When a photo is worth a thousand words, sometimes it’s also worth a thousand heartbeats. The phrase 10 pictures almost captures the nail‑biting moments when a single frame nearly cost its maker everything. Below, we count down the most bone‑chilling near‑deaths captured on film – a wild blend of wildlife danger and war‑zone peril that proves the lens can be a double‑edged sword.
10 pictures almost: The Perils Behind The Lens
10 Atif Saeed Was Almost Killed By An Angry Lion
Wildlife photographer Atif Saeed found himself face‑to‑face with a raging lion that decided his presence was an invitation to charge. The drama unfolded inside a wildlife park near Lahore, Pakistan, where Saeed had spotted the massive cat and rolled down his jeep’s window to snap a few shots. He was a mere three metres (about ten feet) from the beast when the lion, clearly displeased, lunged forward.
Instinctively, Saeed captured the terrifying moment just before diving back into his vehicle. He escaped only because the jeep door had been left ajar – a lucky oversight that gave him a quick exit route. Later, Saeed laughed about the incident, calling it a close‑call, but he swore never to repeat such a reckless approach again.
9 Tracey Shelton Was Almost Killed After An Armored Tank Fired At Her Position
In 2012, photojournalist Tracey Shelton was embedded with Syrian rebels when an armored Syrian Arab Army tank unleashed a shell that ripped through their position. The rebels, part of the Noor Den al‑Zenke battalion, were caught off‑guard while cleaning their makeshift hideout, sharing light‑hearted moments that Shelton documented.
When word spread that a tank was approaching, the fighters scrambled for weapons, but the shell detonated before they could find cover. The explosion claimed three lives; a fourth rebel survived with injuries, while Shelton, shielded by dust and smoke, escaped unharmed. Her camera captured the exact second the shell struck, preserving a grim snapshot of war’s sudden brutality.
8 Andy Grimm Was Shot By Sheriff Who Mistook His Tripod For A Rifle
On a September night in 2017, Ohio photojournalist Andy Grimm rolled up to a traffic stop, eager to capture the scene. As he unfolded his tripod, Clark County Deputy Jake Shaw, believing the equipment to be an assault rifle, opened fire.
Shaw discharged two rounds – one striking Grimm’s chest, the other whizzing past his shoulder. Miraculously, Grimm survived, later filing a lawsuit alleging excessive force. Though he expressed understanding of the mistake, Grimm insisted he never wanted the deputy fired. A grand jury ultimately declined to press charges, leaving the incident a stark reminder of split‑second misidentifications.
7 Mark Laita Took A Picture Of Himself As He Was Bitten By A Deadly Black Mamba
The black mamba, one of the world’s most lethal snakes, once latched onto photographer Mark Laita’s leg during a 2012 shoot in Central America. Working on a snake‑focused coffee‑table book, Laita was photographing specimens held by a collector who had removed venom glands from most, except for the mamba.
While adjusting his gear, the collector inadvertently tugged on Laita’s camera cable, startling the snake. The mamba lunged, delivering a bite that, astonishingly, released little to no venom. Laita bled heavily but survived, later discovering he had inadvertently captured the exact moment of the bite on his camera.
6 James Akena Was Beaten By Ugandan Soldiers For Taking Pictures During An Anti‑Government Protest
On August 20, 2018, Ugandan photojournalist James Akena found himself the target of a brutal assault by soldiers while documenting an anti‑government demonstration. A video captured a soldier brandishing a cane, whacking Akena repeatedly, while two other soldiers joined the beating.
During the chaos, a fourth soldier spotted the individual filming the attack, raised his rifle, and fired a warning shot that halted the recording. Although the video ends abruptly, it appears the cameraman escaped serious injury. Akena was subsequently detained, and the Ugandan army issued a statement promising disciplinary action – a promise many view as a public‑relations move rather than genuine accountability.
5 Willis Chung Abandoned His Camera When A One‑Ton Bison Came After Him
Wildlife photographer Willis Chung experienced a heart‑stopping encounter at Yellowstone National Park when a massive bison, weighing roughly a ton, charged straight toward his position. Determined, Chung kept snapping as the beast bore down, only abandoning his tripod‑mounted camera when the animal drew perilously close.
The massive bison circled the abandoned gear, even peering at the LCD screen as if curious about the images being captured. Meanwhile, Chung switched to a second camera, continuing to document the imposing creature from a safer distance.
4 A Gorilla Almost Punches Christophe Courteau
While photographing a troop of mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, photographer Christophe Courteau faced an unexpected charge from the dominant male, Akarevuro. The 250‑kilogram silverback lunged without warning, fist clenched as if ready to punch.
Courteau kept his camera rolling even as the gorilla halted inches away, then shoved him aside before turning his aggression toward another male in the group. The photographer escaped with only a minor scar, describing the encounter as feeling like being struck by a train. Similar close calls have been reported, such as when photographer Will Burrard‑Lucas faced an aggressive male in the Republic of Congo.
3 An Uninvited Rhino Pranks Jonathan Pledger
South Africa’s Kruger National Park became the backdrop for Jonathan Pledger’s startling brush with a white rhinoceros. Unaware of the animal’s proximity, Pledger heard rustling, turned, and saw the massive rhino burst from the brush, charging directly at him.
Instead of fleeing, Pledger kept his camera steady, capturing the beast’s advance. At the last moment, the rhino seemed to lose its nerve, veering left and retreating back into the undergrowth. Pledger later admitted the experience left him shaking, though he was unharmed.
2 Mohammed Shaffi Was Almost Killed By Angry Somalians After A US Army Gunship Attack
Camera operator Mohammed Shaffi survived a harrowing ambush during the 1993 Somali Civil War. After US Army gunships bombarded warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid’s command center, Aidid’s militia escorted Shaffi and his crew to the site for footage. While they were filming, a furious mob erupted, beating the journalists, shooting at least one of them, and pelting Shaffi with stones.
Shaffi managed to escape by leaping into a vehicle filled with Somali men, mistakenly believing they would return him to his hotel. Instead, they drove toward a market, only releasing him once they realized he was a Kenyan Muslim, not a Pakistani Christian. The incident left three of his colleagues dead.
1 A Warlord Declared Ron Haviv Wanted For Exposing War Crimes
During the 1992 Bosnian War, photographer Ron Haviv captured a chilling image of a Serbian Tigers fighter kicking the corpse of a woman his comrades had just slain. Haviv was embedded with the paramilitary group, documenting a series of brutal acts, including the execution of a man and the subsequent murder of his wife and sister.
When the fighter kicked the bodies, Haviv’s camera clicked, alerting the perpetrators. Their commander, Zeljko Raznjatovic (aka Arkan), confiscated Haviv’s film, promising its return. Unbeknownst to Arkan, Haviv had swapped the roll containing the incriminating images. After publishing the photos, Arkan swore vengeance, and some of his men later detained other photographers, mistakenly believing they were Haviv.
These ten heart‑pounding stories prove that behind every breathtaking shot lies a potential brush with death. Whether it’s a lion’s roar, a tank’s shell, or a bison’s charge, the line between art and danger is razor‑thin. So the next time you admire a stunning photograph, remember the courageous souls who risked everything to give us that view.