Are some risks worth it?

Legendery photojournalist, Robert Capa, once said, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough." He ended up dying after stepping on a Land mine in Indochina.
Like most things in life, you have to take risks to get what you want. As a photographer, the same principle applies: you have to take risks to get the shot.

But, really: Are some of the risks really worth the palaver?

Take this shot, for instance:


It was snapped at WOMAD Sri Lanka Festival of Drums 2005, from the top of a scaffolding that must have violated hundreds of building regulations. However me, and my questionable reasoning at times, decided that I wanted to get a picture angle from other photographers. I then proceeded, with full gear, to go all King Kong, and climbed up the scaffolding. Climbing up and getting the frames I wanted was one challenge, getting down in the near dark conditions with cameras dangling was another thing. The stupidity at times. I tell you.

Cut a long story short, I did get shot. Despite all of the palavar of getting permission from security to get the shot, and the danger of slipping and breaking my back, the flaming picture was never published, so I decided never again to pull a stunt like that again. (well, within reason, that is!)

Call me a coward for all I care, but there are Calculated Risks, and there is just plain gung-ho moronic behaviour! (The second I clearly demonstrated in getting that shot!)