Your photography travel adventure turned sour. Share your stories.

<p>Vacation time is here for many of us. If you are a photographer, it's hard to imagine a vacation without your camera. However, we all know the mishaps that can happen while on the road. Have you dropped a camera off a cliff? Lost a lens to an aquarium tank? Stepped off a ledge while taking a family portrait trying to squeeze Aunt Martha in the picture? We're interested in hearing about your worst photography adventure, misshap, wrong turn while on vacation. Share your stories and/or photos here.</p>

<p>Went on a trip to Europe, was going to be backpacking for a month. Brought a Kodak digital camera and tons of memory cards. On day three the camera broke. I could turn it on, but nothing would show on the LCD screen but black and red fuzz. Tried to take it to a store in Germany, they said I had to send it back to Kodak to get it repaired or replaced. Would cost tons of money in shipping to send from there. Friend I was with said I could use hers for the remainder of the trip, however my memory cards didn't fit her camera. She proceded to erase the pictures that I took that "weren't her style" from her camera. Finally broke down and bought a cheap camera (should have done this in the first place, but I was on a budget) in Spain and had wonderful pics from the last week of the trip. </p>

<p>In November 2003, I went to <a href="http://www.eisinger.net/travel/egypt.html">Egypt</a> with my wife, sister, and mother. At the time I had a Canon EOS Elan IIe film SLR. I did not upgrade to a 10D until 6 months later. We arrived at the Giza Pyramids on the morning of our first full day in Egypt and I discovered that the latch that holds the film door closed was broken. So the door kept opening, which had the rather unfortunate effect of exposing the film. I managed to find some duct tape and tape the door closed as best I could and tried very hard to hold the door shut while taking pictures for the next week. :sigh:<br>

- Ike</p><div></div>

<p>Latter part of last year was enjoying a family holiday at the Sunshine Coast in Queensland (AUS). We were visiting a local attraction and I had just taken a self-timed shot of all of us. I put the camera down on a high narrow bench seat. Four young hungry children clambering for my attention and the camera was forgotten - by all of us. It landed on the edge of the filter for the lens. I heard glass rattling and knew that I probably wouldn't be taking any more photos here today - unless they were a long way away (100 - 300 mm lens). Thankfully only the filter had cracked but it was now jammed on the lens. After returning home I was able to find a repair shop in Brisbane that could help me out (we had to post it away).</p>

<p>Lost a lens cap on a boat ride on the Thames. Same trip I also managed to misload my final roll of film so I lost the last 36 pictures from my trip (the whole last night and final day of my trip). Thankfully everything else turned out okay.<br>

PS same trip, thank god for the latitude of negative film. This was back when I was first learning photography. First learning, plus not really understanding sunny/16 all that well, plus an all manual SLR without a working light meter is not a recipe for success. That said, most of my pictures turned out okay. I am a significantly better photographer now (not just know what the hell proper exposure is).</p>

<p>Was driving through rural India, somewhere near Andra Pradesh and saw an interesting small temple on top of a small boulder hill. Left the car and walked up the steep path to the temple. Took some shots. Decided to walk down the other side of the hill and around the base of the hill back to the car. Walked close to a few huts. Must of disturbed a dog which took a dislike to me and called all his buddies. About 10 dogs were trying to bite my legs. Found a whole new use for a tripod. The teeth marks are still visible on the tripod legs. Eventually I ran for the car, swinging the tripod behind my legs to stop the dogs that were still trying to get their teeth on my ankles.<br>

Now I never go on a photo excursion without my trusty tripod...</p>

<p>I was able to go on a short study abroad trip to Northern Ireland this past Spring break. I have been doing photography for several years as an amateur and have recently been paid for my scenic prints and for portrait sessions and a few small weddings. I knew the photo ops on this trip would possibly be once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and was looking forward to having amazing prints to sell. The trip was ten days from leaving the states to returning. I was constantly downloading gorgeous scenic pictures and charging my batteries (I use a Canon Digital Rebel). The one day I most looked forward to, a couple days into the trip, we were to be traveling the most beautiful parts of Northern Ireland along the coast. We were told this is actually one of the top four or five most beautiful places in the world, as so they'd been told and named as such in many publications. That day I somehow left my charged battery at the guest house and had not charged the battery which was still in the camera (I didn't even realize it was with me). I had also left my large card in my laptop, which of course was also at the guest house, hours away. The day was picturesque. Beautiful weather, couldn't have asked for better weather or circumstances for photography of any sort (anyone up for a destination wedding at an old Irish castle?). There I was pouting (all day) that I couldn't take pictures of the most beautiful place I'd ever been because my battery and my card were at the guest house. It was horrible! The worst part-- I didn't realize I had a partially charged battery in the camera and two smaller cards in my bag. ARGH!!! Luckily my travel mates shared pictures at the end of the trip so I'm not entirely missing out on the beautiful scenes. I can still look at their shots to see what I'm missing so much about such a beautiful country. I hope one day, one year in the distant future, to bring my husband and three children there with me. I want to live it all again, through their eyes and through the lens of my camera.</p><div></div>

