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Author Topic: Worst Photography Experience  (Read 9082 times)

Ray

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Worst Photography Experience
« Reply #20 on: January 04, 2005, 08:52:22 am »

Might as well add my worst experiences although they're really quite trivial compared to some I've read.

After picking up my D60 a few years ago, which cost by far the most I'd ever spent on a camera in my life, I went on a shooting trip for a few days. Whilst hopping along half-submerged rocks at the top of a waterfall, with camera in hand, I slipped and fell in the water. I remember those split second decisions one makes in such a situation ... whether to protect life and limb, or camera. There was no danger of going over the fall so I probably got it about 60/40 in favour of life and limb. The camera hit a rock with a sickening thud and got severely splashed, although not totally submerged. Of course it wasn't insured.

Was I surprised to find the camera, after wiping dry, seemed to work perfectly. I continued to take over 10,000 shots over the next few years without a hiccup.

Camera equipment can be more robust than you think  :) .
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flash

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« Reply #21 on: January 05, 2005, 07:23:04 am »

I rode a push bike from Cairo to Capetown. For quick access I kept my cameras in a bag on top of my front luggage carrier. My main camera at the time was an EOS5 with a 35-350L attached. In Uganda while travelling down a hill at 60kmh the rack broke and fell under the front wheel of the bike. After digging the gravel out of my hip I inspected the camera. The inbuilt flash was completely ripped off, the LCD was smashed and the back door was twisted. I twisted the back door flat (It had a great white stress mark in the plastic for the next two years), loaded a film and took pictures with the camera like that for the next 18 months. Never had any idea how many frames were left on a roll. Not one bad frame.

Four months later I had 40 rolls of exposed and processed flm (including Mountain Gorillas, 9 African national parks and 3 months of travelling where tourists dont usually go) stolen in Victoria Falls. I had only had it processed two days earlier. Also lost $2000 in cash at the same time. To this day I miss that film. But the next day I met my wife.

Gordon
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John Camp

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« Reply #22 on: January 05, 2005, 10:18:29 am »

This didn't happen to me, but I was right there when it happened to somebody else...Years ago, when I was a newspaper reporter, I was sent to cover the Pope's visit to Des Moines, Iowa. The Mass was held in a huge open cornfield that had been cut to provide the space, and there were photo towers for the photogs. The day was hot and sunny, and a bunch of priests and a few other people, including me, were standing in the shade from a tower. One of the photogs fumbled a long lens, which dropped glass-down off the tower and hit one of the priests on the head. I was looking right at him when it hit. Dropped him like a hot rock. He had a large half-circle cut on his bald scalp where the edge of the lens or the filter cut him, and was taken off to the hospital, I believe. But, thank God, the lens was okay. (All right, for you folks with a limited depth of humor field, that was a joke; I really don't know, but suspect that the impact didn't do the lens any good.)

JC
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gwarrellow

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« Reply #23 on: January 09, 2005, 05:45:54 am »

Quote
(Hummm....  I also had a hippo in Thailand fling a turd at me when I annoyed her by taking a lot of shots of her calf(?)  At least I think she did it intentionally.  She backed up to a low wall in her enclosure, produced a turd, then used her tail to launch it in my direction.  
But did you get the shot of it flying towards you?

Besides the usual (wrong ASA, shutter speed etc) I have had only a few bad experiences.  First one was about 20 years ago when my brother asked me to take his wedding photos.  It was the first time in over 5 years of faultless use that the shutter blind developed a problem. Of course I didn't know about it until we picked up the photos, all gathered around in a group to recapture the memories only to find each photo with half the frame blacked out.  Never again.  I take my hat off to wedding photographers.

My only really heart-stopping moment happened last year when I was taking photos with my 1Ds attached to an Astrophysics Traveler telescope.  Just to give you some background, the Traveler is a highly prized telescope that I had been on the waiting list since May 1999 (yes, 5 years!) and after import taxes, etc. cost me around $5,000.

