Photo Fiascos
Mishaps, mistakes, and mess-ups.
As a professional photographer, I’m usually on a mission to “get the shot.” Ideally, that means setting up well beforehand and prepping gear in advance to avoid the dreaded equipment entanglement or camera catastrophe. However, even the best-laid plans are foiled from time to time. These are some of my favorite stories, most embarrassing moments, and tips for preventing common mess-ups that most photographers will experience at some point in their careers.
Filter Fumbles
Driving a country road, the morning light cast a pink, warming glow across the fields, where an irrigation system stood in graphic, minimalistic contrast to the landscape. I slowed down, looking for an appropriate pull-out. Finally stopped, I hustled into position—camera in one hand, the other steadying a graduated filter before my lens. The frigid weather had worsened my already less-than-apt fingers, and unsurprisingly, the filter fell from my grasp. I retrieved it from the depths, though now covered in snow and ice crystals, and doddered back to my car. There, my dilemma worsened as the crystals melted on the glass. All said, I missed the shot.
Though irritating, mistakes are part of being a photographer.
A few months later, I was fumbling once again with the filter as I raced down a boardwalk to catch a geyser eruption, knowing that it would only last about a minute. I steadied my camera, lining up the shot, when suddenly the filter slipped through my fingers again. I looked down, scanning the boardwalk … nothing. “It fell through a crack,” said a man behind me. I couldn’t believe it, but it was true. The filter was gone for good.
Memory Card & Battery Blunders
As a rule, I always download memory cards and recharge the batteries as soon as I return from a shoot, then reload the cameras before bed. One evening, however, with word of a northern-lights show appearing in the sky, I broke routine, failing to properly reload my equipment. After racing to a dark location to set up for the light display, I picked up my camera and released the shutter. Rather than coming alive with a colorful image, the screen read, “no memory card in camera.” Feeling defeated, I slumped into a snowbank. Then I remembered an extra card and fully charged battery in the car—phew! I got the photo this time, and now religiously keep extra hardware in my car.
Remember that if your camera hits the pavement, it happens to the best of us.
Bumbles & Drops
When taking a camera out of its bag—especially when in a hurry—always be sure to fully re-zip the compartment before continuing with your day. Similarly, always remember to fully tighten the camera clip onto the tripod head when your camera is mounted atop it. As simple as this advice may be, failure to do so can result in the worst camera catastrophe of them all: a drop. I’ve been guilty of this oversight myself, and the three instances I can think of when my equipment has hit the deck could have been avoided by zipping my bag or fastening my tripod clip.
My exasperation is obviously heightened during every “digital disaster,” though I can’t help but laugh while retelling the stories. Though irritating, mistakes are part of being a photographer. If you’re a newbie to the photo world and your camera hits the pavement, you miss a shot, forget important accessories, or just blow it all together, remember that it happens to the best of us.
