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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Pakistan - Is it safe??

Sorry to step in and "Moderate" here, but can contributors to this thread be limited to ones actually have first or second hand experience with Liams question?

Ace
 
Ace said:
Sorry to step in and "Moderate" here, but can contributors to this thread be limited to ones actually have first or second hand experience with Liams question?

Ace
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To back up Ace... I've deleted all the back-and-forth about loftier political ideals and tried to keep this relevant to the original question, which was a very valid one by a working professional.

Lucas
 
Liam, I have also lived, travelled and worked in some of the less desirable fun spots of the world in the middle east, central and south america and all over the former soviet union. In all situations I take my cue from the locals and my fixer... and have over-ridden decisions a producer has made based on what the fixer feels (I can honestly say that my life has been saved by the fixer). If your locals are saying it may be too hot for you to be there, that's all I would need to hear.
 
Peter Moretti said:
If the whole crew is locals, how difficult is it to try to blend in yourself?
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Actually, I usually do the opposite, make myself very visible.


axel ebermann said:
Liam,

Having shot in a lot of nasty countries make sure you have a RELIABLE support network there.
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Thanks Axel, yes, I will have a support network there.

Bill Anderson said:
The situation changes by the day - the hour. Where the BBC says "Our correspondent says the incident could inflame anti-American sentiment" - Aljazeera news network says the incident "has triggered a new flare up of anti-US sentiment..." Not to mention the breakdown of scheduled talks between the US and Pakistan.
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It is an extraordinary story. I can see it from both sides, though I cant see a happy ending...

Peter Matthes said:
How important is this story to you?
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The story is not important to me at all; but the client is. They pay my mortgage.

Ace said:
Sorry to step in and "Moderate" here, but can contributors to this thread be limited to ones actually have first or second hand experience with Liams question?
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Thanks Ace, appreciated.
Lucas Wilson said:
To back up Ace... I've deleted all the back-and-forth about loftier political ideals and tried to keep this relevant to the original question, which was a very valid one by a working professional.

Lucas
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Thanks Lucas, it did go pear-shaped. I even got some hate via email, which amused my kids...

Ken Willinger said:
Liam, I have also lived, travelled and worked in some of the less desirable fun spots of the world in the middle east, central and south america and all over the former soviet union. In all situations I take my cue from the locals and my fixer... and have over-ridden decisions a producer has made based on what the fixer feels (I can honestly say that my life has been saved by the fixer). If your locals are saying it may be too hot for you to be there, that's all I would need to hear.
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I agree Ken, local knowledge is the best knowledge. What I'm primarily looking for is corroboration, so we know we're making the right call. Of course, once in the field we always do what the fixer or security guys tell us.
 
Liam Hall said:
Actually, I usually do the opposite, make myself very visible.
...
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Liam,

Can you explain to us why you do this? It seems counter-intuitive, but I'm sure you have a good rationale behind it.

Any light you can shed on this might help some of us who find ourselves in similar shooting conditions.

Thanks much.
 
its very simple. Go! and make sure you follow all the necessary precautions like don't be overly visible, try to stay away from very crowded places like coffee houses etc. frequented by whites and most importantly follow your gut feeling. If you think you are in danger then most probably you are. again i come from southeast Asia so i have lived in these kind of situations all my life but the basic point is that world has become a dangerous place no matter where you live.. again i could walk into a post offcie in Ohio and get whacked by a loony so there you go...
 
Okay, so as an update I'm typing this post from my guesthouse in Lahore having completed the first day of shooting in and around town.

We brought all our own equipment, including lights as good quality kit is hard to come by here. Getting our visas sorted before coming was a nightmare, but once we arrived in Pakistan everything has been terrific.

Security here is very tight - lots of guys with guns on the street, on buildings, in buildings etc. We have a full security team of our own, which we have to use or we're not insured. They're all armed to the hilt and very professional, but frankly, surplus to requirements. So far, people have been really warm, super polite, often well educated and charming - mostly people want to leave you with a good impression of their homeland as they think the rest of the world has a rather dim view of the country. Funny that...

Peter Moretti said:
Liam,

Can you explain to us why you do this? It seems counter-intuitive, but I'm sure you have a good rationale behind it.

Any light you can shed on this might help some of us who find ourselves in similar shooting conditions.

Thanks much.
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Hi Peter,

My thinking is quite simply, if you make no attempt to hide, people don't think you're a threat. They might be intrigued or confused, but if you seem polite and considerate people will treat that way.

Conversely, if you act covertly you'll look suspicious and people will treat you accordingly which can be a recipe for disaster - of course there are times when you need to be invisible, but this job isn't one of those.

I try to smile and chat (even if they don't understand) to quickly build up a rapport with the locals and gain sense of trust that will enable me to get my shots and move on before anyone even asks who I am or who I'm shooting for.
 
Liam Hall said:
So far, people have been really warm, super polite, often well educated and charming - mostly people want to leave you with a good impression of their homeland as they think the rest of the world has a rather dim view of the country. Funny that...
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I hope you have a great time Liam, have fun, stay safe and try to interact with the locals as much as possible! Experience a fantastic country.
 
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