DOH!

[mark]

Putting the quick load in backward makes for a funky red image.

Realizing you took the lenses out of the bag to clean them and did not put them back into the bag. you only realize this after a two mile hike and an hour drive.

 

[Robert Hall]

Of course Jorge, that "never" happens. lol

I guess one of my favorites is leaving the lens cap on, on the inside of the bellows. I look at the front, it's ok, nothing! I make sure the film holder is out, NOthing, I make sure the shutter is open, NOTHING. Then after that brief moment of sickness thinking my lens is broken, I remember to check the rear lens cap. <naughty word here>

 

[Peter Schrager]

Nikon F?

Bob Fowler-NikonF? I thought that was a FLUKE that I caught. No wonder all the fish are dead in Raritan Bay!
Peter

 

[bobfowler]

Bob Fowler-NikonF? I thought that was a FLUKE that I caught. No wonder all the fish are dead in Raritan Bay!
Peter

Hey... I was young! I was stupid! I had no future! My tux didn't come back from the cleaners! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!!!

hehehe

 

[eumenius]

Rangefinder pains

Oh, a story with my beloved Fujica G690... an excellent weather, flowers all around, me shooting like mad. The roll should give 8 exposures, and I took much more... how comes? I just forgot to switch a small freaky control from S(heetfilm) to R(ollfilm), so my faithful Fujica shot half of frames (it takes two strokes for 6x9) without any doubt. More, in my rage I forgot to take off the lens cap That was for better, because I finally found out what's wrong with my head, and rewound the whole roll back, using my zipped jacket as a changing bag ))))

Zhenya

 

[Nige]

On my last LF outing I managed a lot of what's been said... I managed to leave the rear len caps on and wonder why I couldn't see anything, double exposure on one sheet... and the accompying blank sheet. I had a dark slide fall out while getting the DD from the bag and a Grafmatic that didn't sound right when cycled although that turned out ok. Other days I've gone to slide the darkslide back in and it wouldn't go cause the film had fallen out (at least you know about that one) and left the lens open while removing the darkslide. I've only done these once each... hopefully after I've performed all the stuff-ups possible I'll be very reliable!

 

[NikoSperi]

Hmmmm... I've NO idea what you guys are all talking about?! Mistakes? I'm with Graeme; don't believe I've ever made any.

Experimentation, now that's different. Empirical testing, also worthwhile:

Did you know it is TRUE that you can shoot a entire roll off a Leica without removing the lens cap? (Max-black test

It is also a fact that, as fast as my reflexes may be, I am unable to reinsert a film back/darkslide I have removed to discover film in there fast enough to prevent fogging. But I am still training on this one, so expect improvements.

In the "do I have enough shots left on this roll for this decisive moment or shall I reload now" blunder... counter reads 23. Cool, more than enough. Click, wind, stop. Expletive. Wtf? Odd, film must have jammed. Rewind, extract, new roll. Shoot shoot shoot... repeat. Frame 24, jam, expletive, wtf... Who in the Rochester firm decided to pack 24 frame rolls of Tri-X?! Only by the third roll did I "get it". :rolleyes:

Empirical test: Is it true that despite the massive red D on one bottle, and an equally massive blue F on another bottle, I will still prove that film will be blank if you fix before developing? And are your results statistically significant, or should you try the test AGAIN just to make sure?

 

[Donald Qualls]

Well, I'll admit it -- when I was shooting some portraits of my grandmother with my Ideal plate camera, I did forget to reinsert the dark slide before removing the holder, once. That's about the worst stuff-up I've had, other than forgetting to reset my light meter from ISO 100 to ISO 320 after switching from Fomapan to Tri-X, and even TXT doesn't suffer all that much by a 1.5 stop overexposure...

 

[MattKing]

travelling film

Ironicallly, this is my first post here. Thanks to everyone who participates - it's great!

How about placing your camera bag into the trunk of your car after a wedding, pulling out the various rolls of exposed 120 to organize them for the lab, lining them up on the bumper of your car as you work, getting distracted, closing the trunk and driving off WITH THE ROLLS STILL ON THE BUMPER.

Or:

Did you know that if you are shooting a wedding and standing up while trying to seal the "exposed" tape on the roll of 120, and you let yourself be distracted, and the roll slips out of your hands, there is a greater than 50% chance that when you reach to grab the roll, you will only get the backing, and the rest will automatically unroll!

Thankfully, the first happened to someone else, but the second happened to me - many years ago though.

 

[TPPhotog]

As this one has come back to life I've enjoyed re-reading it and even found some bits I missed.

Firstly welcome to APUG Matt I'm sure your enjoy it here, we are always happy to read about you and greet you properly in the "(there was a url link here which no longer exists)" if you also want to say "Hi" there

......In the "do I have enough shots left on this roll for this decisive moment or shall I reload now" blunder... counter reads 23. Cool, more than enough. Click, wind, stop. Expletive. Wtf? Odd, film must have jammed. Rewind, extract, new roll. Shoot shoot shoot... repeat. Frame 24, jam, expletive, wtf... Who in the Rochester firm decided to pack 24 frame rolls of Tri-X?! Only by the third roll did I "get it". :rolleyes:

Did this one with HP5+ but the worst bit was that I asked the guy in the store for 36 expo, paid for 36 expo and didn't check before leaving the store or starting to shoot it. Happily I got a refund on the price difference when I went back to the store.

