Shooting in Kuwait

By September, 1992, the last of the fires were being extinguished in Kuwait, and TPT's Jim Zura was dispatched to the war-torn nation to shoot Betacam video and still photos for a documentary on "Al-Tameer," - The Rebuilding. For three weeks, Jim toured the land via helicopter, four-wheel drive vehicle, and on foot, commissioned by Bechtel, the prime contractor for the rebuilding.
The desert landscape was littered with the remnants of war: bombed buildings, abandoned Iraqi heavy artillery, twisted wreckage of military vehicles, enormous amounts of explosive ordnance inlcuding massive live mine fields, and destroyed Kuwaiti oil processing facilities.
Jim was issued a special photographer's pass signed by a high Kuwaiti official; the only one issued during that time frame, and the only way to get past the numerous heavily-armed military checkpoints. Jim's tour coincided with the arrival of the first new oil processing equipment, and he followed the convoy of large components, via helicopter, from seaport through miles of desert.
Jim notes: "I'd already shot reams of dramatic footage of the convoy enroute, so I directed the helicopter pilot to fly ahead a couple kilometers to GC-17, the destination, so I could get out and set up for ground footage of the convoy approaching. Just before we landed, the pilot received an urgent dispatch for a medical emergency. Originally, he was to stay there while I did my shooting, then fly me back. Under the circumstances, of course, I'd hitch a ride back from someone in the convoy."
"I hastily grabbed my gear from the chopper and went to set up. As it whirred toward the sky, I realized I left my umbrella under the seat. No, it's not likely to rain in Kuwait, but an umbrella is critical to keep the direct sun off my gear. There are no trees, no shade in the 120-degree sun. Not even a cactus."
"No problem, the convoy is just down the road. So I found my first shot and waited. And waited. The first mid-day hour went by. The mangled wreckage of the previous GC-17 had been bulldozed to the perimeter, and a new pad graded for the arriving equipment. There wasn't even another soul around. Just me, a camera, tripod, Betacam deck, the scorched earth, and a depleting bottle of water. And no means of communication."
"At one point, I went to check the camera, and found it so hot from baking in the sun, it hurt my hand to touch it. I held my breath as I flipped the power on, and to my amazement, everything was still working! I guess a little plug for Sony might be in order here. Fortunately, there's a rubber eyecup and rubber handle on the tripod. I didn't want to forage around for any materials I could use for shade, for I was implored not to venture outside marked areas, due to the presence of live mines and ordnance."
"I'd been staring at the approaching desert road for almost two hours when I finally saw movement. The convoy was coming at last. Time to switch my metabolism from heat-hibernation to work mode. I grabbed some "beauty-shots" of the huge equipment moving in, and after a half-hour of shooting, I saw some people I knew, who awarded me with several bottles of water. I was told that some strapping had come loose on one of the transport vehicles enroute, causing the delay."
"So, did I learn any lessons from this? No, not really. Only what I already knew. When you're a shooter, periodically things are not going to work out the way you want.  Deal with it, and when it's time to roll tape or go live, forget the adversity and get the best shots you can. Gotta give it your all, especially in times like that, to make it worth surviving the misery."

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