I had just set it all up on a tripod with a Kirk King Cobra on a stone terrace, all perfectly balanced, turned away only to hear the tripod swooshing through the air.  The $25 T-ring had come loose, the 1Ds was falling one way and my Traveler was falling the other way to meet their death on the terrace.  In a split decision I threw myself across the terrace.  As I slid across the tiled terrace I caught the 1Ds in one hand, banged my head against the wall, and stretched my leg out to break the fall of the Traveler (weight around 10lbs with accessories).  I saved both from certain death.  My leg suffered for several months (the Traveler took a direct hit on my knee) but I felt good about the experience

Some great stories guys, so what are the lessons?  Here's a few thoughts after reading everyone's stories:
Sounds like comprehensive insurance is something that is a great idea but I'm sure few us take out out.
Lots of scare stories about film but I'm sure we'll hear more about memory cards in the future.  It worries me sometimes that I use 2GB cards instead of smaller say (500 MB) cards to spread the risk.
If possible, carry a back-up camera on important trips - maybe a digital and a film camera?
Make sure your batteries are fully charged and carry a spare.
Besides rechecking all the camera settings and canceling any unnecessary custom functions don't forget to look at the info in the viewfinder from time to time.
And finally, if you have a really bad photo experience then you should spend the next 24 hours looking for your wife to be.

 

Graham
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hhuxford

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« Reply #24 on: February 01, 2005, 10:43:28 pm »

Several years ago I lived in an extremely rural town in TX. One Saturday in the summer, I was in the backyard and looked up to see a huge black cloud of smoke billowing in the near distance. I grabbed my old Pentax and telephoto lens and drove toward it. A fire had engulfed a two story home across from a gas station. I started taking pictures and since I knew several of the volunteer fire fighters, I was allowed to get a little closer than the rest of the public. I got some terrific shots! You know, the kind that as you've finished taking it you get goosebumps on your arms because you know it's gonna be so good?

As the fire was winding down, a man approached and gave me his card. He was from a newspaper in the big city next to us. He confirmed that I'd been there from practically the beginning and asked if he could borrow the first roll of film, develop it for me, and return it to me and use one of the photos for the newspaper the next day. I agreed and gave it to him. (okay guys, stop shaking your heads!)

The next evening he knocked on my door and thrust a white envelope into my hand while thanking me profusely and backing away, saying he had an engagement that he had to get to. (see reporter run...)

I opened the envelope as he was speeding down the driveway and looked at the negatives. All but three pictures had a ghostly fog across the bottom of the frames. Some had it at the top of the frames too.

He, or someone there that weekend, had developed the roll incorrectly. I cried. There had been several very good pictures on that roll!

The picture that appeared in the paper? A shot of firefighters putting out the gas station dumpster that had caught fire from the burning, flying embers from the house. Caption under the picture was "House burns in Anna" (Anna, TX). Yes, it had my name beside the picture.

I learned to never, ever, give my film to anyone!
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RobertJ

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« Reply #25 on: January 08, 2005, 01:58:50 am »

Quote
Quote
But the next day I met my wife.

Gordon
Oh my god that IS horrbile!  
LOL!

T-1000
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jwjohnson

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« Reply #26 on: January 13, 2005, 07:38:13 pm »

I just had my worst experience last month.  I left a Canon 24-70 L zoom on the back bumper of my truck then drove away.  Here's a link to all the gory details.  I do have my stuff insured and ended up with a new lens about 10 days later.
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Blotzphoto

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« Reply #27 on: January 28, 2005, 10:20:22 am »

My worst experience is one I don't really remember. I shoot a lot for a Cincinnati band called Jackass (www.jackassrock.com). At the CD release party, which doubled as my de-facto bachelor party, I must have shot 300 or so images.

I don't remember any of them. The next day when  i downloaded the camera, I was evidently lucky enough to have tucked the camera away before the after party, so no harm, no foul.

Don't mix Bushmills and Photography.
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Murph

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« Reply #28 on: January 29, 2005, 03:49:42 pm »

Standing in the middle of the swift Guadalupe River after the 1998 flood, using my 4x5 to shoot some film.  I turned, and the current knocked me down.  My wife was on the bank (very pregnant at the time).  I am managing to hold the camera over my head, and out of the very cold water as I get swept down stream.  She's screaming at me to drop the camera.  I'm screaming at her to save the camera!  

Fortunately, I hit a rock, and was able to regain my footing, and make it out of the river.  I had to listen to "I told you so", and "Why didn't you drop the stupid camera" all the way back to San Antonio.  Nothing was broken or wet on the camera, although I ended up with a huge bruise on my back and side from hitting the rock.  The photographs were unfortunately just so-so....
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pcnilssen

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« Reply #29 on: February 10, 2005, 01:29:42 am »

20 years ago, I was asked by some fellow student friends of mine that was marrying each other to take some pictures during their wedding ceremony and the reception afterwards.  Error #1: I said yes.
Error #2:  Instead of using my trusted old camera, I borrowed a Nikon from my father, and a winder from a friend, so that I would be fully prepared, and would not miss any opportunities  (ha, ha)
Error #3: I picked up the camera and winder on route, and did not check them.

