Any photographer types out there? Little project..
Any photographer types out there? Little project..
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cptsideways

Original Poster:

13,831 posts

275 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
quotequote all
In my quest to highlight the dangers of the current safety system I'd like to take some pictures but for this project I'd like some help. Ideally wiltshire A303 area or Iminster area.


I want to take some photo's of drivers faces whilst passing a junction fitted with a nice Gatso. What I'd like to highlight is the number of drivers not looking at the junction but the Gatso behind or their speedo's. Ie unaware any a potential hazard ahead. So we'll need a decent long range lens atc. Who can help??

If its proof enough of what I suspect I'd like to contact the newspapers about it.

philthy

4,697 posts

263 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
quotequote all
If I'm right captain, the gatso you're on about is the one at camel cross?
If so, I've got a digital camcorder that works in very low light. Whether or not it would be able to look inside the vehicle, would have to be seen. If it could, you could have video, and stills. I think you might have a problem, in that anybody stood at the side of the road nowadays causes panic braking (particularly with a camcorder). Now there's a thought, you cause an accident because you distract a driver, do you think they'd try and prosecute. I do!, but thats what happens every day.
Phil

Edited to say: if it is the one at camel cross, you could photograph how "visible" it is. It may be yellow, but reflective it ain't.

>> Edited by philthy on Thursday 30th September 09:02

cptsideways

Original Poster:

13,831 posts

275 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
quotequote all
Yep, Camel Cross

I was thinking of being stopped at the junction with the passenger taking pics from the side window. (have a LHD car so the camera will see what the driver sees)



>> Edited by cptsideways on Thursday 30th September 09:19

philthy

4,697 posts

263 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
quotequote all
I'm up for it Captain. I'm about an hour and a half away, but it would be interesting to see if we could get any footage. How about doing it late in the day before the sun sets. There would be plenty of sunlight shining straight into the faces of drivers, making it easier to see what they are doing. If not, how about setting the camera up on a tripod, camouflauging it, and leaving it running?
Incidentaly, I believe you have a laser gun?. I'm looking for the right price on an SLD920, if I had it fitted to my bike, maybe we could get some footage of how it operates
Phil

woodytvr

623 posts

269 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
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I like the sound of this and I'm interested to see the results.

Dibble

13,257 posts

263 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
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This might be trickier than you think - it can actually be quite difficult to see into the car and see the occupants, even in the daylight.

supraman2954

3,241 posts

262 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
quotequote all
Dibble said:
This might be trickier than you think - it can actually be quite difficult to see into the car and see the occupants, even in the daylight.


Use a polarising filter, it works a treat. Used at the correct angle, it will remove the reflection of the sky on the windscreen
(doesn't work with some french cars as they use special coatings)

Nightmare

5,278 posts

307 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
quotequote all
Dibble said:
This might be trickier than you think - it can actually be quite difficult to see into the car and see the occupants, even in the daylight.

O/T - I've noticed this lots of times when trying to see who is driving something nice and reflections seem to make it enarly impossible...so how do Plod manage to do it? (one of my best ever pulls, for 'going equipped' was by a copper who said he'd seen the black clothing on the passenger seat. I complimented him on his X-ray vision and he had the good grace to blush!)

Dibble

13,257 posts

263 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
quotequote all
I didn't just mean the windscreen/polarising thing, just that it's generally darker inside the car than out.

supraman2954

3,241 posts

262 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
quotequote all
Dibble said:
I didn't just mean the windscreen/polarising thing, just that it's generally darker inside the car than out.

I'm sure an IR floodlight will sort that out, as long as the camera does not have an IR filter (many do).

Pigeon

18,535 posts

269 months

Thursday 30th September 2004
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Dibble: thanks! There was a thread a while back on which several people posted about things they had seen in detail inside other cars while driving... when I expressed puzzlement as to how this was possible I got suggestions to get new specs! I don't feel such an outsider now