Fear: to be afraid of (something or someone)
I have wanted to try photographing the night sky for quite some time, but the one thing that has held me back is fear.
Night photography requires total darkness which often means driving to someplace away from city lights. As a woman, I have been reluctant to get up in the middle of the night and drive to some secluded dark place by myself. This week was the Perseid meteor shower and I really wanted to try my hand at photographing it. But the moon didn’t set until 1:00 a.m. My husband was nice enough to go with me this time, so we drove out on a back road away from the city lights so I could make my first attempt. I saw a lot of meteors but didn’t have much luck photographing one. The second photo here has one meteor going through it but there is a LOT of noise in the photo.
While we were out on this dark secluded road, a number of cars drove by. I was really glad my husband was with me and I wasn’t out there all by myself. I’d really like to do more night photography, but fear may stop me from going out there.
I’d love to hear thoughts from other women on this subject.
Maralee
Through My Lens 
Beautiful sky! I feel the same way so joined a couple of Night Sky imaging groups. Look for Night Sky Meet-ups, and Astronomer’s Meet-ups in your area Maralee. With any luck you’ll connect with a group of people and go out to shoot beneath the stars with like minded people.
I went out last night and got set up before the Moon set, and shot for over 3 hours. I saw quite a few meteors, but only managed to capture 4 on camera, and I only really like one image. 🙂 That’s the way it goes. Look for Meet-ups and hopefully you can have another go tonight. 🙂 I’m considering going out again.
Wish you were closer to me!
Thanks for the idea. I will be looking to see if there are any such groups in our area. I did have a friend respond to tell me that he’d like to try night photography and would be willing to go out one night. We may try it when the moon isn’t so bright in the sky anymore.
I was just thinking that I would love to try this but just really really hesitant. I would never do any night photography without my sherpa with me 😉
I could have stayed out for much longer by I know this wasn’t on my husband’s bucket list to be sitting out in the car in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. 🙂
I’ll let women speak to the female perspective, but I will give you the male perspective.
Namely, we’re not that much safer from anyone who actually intends harm on others. For instance, I’m a small guy and I’m 63. I’m pretty sure any reasonably fit 30-year-old can outhit me and out-wrestle me. For that matter, two or three of any kind (men, women, teens) could easily beat me up, especially if they are the aggressors and have the mindset to do me harm.
To that end, it would worry me as well to be out at night in the middle of nowhere. I can count on one hand the number of times a year I am out at night unless I happen to be on my way home and it gets dark.
That said, the reality is that criminals are creatures of opportunities. It’s unlikely bad guys are waiting somewhere for victims to show up, and the advantage of being somewhere remote is that you will see someone approach.
I’ll say something else, as well . . . as a guy, I always went to remote places prepared. First, non-lethal preventative measure (a can of bear spray) and second effective weapons (a gun). But, none of that replaces awareness of surroundings.
Finally, I will say there’s usually safety in numbers . . . a camera club or even 3-4 people meeting someplace offer a much less attractive target than a lone person, be they man or woman.
I don’t know your husband and it may be that he has some training in fighting (bare handed, with a knife, with a bat) but the main deterrent is that there are two of you, outnumbering a lone attacker.
Multiple attackers is another matter, but again, you don’t let them get near. To that end, if we are somewhere where there are not a lot of people and someone new arrives on the scene, I assess the probability of potential problems based on the car they drive, how they are dressed, and how they move, and it matters not if it’s day or night. If I get a bad vibe, I listen to it and leave. Now, this may be classified as paranoid and some will say it’s not a way to live. To which I answer . . . that is exactly the way to live. Any other way and you are trusting chance. Yes, the chances of incurring harm are small, but they are not zero.
Thanks for your comments Emilio. I’m going to be looking for a group in the area. There is a camera club here – I’ll check there and see. I have a friend who wants to try night photography so we will try it sometime when the moon isn’t so bright anymore.
Beautiful effort Maralee! I have been meaning to try that for sometime having seen other’s efforts. You have inspired me.
Thank you. It was a fun attempt.
I think I’m a woman having not so much fear. But it depends on the area where I am. In NZ I went out in the night to watch the really dark sky near Mount Cook and I felt save. But near (big) towns please be careful. It’ s a good advice to go there with a group of photographers. Unfortunately in Germany the sky was cloudy the last days so I didn’t have the chance to see the Perseiden 😦