anything at all.

Now I live in the beautiful south west and I only shoot sunsets as I cannot get my head around arriving somewhere I don’t know before dawn to get a sunrise shot.

My theory is that I worked in London for 30+ years, was at work at lots of odd hours and would go on a photo walk after we finished irrespective of time, as I have only been in the SW a few months I have still to get the confidence of knowing my area which may explain my hesitation in going out early.
 
Had one or two instances of problems over the years. Always in towns and cities. Youths and people who you suspect were intoxicated/on substances. In case you thought it was cities and rough places that have problems, I had a problem with youths in Caernarfon once, and that wasn't on the back streets. Rural situations, would be more worried about the general environment rather than people. Probably the worst incident was Blackpool, not when taking the pictures but when going from the car park to the sea front (was followed by a drug addict screaming abuse). Made me think carefully before going there again. Its a rough place, regardless of whether it is a tourist destination.
 
I was brought up on the Cornish moors. Our nearest neighbour was some distance away as was the nearest pub. I spent many happy hours (how many hours depended on how happy I was) walking home at various hours of the night. Never bothered me at all. Why would you not be safe?
 
Little side note for you - I have recently renewed my house insurance to cover the camera gear - also covers when out with it and I actually asked if I could have 'mugging cover' - basically if anyone or group demands your gear, just hand it over (if you don't feel able to beat the hell out of them - or they are 'carrying') and as long as you get a police incident number you are covered. Felt silly asking the question BUT good to know we are covered.
 
A_S said:
Just posted this in the Move Shoot Move user group and got quite a lot of replies - but most are from America talking about worrying about animals... so thought I'd post here and see if anyone has a similar experience or any ways to get over it:

Rather random question- how do you guys feel about going out to shoot your images on your own often to remote places late at night or do you go out in groups?

Does it creep you out a bit? How did you get over that?

I went out to a place called Magpie Mine in the uk last night with the intention to shoot the Milky Way but being the only car there I must admit it felt so remote and a bit creepy at 1.30am that I elected not to get out the car and after half an hour In the car park trying to pluck up the courage to go I ended up driving the hour home instead! Feel like a bit of a lemon this morning but wondering if anyone else has had similar experience?!
Click to expand...

Never get worried at night out in the countryside. Underground perhaps to a small degree but that's more
One thing I'd say about magpie is make sure you have a reasonable headtorch as away from the paths the ground is uneven and with even light from the sky you loose depth perception. Very easy to stumble. Photographing there one night I met a couple of photographers but I'd heard their voices long before they noticed me. Brief chat and I left them to their devices and went in search of somewhere with less torches.

TP is possibly a good place to try and get a small group together for trips to places like Magpie ;)
We've done days/evenings/nights for light painting, general fun, specific locations around the North (Yorkshire, Peak District, Lancashire) quite actively a few years ago
 
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morfis said:
Never get worried at night out in the countryside. Underground perhaps to a small degree but that's more
One thing I'd say about magpie is make sure you have a reasonable headtorch as away from the paths the ground is uneven and with even light from the sky you loose depth perception. Very easy to stumble. Photographing there one night I met a couple of photographers but I'd heard their voices long before they noticed me. Brief chat and I left them to their devices and went in search of somewhere with less torches.

TP is possibly a good place to try and get a small group together for trips to places like Magpie ;)
We've done days/evenings/nights for light painting, general fun, specific locations around the North (Yorkshire, Peak District, Lancashire) quite actively a few years ago
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I would be up for something like that for sure
 
Not sure what happened to the rest of my post. Point about underground was that sense of hearing is heightened and also the rocks will usually tell you if they intend dropping on your head ;)

Regarding 'meets' - get some basic ideas planned and put a post in the dedicated section to gauge interest
 
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