Well, the wedding went fine, my friends remembered to say "yes" at the proper places, and the reception was very nice. The day after, I handed over all the rolls (approx 5-6, which for me then were many) to the groom and I went back to the University, and they went on their honeymoon.

After they came back, they didn't speak of the pictures, there was no thank you, and the situation was a bit uneasy.  After some weeks, I couragely asked how the pictures were.  And then the shock came:  ALL pictures were razor sharp on the upper half and very blurry on the bottom half.  All pictures were useless.  I did not understand how this had happened.

I soon found out.  It turned out that the press plate on the door to the film compartment, which ensures that the film is totally in plane, had fell off a few weeks before, and was just mounted on the door again.  We didn't know that the press plate had been mounted up-side down, and therefore unable to hold the film right.

The friendship was never the same, even thougt they had lots of copies from other guests.

I still could need some therapy .......
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wolfnowl

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« Reply #30 on: February 24, 2005, 10:20:58 pm »

Forgot about when I was in college and had my own key to the darkrooms.  Used to bulk load my own film, develop, etc.  One day I had loaded a roll of shots of lightning onto the spool for developing, set it down, then started loading another roll.  I was having trouble getting the film leader started, so I took the roll and the spool and put it in a drawer then turned on the light to find another spool.  Took the first roll that was still sitting in the spool, on the counter, in 100W of incandescent light, and threw it out...

Mike
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Ben Rubinstein

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« Reply #31 on: December 29, 2004, 07:06:31 pm »

Worst experience ever?

Totalling, losing or having gear stolen sucks, but then so does every time you have to deal with insurance, you do of course have extensive cover on all your equipment don't you....

Getting back proofs from a wedding (film) and only then realise that your lights were not recharging fast enough and every second photo is dark on one side and has horrible shadows,
Shooting 6 frames at the first dance and then realising that you don't have any film in the camera,
Seeing from the EXIF data that you were shooting portraits at a wedding with a long lens and by accident you had nudged the shutter speed down to 1/15 and yes it DOES show,

Those are bad photographic experiences, I'm sure others have more landscape orientated stories, such as getting to kenya on a safari and then totalling your 600mm, however just losing or totalling gear, nah, that's not a 'worst experience' not if you're insured....
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Jonathan Wienke

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« Reply #32 on: December 29, 2004, 09:17:50 pm »

Getting film back from the lab unexposed because the film detached from the take-up reel, or opening the camera after shooting a roll and discovering that the film had torn loose from the spool while rewinding and was still in the camera mechanism, totally ruined.
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DiaAzul

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« Reply #33 on: December 30, 2004, 05:44:56 am »

I don't have a personal happened to me camera tragedy, so I will recount someone elses story.

A couple of years ago there was a Mr X (for the sake of keeping the thread consistent we can call him Fred) who worked in a Camera shop in Montparnasse, Paris, France. Tour Montrparnasse is Paris's tallest office block and one day, whilst Fred was working in the camera shop, a large terrorist bomb exploded just outside the tower - which was across the road from his shop.

Fred realised that there was an opportunity to get some photographs which may be of interest to the newspapers, so he grabbed a camera and lens from the shelf, ran outside and started getting pictures. He was on the scene within 1-2 minutes and was getting good images. As he was going round he was counting how much money he would receive (FF250,000 Paris Match Cover, Le Figaro, Le Monde, etc...).

After taking some 50 pictures he started to think that there was something strange with his camera and it was only then that he realised that he hadn't loaded any film into the camera!! (this is in the days before digital). All of a sudden all the money that he dreamed of, the fast cars, the women, fancy restaurants...gone. Hit with a wave of complete dejection and despondancy he returned to the camera shop and wept.

