Post the DUMB things you've done under photography stress!

Microcosm wrote in post #6915329
I just got a polarizer, and I've been playing around with it a lot. Yesterday I took out my camera and I was shooting indoors. I spent awhile wondering why I was getting such low shutter speeds. That was until I realized OOOOH ITS STILL ON!

I'm always doing that

Microcosm wrote in post #6915329
I just got a polarizer, and I've been playing around with it a lot. Yesterday I took out my camera and I was shooting indoors. I spent awhile wondering why I was getting such low shutter speeds. That was until I realized OOOOH ITS STILL ON!

Yep. Mine were glued to the lenses at the Grand Canyon. Even when we went into the Watchtower. About the time I got up to the top, I realized this, so I re-shot everything on the way down. And was able to tip a Noink user that she was doing the same thing . . .

When I first got a XTi, I had used a small canon bag to carry it. A few months and a few new lenses later, I upgraded to a Tamrac backpack. I walked down the street a few blocks to try and capture a sunrise over the Mississippi river. I set my tripod up, and began to look for my camera. I couldn't find it anywhere, so I started to freak out. After fifteen minutes of frantic searching, I realized it was in the backpack, which was still on my back.

Yet another reason shoulder bags are better . . .

I shot an entire fund raiser in jpeg with flash and tungsten light balance (from a previous shoot). A lot of post processing work on that one. Must learn to breath deeply and double check all camera settings every time. I live in dire fear of shooting without a CF card and turn that option off the instant I acquire a new camera. I still have flashbacks to the time when a roll of film didn't thread on the sprocket properly.

thomascanty wrote in post #5786687
I locked myself out once, too. About 25 years ago. Now, I always carry TWO keys, and one never leaves my pocket. Well... Unless I need it. Which I haven't, yet.

About 15 years ago I had a car for which I had three keys. I was very worried about getting locked out of it, since it had power locks that went up/down with the drivers lock. I carried one key in my jacket, one in my wallet, and the third was the one I used regularly. One hot summer day I put my wallet in my jacket, put my jacket in the car, and promptly locked 3 sets of keys inside. Luckily I was just arriving at a friend's house and noticed right away, so it was no trouble to wait for the tow driver to come unlock it for me.

This thread is hilarious. This one is my favourite:

fireman93514 wrote in post #4969148
I wwent out to shot one day, just because it was a nice to be outdoors. Had my camera bag, telephoto, tripod and snacks. Unfortunately no camera body.

My brother once shot a wedding for friends, for free, entirely at ISO1600 on his 300D. We didn't notice for probably a year until I showed them to a photographer buddy and it's the first thing he said.

I have held a P&S to my face before realizing I had to use the screen a couple of times.

I have tried to adjust the zoom on my lens, only to realize it was a prime.

A few years ago I was asked by a friend of a friend to photograph a family pre-wedding get-together way out in the 'sticks'.

On my arrival, I was greeted by a church elder who introduced me to everyone at the residence (about 20 or so). They offered me sandwiches, coffee and cake, left over deserts and...well - just spoilt me rotten!

During all this, I was feeling rather embarrassed 'cause I still wasn't sure who the happy couple were. So I humbly whispered to the Elder "who's the bride and groom?"

"Bride and Groom!? Um .... OOOOHHHH - I think you're looking for the Fluhlers...they're a km down on the right."

It was a church lunch and they thought I was a new member of the congregation

I don't know how I became unsubscribed from this thread!


My latest dumb thing...I was shooting a senior session. It was late and getting dark...I was trying to do something different...we found a (looked abandoned...no glass, flat tires etc) vw bug parked under a bridge and thought "this will make great urban looks"...and part of the way into the set, this guy walks over (really invading the space) and watches. Finally he says hello...we respond and keep working. Suddenly I say "um...this isn't yours is it?" And he says "yeah" and I respond with "oh my gosh...it looks abandoned or we'd have never used it for a junk set" He let us finish but boy it was embarrassing. In the process, I'd apparently bumped my 40D's aperture somehow and was so flustered with the guy watching and having called his car junk that I could NOT figure out why my ds2 was getting good exposure and my 40D wasn't...I discovered later that I'd knocked it up to F14 or something like that..

that was weird. I edited that post and it double posted it.

samnz wrote in post #7083559
It was a church lunch and they thought I was a new member of the congregation

Permagrin wrote in post #7084227
I don't know how I became unsubscribed from this thread!

Doh! You deleted the other one.


Are you sure you weren't at f/22?

Taken a lens off and put the camera in the bag, pulled out another lens and tried to mount the first lens to the front of the barrel of the second lens (luckily with lens cap).

It was 3 in the morning ...northern light hunting...ahem what else...

OH here's a kicker.


I remember seeing a cougar out in the yard, ran inside to get my camera. Got my camera up to my face and the lens cap was on. I go to remove the lens cap but grasped nothing but air and realized I had no lens (just the front cap) attatched to the camera.

Cougar got away

penagate wrote in post #4969226
The number of times I've gone out with no batteries........

I learned that lesson after turning up to shoot a concert but finding I had no battery in my camera. I had to catch a cab across Sydney and back to the venue to retrieve my batteries - I missed the support band but shot the main.

I haven't repeated that mistake again.

I needed a good laugh and I sure got it here.
1972, dropped my 9 year old Minolta SR-1 in the ocean off the Baths in the BVI.

Forgot to bolt down an ZEISS RMK 15/23 aerial mapping camera and sure nuff, that was clear air turbulence day. Pretty sick feeling to see the camera man and that camera at the top of the cabin and they were going to come down hard. Expensive day.

Memory card left in reader... check
Forgot film in all kinds of cameras.... check

Dropped so much stuff that I wear neck straps on everything I can.

I use the screen on the P&S camera a lot and forget that there is a view finder, causes a lot of useless squinting and makes me look like an idiot. Well I am but I don't like to look like it so often....

Great board and better thread.

While shooting events, other people would ask me to help shoot a photo of them with their own p&s. I will *always* bring the p&s up to my eye level and realise that I'm looking at a big 3" LCD screen with no viewfinder.

Headshotzx wrote in post #7109204
While shooting events, other people would ask me to help shoot a photo of them with their own p&s. I will *always* bring the p&s up to my eye level and realise that I'm looking at a big 3" LCD screen with no viewfinder.

I always do the exact same thing...

Almost always when shooting with long glass people come up to me expecting it to magically be a wide angle asking me to take a group picture of them, posed less than the MFD away .... oh well