Stupid selfie risks seem to be on the rise, leading to ever-increasing bans on places where you can shoot. But being stupid while shooting photos of others is also pretty common. This video shows the moment when 20-year-old Emily Koford was photographing her mother at the Grand Canyon and almost slipped straight off the edge.
The description of the video says that Koford and her mother visited the Arizona landmark from Texas on October 28th. And while shooting a photo of her mother with the canyon as the backdrop, she backed up to get a better shot. Emily’s mother, Erin Koford, told ABC News that “she kept going backwards. I looked out and I saw how close she was to the edge and I said, ‘don’t take another step back,’ and she did. My stomach went up into my chest”.
Another visitor, Kevin Fox, reportedly saw the two posing on the rock and wanted to show his kids “the stuff you don’t do”. Little did he realise they’d give him the perfect example to illustrate why. She was very lucky to have a rock to put her hand on to stop her fall from going any further, but even with that, this story could’ve still had a very bad ending.
If you want to know how things like this, this, this and this happen, this is how. It’s why countries like India have implemented “No-Selfie Zones” and Russia launching a whole campaign on how to not get killed while shooting a selfie (seriously?). It’s what causes locations to become fenced off, ruining the whole reason you went there to photograph them in the first place or see access to those locations blocked completely.
Spacial awareness, people. Shooting a photo (whether it’s of yourself or somebody else) doesn’t make you immune from the dangers around you.
[via FStoppers]
I’m amazed at how many people these days have poor spacial awareness. Walking into lightstands that are right in front of them would be one goid example.
Especially when their life is on the line. Wow.
Empowering
J Kenrick Bernard Yep
This is why You don’t climb over the Barrier that says ,,, Danger , don’t climb over the Barrier. May cause Death
Two years ago when visiting the south rim by El Tovar, i was astonished by the line of people all waiting to take their dangerous selfies on a small outcrop. Not only that but it was quite winding, enough to blow your hat off which I found myself taking pictures of some of these daring folks. Not worth it, you are there in living color and the moment and all, a few feet back is no big deal–geez.
Natural selection, let em get on with it…
As a journalist and a photojournalist, this is something I do and try to think every time I’m out on a job.
Look around you. Know your surroundings. Know your exit strategies. Know where the sidewalk ends and the street begins.
But think of the likes they could get when the pic is shared…