Death Valley Salt Flats disaster

socalrailfan · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

To start with this is the last shot my Canon 10-22mm lens took before disaster struck, read more below.

Two days ago I was in Death Valley and was shooting the salt flats when the unthinkable happened. As I'm shooting with my 60D and the 10-22 my 40D with my 17-85 lens crashed over as a real strong wind gust hit me. Crap! So I walk over to pick it up and see broken glass. It turned out to be just the filter, not a scratch on the lens and everything worked fine. As I'm taking the filter off another gust comes up and knocks my 60D over, REALLY? Double crap! I lay the 40D down and pick up the 60D, everything seems intact, no visible damage. So I go to take a photo and it won't focus. It's then I notice the body has come loose under the focus ring. I continued my shoot using the 60D and 17-85, added weight to my tripod and tried relaxing, didn't happen! See the photo below of my 40D on the ground just after it fell as I was shooting with the 60D.

Read here on the my repair questions:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/....php?t=1179070

Canon_Lover · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

Sorry to hear about the, "Doh!" moments.

That's actually a really cool shot, even with the fallen camera in the frame. Adds "drama" and a sense of scale. I always thought those salt formations were macro sized, not TRIPOD sized! Wow!

I will sometimes extend my tripod legs out to the wider stance to keep it from falling over in wind and/or ocean waves.

rick_reno · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

beautiful shot, that's what filters are for

socalrailfan · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

It's funny I was going to take the filters off before I headed out, glad I didn't!

socalrailfan · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

BTW thanks for the comments on the photo. I'm not happy with it, but then I'm not happy right now period! LOL I also had some Milky Way shots that turned out blurry so that kind of bummed me out too.

windpig · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

Hi Dave

Great image above, period!

Your gear issues sound frustrating. I call them senior moments

S.Horton · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

Nice image.

socalrailfan · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

Yeah, stupid is as stupid does! Even at 48 I'm still learning from my mistakes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by windpig

Hi Dave

Great image above, period!

Your gear issues sound frustrating. I call them senior moments

sparker1 · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

Sorry about your troubles, Dave. Good go at the salt flat. Did you by chance try any later, with only after glow?

Heath · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

What tripods were you using?

socalrailfan · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

With my 60D a heavy duty Bogen and with the 40D a MeFoto tripod. The MF is a lightwieght tripod. It was just those gusts that got me. In the future I'll use some weight under the tripod, but you learn as you go!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heath

What tripods were you using?

socalrailfan · 28th of April 2012 (Sat)

I waited quite a while, not much of an afterglow. The clouds and afterglow seem to have eluded me!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparker1

Sorry about your troubles, Dave. Good go at the salt flat. Did you by chance try any later, with only after glow?

David Arbogast · 29th of April 2012 (Sun)

Tragic story, but beautiful shot!

28th of April 2012 (Sat)	#1
socalrailfan Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 1,294 IMAGE EDITING OK	Death Valley Salt Flats disaster To start with this is the last shot my Canon 10-22mm lens took before disaster struck, read more below. Two days ago I was in Death Valley and was shooting the salt flats when the unthinkable happened. As I'm shooting with my 60D and the 10-22 my 40D with my 17-85 lens crashed over as a real strong wind gust hit me. Crap! So I walk over to pick it up and see broken glass. It turned out to be just the filter, not a scratch on the lens and everything worked fine. As I'm taking the filter off another gust comes up and knocks my 60D over, REALLY? Double crap! I lay the 40D down and pick up the 60D, everything seems intact, no visible damage. So I go to take a photo and it won't focus. It's then I notice the body has come loose under the focus ring. I continued my shoot using the 60D and 17-85, added weight to my tripod and tried relaxing, didn't happen! See the photo below of my 40D on the ground just after it fell as I was shooting with the 60D. Read here on the my repair questions: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/....php?t=1179070 __________________ Dave - Riverside, CA PhotographersNature.com Canon 60D & 40D My photos on Flickr, My Webshots Gallery, my Google Earth/Panoramio photos

28th of April 2012 (Sat)	#2
Canon_Lover Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: WA Posts: 1,972	Re: Death Valley Salt Flats disaster Sorry to hear about the, "Doh!" moments. That's actually a really cool shot, even with the fallen camera in the frame. Adds "drama" and a sense of scale. I always thought those salt formations were macro sized, not TRIPOD sized! Wow! I will sometimes extend my tripod legs out to the wider stance to keep it from falling over in wind and/or ocean waves.

28th of April 2012 (Sat)	#3
rick_reno Cream of the Crop Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 42,424	Re: Death Valley Salt Flats disaster beautiful shot, that's what filters are for

28th of April 2012 (Sat)	#4
socalrailfan Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 1,294 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Death Valley Salt Flats disaster It's funny I was going to take the filters off before I headed out, glad I didn't! __________________ Dave - Riverside, CA PhotographersNature.com Canon 60D & 40D My photos on Flickr, My Webshots Gallery, my Google Earth/Panoramio photos

28th of April 2012 (Sat)	#5
socalrailfan Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 1,294 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Death Valley Salt Flats disaster BTW thanks for the comments on the photo. I'm not happy with it, but then I'm not happy right now period! LOL I also had some Milky Way shots that turned out blurry so that kind of bummed me out too. __________________ Dave - Riverside, CA PhotographersNature.com Canon 60D & 40D My photos on Flickr, My Webshots Gallery, my Google Earth/Panoramio photos

28th of April 2012 (Sat)	#6
windpig Cream of the Crop Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Just South of Ballard Posts: 9,887 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Death Valley Salt Flats disaster Hi Dave Great image above, period! Your gear issues sound frustrating. I call them senior moments

28th of April 2012 (Sat)	#7
S.Horton dǝǝɥs ɐ ʎq pǝʞuɐds Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 17,347 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Death Valley Salt Flats disaster Nice image. __________________ *Sam* http://midnightblue.smugmug.com Want your title changed? Dream On!

28th of April 2012 (Sat)	#9
sparker1 Cream of the Crop Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seminole, Fl Posts: 28,530	Re: Death Valley Salt Flats disaster Sorry about your troubles, Dave. Good go at the salt flat. Did you by chance try any later, with only after glow? __________________ Stan (See my gallery at http://www.pbase.com/sparker1) 7D, 50D, 300D, EF-S 10-22 mm, EF-S 18-55 mm kit lens, EF 24-105 L IS, EF 50 mm 1.8, Sigma 150-500mm (Bigmos)

28th of April 2012 (Sat)	#10
Heath Goldmember Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NYC, NY Posts: 2,151 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: Death Valley Salt Flats disaster What tripods were you using? __________________ Heath "Some photographers push the envelope. Some sit behind a keyboard and criticize their accomplishments." (seen in the comments of a photo article) Blog-Twitter-Zenfolio-500px-Pinterest-Gear List

29th of April 2012 (Sun)	#13
David Arbogast Goldmember Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Lee's Summit, Missouri Posts: 3,180	Re: Death Valley Salt Flats disaster Tragic story, but beautiful shot! __________________ David flickr

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