<p>Went to Bellingrath Gardens in Alabama while visiting my wife's family in Mississippi. Had no idea we'd be in a botanical gardens so had no camera bag to carry extra lenses. I bought a shoulder bag from them (not cheaply) and carried my 70-200 2.8L IS and 100mm macro in it for several hours of tour using a wide angle the majority of the time. Of course, being the photographer that I am, pictures from the travelled path weren't good enough, I had to jump off a 2' retaining wall with a 4' drop off on the other side to get a better angle! The strap broke (upon landing) on the cheaply made bag and $2300 worth of lenses went "thunk" on the ground! I bout had a heart attack! <br /> Turned out no damage was done, but of course I couldn't know that til I had time to test the lenses later on. The day was ruined and we promptly left, little one was starving by that time anyway, but ended up with some fantastic pictures of a beautiful place in early spring.<br /> I now have a great bag from M Rock! ;)<img src="http://dbcustom.zenfolio.com/p716213882/h2a63b105#h2a63b105" alt="" /></p>

<p>So......<br>

I was at my cottage about two years ago and we had decided to go tubing, not thinking I brought my digital camera with me to video and take pictures of the fun. I just made one mistake, I forgot who the driver was, he was a maniac. Long story short we took a very shapr turn at a very high speed and not only did my camera fall out of my hands but I almost went flying off the boat...ahh memories<br>

I now own an EOS50D so its all fine</p>

<p>Went on a trip to Egypt. New camera Nikon d300 so exsited, did bring all my equipment heavy stuff on plane. First day, no memoricard. Did find one smaal in a shop, quite expensive. Did catch a lot of beautiful pictures on a loong trip in the desert on horses. Afther 200 pictures every pictures disapered. Tried again, but afther 200 pictures all the pictures vere goon. I had to put 10 and 10 pictures in to the smaal hard disc we did bring, and all the fokus went on trying to resque the pictures, so not many great pictures where taken. And Afther a new long horse ride in the desert with some pictures we found out that the filter on the camera was broken. Home afther 2 weeks all the equipment one day were stolen in our house while we were sleeping. A lot of unlucky happenings. Sorry for my bad english, I am from Norway.</p>

<p>I was taking pictures at Niagara Falls during the Cave of the Winds tour when my camera got a little too close to the Falls. It's a digital point and shoot, about 6 years old and most of the electronics stopping working for a while. Luckily it still took pictures and saved them! After it dried out it was fine and still works now a few years later. </p>

<p>Most of my sourness re: photographic travel adventure is based on the sad fact that I spent 10 years with a backpack vagabonding around the world, living and working in amazing places, with either no camera, or an over-the-counter semi-disposable camera (this before the Digital Dawn, @1980-1990). While I can replay many of these images in my head, I can't share them. These days, as I wander around suburban Minnesota with a Canon 40D looking for photo ops, I lament the opportunities lost: a hurricane in a sailboat, sleeping atop Olympus, months in Amazonas, hitch-hiking across the US and across South America, sailing across various oceans, Burma, India, Japan, China, southeast Asia, Australia, the Maldives, Africa, a year in Spain, the USSR, all the incredible people and places and adventures of youth (for these were my single, thin, fearless years!).<br>

Sigh.<br>

And yet, I have taken hundreds of thousands of photos of my kids, and happy I am that I have been able to document these adventures. And when they go off to have their own adventures, I'll make sure that they carry great cameras (so that I can live vicariously through their images).</p>

<p>3 weeks ago I went to Egypt together with my wife for our honeymoon. Right before going into a submarine to photograph fish and other see animals my Canon EOS 450D stopped working. When I opened it up it told me Err 99. I had the kit lens on. I tried my other lens a 85 1.8. It still didn't want to work. It was so disappointing. I tried the other battery. …Still the same Err 99. It ruined my honeymoon. I was down and upset the entire journey to Egypt. Canon let me down.<br /> <br /> Coming home, I found that all the other Canon dSLRs have the same problem. The camera broke just after 13 months from purchase +-a few days.<br /> <br /> When I got home, I looked at the photos. The last 2 of them had a huge black diagonal ribbon from bottom left to top right. It is very disappointing. Canon ruined my honeymoon</p>