Now, the moral of this story is not to ensure that you remember to load film (or CF card) into the camera. The true moral of this story is that even though Fred had not loaded film into the camera first time, he still had time to go back to the shop, load up with film, and get back out shooting long before any of the staff newspaper photographers were on the scene. So even if you think you have missed the opportunity, keep focused on the photography and don't let the money cloud your emotions until it is in the bank.
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michael g. o'callaghan

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« Reply #34 on: December 30, 2004, 12:39:21 pm »

re: insurance -- make sure you get the specifics in writing from the agent.  some policies cover you only in the USA others worldwide.  

i was nailed twice by a rogue wave in the Pacific (once in Hawaii and the other time in CA).  first time i lost my camera, second time involved $1400 cleaning bill for equipment.  salt water is incredibly dangerous to equipment.  i am very careful now!

i also had a tripod blown over as i was atop of rocky perch in Arches NP one morning before the sun came up.  My mamiya RZ67 blew to the ground on top of the tripod.  i almost was toppled but was able to regain my balance.  the camera smashed down onto rocks about 12 feet below.  the AE prism finder was smashed to pieces but the camera itself and even the lense were useable ---later had some repair but i was heading out for a three day trip on the white rim trail in canyonlands that afternoon.  i was amazed how tough that Mamiya was/is.  no wonder why it weighs so much!
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didger

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« Reply #35 on: January 04, 2005, 06:49:44 am »

I guess I'm doing something wrong; never had any bad photography experiences.  You know the old bumper sticker saying "The worst day fishing is better than the best day working".  Well, substitute "shooting or processing images" for "fishing" and you've got it for me.
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Rob Whitehead

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« Reply #36 on: January 04, 2005, 07:57:36 am »

Quote
I guess I'm doing something wrong; never had any bad photography experiences.  You know the old bumper sticker saying "The worst day fishing is better than the best day working".  Well, substitute "shooting or processing images" for "working" and you've got it for me.
O.K. - that gets you
"The worst day fishing is better than the best day shooting or processing images."

Didger, you must really love your fishing!  Me, I quite enjoy my photography.

My disasters:
12 months, 22 countries, 7000-8000 velvia exposures.  My main lens (a new 28-105 f3.5-4.5) developed a technical fault on day 5 and cut the corners off all my images from then on - images unusable.  I test processed several rolls along the way, but didn't pick the problem.  Couldn't look at my images when I got home and still can't happiloy do so (despite some great shots from the primes I was also carrying).  No real photography for 2 years afterwards.  Therapy is going well.

Last year, went out in a boat with friends, as an unplanned trip, in NW Australia.  Didn't take camera, as was 'only going fishing'.  Humpback mother and calf come up along side boat, and mother procedes to teach baby how to breach, right beside boat.  I grab boat owners ancient Canon 850, bam, bam , bam , beautiful!
Rush to photo store to rush process my BBC wildlife photo of the year (will be tough to explain my choice of camera, lens and emulsion to judges but that's OK).
Shutter jammed on the camera 3 shots before I started shooting.  All subsequent pictures blank.  Therapy ongoing.
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Carpe lucem

kaelaria

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« Reply #37 on: January 05, 2005, 09:15:25 am »

Quote
But the next day I met my wife.

Gordon
Oh my god that IS horrbile!  ;)
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Bobtrips

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« Reply #38 on: January 08, 2005, 01:33:05 pm »

I've had my share of stripped leaders that didn't advance, rolls not securely attached at the end, wrong ASA settings, cameras and lenses failing.  I even had a clerk drop and step on a roll that I was taking in for developing.  And I had an elk chase me out of a field when I tried for too much of a closeup.

My worst experience was after transiting the Panama Canal in my sailboat discovering that the zip lock with my shots of the experience had gotten some water in it.  All the film was ruined.  (I also lost all my lenses to fungus on that trip.)

(Hummm....  I also had a hippo in Thailand fling a turd at me when I annoyed her by taking a lot of shots of her calf(?)  At least I think she did it intentionally.  She backed up to a low wall in her enclosure, produced a turd, then used her tail to launch it in my direction.  

I'm not sure it was intentional, but it sure seemed so at the time.  She was certainly staring me in the eye as she performed the feat.)
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stefanie_ch

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« Reply #39 on: January 28, 2005, 01:13:25 pm »

How about a mountain trip, walking and climbing for 7 hours to a cabin in the alps, we planned to stay over night to get some spectacular sunset shots. In the cabin I started to clean the lenses and wanted to load my film magazines.
That was the moment I realized that before the drive to the parking area in the valley I took the film out of my camera bag into the cooled trunk of my car to make sure its in perfect condition when I will use it. It was, when I restarted taking pictures one month later.
The booze in the cabin was helpful  :-)
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