Photography 101

[mad reilly]

Today I got my first (hard) lession in photography. I had some time and went

out walking by my house. There's a trail down by the river that's quite

beautiful especially this time of year. I really got some great shots (read

on). As I was walking, I caugt out of the corner of my eye a 4 pointer (if you

hunt you know the feeling I had. For those of you that don't hunt I'm talking

about a good size buck.) Well, I froze. I mean I was about 10 yards away from

him. Then I saw his girlfriend and daughter. So I slowly backed away. I got

around a bend and hunkerd down. I hung out for about 5 min. That's when they

cam onto the path in clear view. I was maybe about 20 feet at best from them.

I just started clicking away. I'd say I fired of about 15 shots before they

ran off. It felt like his nose was right on the lens. I quickly finished up

the roll with some good shots of the river. I ran home and I was so excited. I

mean it couldn't have got better than this. Then ................

I went to rewind the film and I FORGOT TO LOAD THE BLODDY THING!!!!!!!!!

NO FILM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!! I felt like I just one the

lottery and then lost the ticket. I feel like crap now and I just wanted to

share my story with my friends on the FD forum.

[joseph_wei]

It's okay - there'll always be other chances. I remember shooting a family friend's child's 1st birthday with my AE-1 Program and a newly purchased 50mm f/1.4 when I was just starting out in photography. I loved the shallow depth of field and sharpness that lens produced. When I got home, though, I absentmindedly opened the back of the camera thinking I rewound the film...but to my horror, I saw the whole roll of film lying exposed on the take-up spool! I slammed the back door shut, mortified that I'd just lost all of the pictures on that roll.

 

Miraculously, though...when the roll was processed, I found that only the last three or so shots were lost - the rest were fine (and the last three were just random shots I had taken on the way home from the party)! I believe this was possible I was using a relatively slow 100 speed film, and had shut the door fast enough, before light could get to the rest of the roll.

 

All I have to say is that we have made (or still sometimes do make!) these kinds of mistakes, and that it's a good lesson, if anything.

 

Cheers,

JW

[joe_fikes]

There's a catchy little saying from another hobby of mine...

 

"There are those who have, and there are those who will".

 

The phrase refers to landing an airplane having forgotten to put the wheels down. Having forgotten to load film is not quite as bad as THAT! Keep doing what you're doing and next time it might be an 8-pointer!

[michaelging]

I agree this happens with everone at one time or another. I shot around 50 shots of my then sister-in-laws wedding before I realized that my film was not advancing. This was 35 yrs ago, and the marriage did not last that long. I have had two other chances to photograph her weddings since then.

[andrew_limiti]

First roll of the fall season started off like that. I thought I had some good autumn shots, but suprise! when I rewound and opened my T-70. Should have checked that the film was advancing. Lesson learned. It stinks when you miss a good shot.

[john_f._lemke]

Hey Eddie,

 

A hunter does know the feeling. A hunter also knows any activity that involves deer also involves deer making fools of us more often than we'd like to admit.

 

You may be able to get the deer in the area patterned to an extent. This time of year they're more active, provide more opportunities for "shooting". The first week of November is commonly their peak "social" season, when they've got their minds on other things and are more likely to be available for posing. :-)

 

Are you able to set up a blind of some sort or a tree stand? Set one up late next summer in the same area, let them get used to it then go for it. If you've seen them there once you'll see them there again.

 

Good luck.

[mad reilly]

Hey John, Yeh i usually try to go up to my spot a couple of months before and just camp out. Then i hang some old cloths by a tree. Seems to work, they get used to my scent. Too bad my wife hasn't yet. Second photo blunder of the day. I took a bunch of rolls to capture all the beautiful colors and I loaded B&W instead. Bad day altogether. Today it's kind of gloomy, Oh well lession learned.<div></div>

[mad reilly]

But i got a good on of my little guy<div></div>

[gnashings]

Welcome to photography. Don't feel bad, you're in good company - all the people I look up to in this hobby have done something like that. Wait until dark-slides get involved... not to mention darkroom work. Its a minefield of things just waiting to make you feel like an ass. And you do, then you laugh it off, we're human - we all make mistakes. If it makes you feel any better, being relatively new to the hobby is NOT the reason for this. I know plenty of people who have done far more silly things on their several thousandth roll of film - not one of their first!

But does it not feel good to get it off your chest, among people who can't in good conscience look down on you for it - having been there themslelves? Yep, sometimes photography (at least in my rendition of it) is a comedy of errors! :)

 

Good thing is, you are not likely to do that again... well... for a while anyhow :)

[john_f._lemke]

Sounds like you've got a solid plan going, Eddie.

 

I guess it goes this way. You make a mistake that most photographers make and you miss your deer or your fall colors but you also can get a lovely shot of your son you can cherish forever.

 

You can use stealth and camoflage and get 10 - 25 yards from a deer and still have problems. Then you can be driving down the road in the middle of February after the deer have herded up and get something completely unexpected as the sun's going down on the day....................

[ben_hutcherson]

I made a trip to Eastern Kentucky about a right at the peak of the fall colors, and shot two rolls of my prized Velvia 50 film. I did everything right, including careful bracketing when I was unsure, using a tripod, and so forth. I sent them off to a mail order lab along with 5 other relatively insignificant rolls of slide film. Four weeks later, the one roll that contained what I felt were the best shots I'd taken from the trip has to come back(two week service). I don't know whether I'll ever see that roll again.

 

At least the mistake wasn't mine, but it still hurts just as badly in that I don't have and probably won't ever see my slides. I guess it sort of was my fault for saving money and not using the very dependable pro lab I usually do.

[mad reilly]

Well I think I did ok with the next roll of film. But no deer and the weather was'nt the best and the leaves were too brown and bla bla bla. Anyway I did get a good walk and some good pics. I really liked this one because the tree looks like its alive and its coming out to grab you.<div></div>

[mad reilly]

I also snaped this B&W of my son. I was holding him still with my legs!<div></div>