<p>There I was... sitting on a parkbench in Paris. Put the camera close next to me on the bench. Not a soul in sight anywhere. Put on a music player...started to read . After 15 minutes I suddenly get this eerie feeling that something is wrong... , very wrong . Looked to my left , expensive camera gone ...! And still not a soul in sight . He / she must have crept up behind me .The fact that the park seemed empty made it even more spookier !</p>

<p>Question for NIcholas---HOw many other Canon models stopped working after 13 months? That is a depressing story. Did Canon charge you to fix it?</p>

<p>Many years ago (maybe 25) while at Key Largo near the shore, I placed my Minolta SRT 100 with a very nice Zikkor zoom lens and a new tripod on the roof of my station wagon to get the children and the lugagge into the car... you guessed the rest? I realized after some 5 minutes ride - returner to the place but... nothing!!</p>

<p>I owned a Nikon CoolPix 5700, my first digital camera. It was a good little camera, but it had it's problems and bad luck. The flash would not recharge, I sent it back for warrenty service (this is a common problem with this model). When it returned, the controls wouldn't work (a service error), I sent it back again. A few months later, the flash would not recharge again. Truely ticked off, I returned it to Nikon for service with a nasty letter that I did not think this was indicative of Nikon's quality, service and reputation. I did not want that specific camera back again. They replaced it. Good.<br>

Then I left for a trip to Alaska for the first time, camera in tow. Then I realized one of the downfalls of all point and shoot cameras, slow fucus and shutters. Because of the delay, I missed many good whale shots, getting only shots of ripples where the whale was. Frustrated, I nearly throw the camera over the side of the boat.<br>

The Inner Passage in Alaska is know for its rainforest weather, so it rained ALL DAY the next day as I walked around Petersburg, Alaska. I was afraid to even take the camera out of my backpack because the rain wias so heavy. Little did I know, the camera that I so jealously guarded was drowning in my backpack as the rain soaked through the straps and into the backpack. When I opend the bag, the CoolPix was bobbing in 3 inches of water. I told my wife, we are either going home or I am buying a new camera as soon as I can find one because I could not stand another 3 weeks in ALaska without a camera!<br>

In Sitka, I bought a Canon XT. Trip saved!!</p>

<p>About five years ago I received a brand new digital Canon for my birthday in the summertime. One very muggy day after a thunderstorm had just passed, I decided to photograph my favorite abandoned building some distance from my house. I timed it perfectly so that I would arrive in time for the eerie combination of looming storm clouds and a fiery setting sun. As I stepped out of my car, I got excited and turned the camera on. Right then my shoe slipped on an enormous patch of red mud. The camera toppled out of my hand and as the camera realized it was out of batteries, the mud-encased camera reshut the lens and brought clumps of red mud deep into the camera workings. Not only was I covered in wet disgusting mud, my camera was ruined and I had to drive all the way back home, further extending the muddy wreckage into my car. The camera was only one month old.</p>

<p>I went to Argentina for a year for school. During that year we had the chance to go to many places. One thing we did that I will never forget was going hiking in the Andes Mountains. We did two long hiking trips, one of which we hiked to one of the highest peaks and were able to see 4 countries, 4 volcanoes - one which was still active, and many miles of land. The other trip was where my little mishap occurred. We took a trail to see 5 waterfalls. Everything was going well until the second to last fall. As anyone that has been hiking fall before knows, IT IS ALOT OF WATER. I had my camera out taking pictures of the gorgeous waterfall. The second waterfall consisted of a beautiful cascade of water falling into a clear pool about 12 feet deep. The water then moved through a 7 foot gap to the next pool and soon to be waterfall - moving thousands of gallons of water though the 7 foot gap that was a little to big to hop over landing on a moss overgrown wet rock. So I did what any good hiker would do, with camera in hand, stepped in - not knowing that a wet rock on the bottom of the gap and those thousands of gallons of water that I talked about earlier would send me slipping, feet flailing in the air, CRASHING into the water, and my camera soon after. My camera never left my death grip, but sadly it wasn't enough and now that camera is sitting in its case in the attic. :-(</p>

