How often do you ......

...... kick yourself for not having your camera?

For me is was this past Sunday afternoon. My wife had discovered a restaurant she wanted me to try so we decided to check it out Sunday after church. It was about a 30 minute trip and we decided to take an older highway up through southern IL instead of the interstate. I ALMOST put my camera and tripod in the car before leaving for church but had that ..... "oh, there probably won't be anything to shoot" feeling so I left it at home.

Anyway, as we came off the ridge, the highway followed the Mississippi River and there it was. Heavy fog and a large tow boat with barges heading up river. It was awesome. Everything was grey except some colors on the boat here and there, the boat name, the flag etc. Would have made a really fantastic photo. But since I made the stupid decision to not bring the camera it just remains a vision, floating around in my brain cells. I'm still kicking myself.

I'm guessing you didn't have a cell phone to take a photo. As the saying goes "the best camera is the one you have with you."

I always have some camera with me even if it's only my phone. My wife has her P/S in her purse always. These days they get used more than my SLRs.

Mizzou78 wrote in post #17414828
I ALMOST put my camera and tripod in the car before leaving for church but had that ..... "oh, there probably won't be anything to shoot" feeling so I left it at home.

This is why I like having a camera small enough to carry on me.

The river will still be there next Sunday. Boats will be running, sooner or later. Did you like the restaurant well enough to go back?

Yes. The food was good. And the river is still there and the boats will be back. But that boat in the thick fog would have been a great shot. Could have used the camera phone but didn't. Oh well.

Actually there is a winery just across the river that we visit frequently and I've got several good river/boat/bridge photos while enjoying AAB's (Adult Alcoholic Beverages) on the outside patio. I do get some strange looks when I haul out the camera and tripod and set it by my table. But I probably am guilty of casting funny looks at people who obviously should have quit drinking a couple of bottles ago.

My Leica MM is with me almost all the time.

One of my 7Ds generally rides in my daily carry pack, now down to the 40mm living on it, with an 85 and 430exII flash. But it is rather rare that I actually spot something I want to pull it out and photograph. More often for me it is someone wanting photos of something specific, and just having a bit of gear on hand to work with. But most of the time when I do photography it is on dedicated outings for specific projects.

And there's that to but I have found things that fit into a body of work that I wouldn't have photographed if I didn't have the camera with me at the time.

Heya,

It happened too often that I didn't want to lug around one of my SLR's and big fat primes.

This is why the EOS-M + 22F2 goes every where. Fits in the purse. Backpack. Pocket of my jacket. Etc.

Very best,

Just begin of the week I was in on a business trip in Stuttgart, Germany and did not think that it was worth it to bring my camera. I had to use the cell phone to take pictures. It still bugs me....

I seem to regret it every single time I leave it at home.

@dramxx: damn, still a nice photo tho.

I am trying to remedy this problem now, looking for a 50mm to stick on my old XSi body and just carry with me all of the time. Right now it is in my closet and I rarely remember to grab my t2i with Tamron 17-50. Neither set up is that professional or great, but I keep seeing things I wish I had a real camera for. iPhone shots can be OK, but like drmaxx, every time I look at that iPhone photo I will see some blur or something that could have been avoided with that small setup.

Janie, have you tried the 40mm f2.8 lens? It is what sits on my 7D for travel these days, and makes for a very easy to carry rig. Usually will keep another lens in the bag with me, but the 40mm barely adds more than what the body-cap does.

Same here, but M2...

Its right up there with seeing a scene like you describe, and having your camera, but no where, I mean NO WHERE to pull over and take. So you have to just watch it go by.