Cameras and water do not mix

You have to take a few chances to get that great shot, you know, the one of the kids being chased by the family pet dog in the swimming pool. And yeah, you’d need a tripod, right?

According to UK insurer Domestic and General these are the situations that lead to many of their claims.

Not surprisingly nearly three quarters of claims relate to the owners dropping their camera on a hard surface. A spokesman said: “Many photographers admit to perching precariously to get the shot they are after and this leads to accidents.”

Reminiscent of a Jasper Carrot routine from many years ago where he related the details of traffic accident claim forms, here are a few of the more elaborate claims.

“I was taking some shots in the garden. As I changed the lens I lost my grip on the camera. I tried to cushion its fall by sticking out my foot but ended up volleying it across the concrete slabs and down the steps.”

“My children bumped into me by the swimming pool and I fell in with the camera in my hand.”

“I packed the camera into a travel bag for a family day out and loaded the car up. When I started to drive off I heard a pop. I got out and checked the tyre but when I looked I saw the camera on the road. It had fallen out of the bag and I had accidentally driven over it in the car.”

And let us not forget to include the tripod: “The damage occurred as I was changing lenses. One of my dogs ran into my tripod, knocking it over into the water. So, my camera landed face down in the river.”

So remember, that long strap attached to the camera is supposed to go around your neck.