<p>This happened last year on a campping trip with the rest of the family. It was an almost misshap, that fortunatelly had a happy ending. It was several days into our week long vacation and we had canoed across the lake and hiked up a steep trail... (outfitted with stairs :P) to the top of a 300 ft. cliff overlooking the lake. Of course during the entire hike I was as usualy busy with my camera capturing plenty of flower macro shots on the way up and then many shots of the wonderful view from the top. I had also done a set of images to stich together for a great panorama. All was goign well. We hiked back down.. the stairs. Back to the canoe landing docks an began to load our things into our canoe. We were just about ready to depart again, when Dad saw a little stream coming down the side, and of course it was another photo opp. I grabed a few shots, but being a very hot day I decided to leave dad taking photos and dangle my feet in the refreshing water. Leaving my camera sitting near mum who was over sitting in the shade, I and my brother busied ourselves enjoying the cool water. Finally Dad was ready to leave and we all loaded into the canoe and began our slow ride back across the lake and to our campsite. We arived back and unpacked and carried everything back to our camp site. A little while later I decided to go off again this time on my bike. I rode around for a while getting familier with the trails and various areas of the park. After a while or riding I was nearing a parking lot near one of the park beachs. I noticed one family over near their truck sort of watching me, but took little notice. I began to head off but curriosity got the better of me and I circled around back into the parking lot again. This time they waved to me and signaled to me to come over. I heasitated, but then came closer. Once in easy hearing distance the father of the family asked me "Are you missing a camera?". I thought for a moment and then replyed no, I was not missing one. I didn't know why they thought it might have been mine. But always beign interested in cameras I asked if I could see it. He showed it to me and I quickly realized that it was definately my camera. It was the same kind/model, and a crack and large scratch near the back right wheel identical to mine. Also the photos on it were mine. I found out they had some how recognized me from a couple of photos of by brother that were on the camera. I have a different colour hair and different build than my brother, but I guess I was just really lucky the recognized me. I still had no idea where they would have found it though. I, (now having apparently changed my mind) said, oh yes... actually it is my camera. Obviously sounding very suspicious they weren't too eager to just hand me the camera. The asked me a couple of questions such as "where did you loose the camera" Which unfortunately I wasn't sure. So I answered incorrectly. Long story short I was able to tell them what kind of memory card was in it and how large it was, and they offered to bring it to my campsite so they could just varify with my parrents that it truely was mine. The photos of the people on the camera matched my family so they finally consented to give it to me.<br>

I was extremely lucky that they somehow recognized me from a photo of my brother, and that they were good honest people. It had been over two hours since I had left the camera on the other side of the lake. I'll be much more carefull in the future as I doubt I would be so lucky another time.<br>

Josh<br>

P.S. I appologize I got a little out of hand writing this and it turned out much longger than planned.</p>

<p>Wow, some great stories. i am feeling fortunate that nothing like this ever happened to me in decades of photography. </p>

<p>Taking a photo of a waterfall in Wales with my Canon FT (remember them?), decided to change lenses and at that awkward moment when you have two lenses in your hands my 50mm 1.8 FL slipped and fell towards the rock I was standing on.<br>

My reflex action was to break it's fall with my foot. I broke the fall OK, but managed to kick it into the stream.<br>

Sleeves up I retrieved it full of water. Spent four hours dismantling it and drying it out, it seemed none the worse for the adventure. But I replaced it with an FD equivalent a few months later. Still have the FL and it still works 40? years later.</p>

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<p>I'm from Australia. Did a fly/drive in the states in 1994 and was driving through Death Valley. Rounded a bend to see a huge caravan park which was completely empty except for a couple sitting in deck chairs reading the paper outside their van. It was about 42' and there they were, oblivious to their surroundings and looking for all the world as tho they were having the holiday of a lifetime. Stopped the car and took a couple of shots, but like the rest of the shots on that reel it didn't turn out, as the roll hadn't wound on properly.<br>

Even after all this time I still think of this image and regret that I only have it in my head.<br>

Trish Davies</p>

 

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<p>This story is on behalf of a mate of mine Graeme, who has a Nikon D80 and a Nikon VR 80 - 400 mm lens that he simultaeously used as a frisbee accross his living room with some dire consequences. Having cleaned his equipment the night before and knowing he was going on photo shoot next day, he then duly placed everything neatly in his sling bag. Next morning full of the joys of spring, he singlehandedly slung aforesaid bag over his shoulder only to see Camera and Lens come sailing past his head. He had forgotten to close the zip. Men do this on occasion with all sorts of ramifications. His discription was as follows, I tried to do the matrix slow mo thing of getting ahead of the items, but alas this only happens in the movies and secondly my butthole was so puckerd in dismay that it created a vacum which sucked me into a vortex and could not move. OK I cheated, those are my discriptions and not his, but anyway sounds plausible does it not. I received this sobbing call from him and could only comiserate and maybe he mistook my laughter for tears in sympathy. Luckily insured, but still, would not wish such a thing on anyone. Ok thats my story on behalf of Graeme.</p>

<p>Oh heck while I am on a roll lets add the one about Steve Bailey my other mate. We were doing a beauty without cruelty photshoot anf although the image I am posting looks graphic, its actually fake blood etc. The idea was to highlight the sadness of the fur trade. However this image is of our model trying to save Steves 400 mm lens with her foot,which rolled off the table directly in front of her onto the floor. Canon lenses are tough. No damage, but I got the shot. I am led to believe that Steve's face was even more priceless, but that I will have to take everyones word for.</p>