Do you consider risk and safety issues before you start shooting?

Shooting sunflowers on a hill during a pretty intense thunderstorm recently I thought to myself "Wander what the inscription on my gravestone will read". Felt a bit like a lightning rod walking around with a CF tripod on my backpack. Interestingly the following day I was at the same location with my photo group and a hunter nearby fired a few shots - not sure what he was shooting at but we thought it best to stick by the main road thereafter.

There is a major problem with relying on "Common sense" for issues like safety. For starters, common sense would tell you that you shouldn't keep substances that can be used to blow open reinforced steel and concrete doors in your kitchen...

But I've brought a heavy hardened door off its hinges using flour.

Actively thinking "Alright, how can things go wrong or get someone hurt?" is a very good thing in my mind, assuming you follow that up with "How can I prevent that?"

Luckless wrote in post #14926076
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But I've brought a heavy hardened door off its hinges using flour.

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You make some good points but . . . I think it's time this thread had some pictures! We'd like to see that flour explosion (shot under safe conditions, of course).

stsva wrote in post #14926692
You make some good points but . . . I think it's time this thread had some pictures! We'd like to see that flour explosion (shot under safe conditions, of course).

This thread already has some great photos from photographers who are far more skilled and experienced than me. Not to mention I did the flour 'door trick' years before I discovered my interest in photography.

Also really wouldn't have made for interesting photos. We only did enough 'blasts' to pull the door frame out of its setting in a concrete wall, and actually did the 'finishing work' with three guys with wrecking and crow bars.

But I am considering doing a night flour explosion shoot, possibly this winter, assuming I can find a location to do it safely.

Luckless wrote in post #14926933
This thread already has some great photos from photographers who are far more skilled and experienced than me. Not to mention I did the flour 'door trick' years before I discovered my interest in photography.

Also really wouldn't have made for interesting photos. We only did enough 'blasts' to pull the door frame out of its setting in a concrete wall, and actually did the 'finishing work' with three guys with wrecking and crow bars.

But I am considering doing a night flour explosion shoot, possibly this winter, assuming I can find a location to do it safely.

That sounds promising.