......Empirical test: Is it true that despite the massive red D on one bottle, and an equally massive blue F on another bottle, I will still prove that film will be blank if you fix before developing? And are your results statistically significant, or should you try the test AGAIN just to make sure?

I can second this one but so far only did it once, I got screw on caps on the wrong bottles ... well that's my excuse

 

[Ed Sukach]

Had to be the phase of the moon, or something. Working with black and white, I inadvertently printed the image on *color* paper instead of black and white. Found out about that when I attempted to develop the print in black and white chemistry.
OK .... One sheet wasted ... no great loss. Then I did it again. And AGAIN! Four (4) sheets into the circular file, before I realized that I had placed the Untrafine color paper in the compartment usually dedicated to black and white paper (it was empty at the time)!

Frustrated with myself, I transferred the color paper to the compartment used for 8" x 10" RA-4 color paper ... and I realized, with horror, that I had forgotten whether or not I had Fuji Crystal Archive in there.... I don't know whether I've mixed the two or not. I'll be able to tell after I process the paper - Fuji is "watermarked" on the back. Unfortunately that will be too late...

Booze is the only answer.

 

[colrehogan]

I went to a workshop in 2003 and we were in the darkroom making prints and for whatever weird reason, I kept getting completely black prints. It took me numerous sheets (and an expletive or two) and slamming my fists on the enlarger easel in frustration before I finally realized that I wasn't stopping down the aperture on the enlarging lens. No wonder I have since decided to start doing contact prints.

 

[David]

I rather didn't enjoy packing up all the 8x20 gear onto a cart and trekking back to the edge of nowhere for some hours to do some photography. Forgetting the screw to fasten the camera to the tripod (it's only a small thing) became unforgettable and I haven't forgotten it since.

 

[Pete H]

I was using a pearl finish paper (Acugrade) for the first time last night. Which side is the emulsion? I rediscovered diffused printing though the back of the paper a couple of times before I worked it out for sure ...

 

[Konical]

Good Evening,

Yesterday, I had occasion to photograph an event about ninety miles away. Mostly, this was an outside affair, but the possibility of needing fill flash or having to do some flash-only inside shots existed, so I was careful to take an extra battery pack for the Vivitar 285--just in case. When I arrived, unfortunately, I realized that I had forgotten to take the Vivitar 285! Fortunately, it wasn't a paying job or even a very important one.

Konical

 

[joeyk49]

David, I can relate...

I wanted to do a family shot in front of local lighthouse near my vacation/holiday spot in north carolina, until I realized that the cheapy WalMart tripod that I brought with me requires these quick release adapter thingys that attach to the bottom of the camera...which I conveniently left at the house.

You have no idea the frustration and comedy that followed as I tried to use a handfull of rubber bands in an attempt to secure my 35 to the top of the tripod, while the evening light was dwindling...

I did get a couple of self timer shots off, but they had to be landscape oriented and farther away from the lighthouse than I wanted. I'd rather not go through THAT again...

 

[joeyk49]

Not one to learn quickly from my mistakes... I went back to Wal Mart to by a bigger, better cheapy tripod...

It too uses the quick release thingys...

My first venture outside to do some landscape work...grab the tripod, reach into the drawer and grab two of the quick release thingys ('Cause I remembered the beach experience) and head out to my scene. Set up the tripod. Attach quick release thingy to bottom of my TLR. Go to attach unit to tripod...and discover that the bigger, better cheapy tripod uses biggger, better quick release thingys...and I grabbed the ones for the smaller cheapy tripod...AAAARRRRGGH!!!!

So, I practiced my 1/30 sec hand held techniques that day...

 

[rogueish]

&*#%@ !

I had bought my first roll of Kodak HIE. Loaded it in my camera while in the darkroom. Went out (15 min. drive) and started taking shots.

Just did the samething again! This time it didn't catch at all. 38-39 shots on one frame.
got up extra early loaded the film and headed out. Got to the park, it doesn't open untill 9:00am. So I walk around the entrance a bit, get a nice shot of the dew sparkling in the early morning sun beside the old cedar rail fence. Pay the $4 for parking. Walk all over the park (once it opened) and take (IMHO) some seriously excellent shots (go ahead, prove me wrong ) Look at the counter and it's on 34. I usually get one extra shot off a roll. When the winder didn't stop after shot 37, I knew something was up. Fire off 2 more real quick, still not stopping . By this time the clouds are moving in pretty heavily, and I'm starting to feel little drops of rain.
So I have a roll of HIE re-loaded into my camera, just waiting for improved weather conditions.

 

[leeturner]

Bought a minty Autocord so decided to load up a roll and go and test it. Spent a couple of hours and a few rolls on this idyllic venture. Developed the film and my stomach sank. Everything was way out of focus on every roll from the Autocord yet the ones from my Rolleicord were spot on. I then spent a couple of hours inspecting the camera but could'nt see anything visibly wrong, I even taped a piece of ground glass to the back to check the focussing but still stumped. After deciding to put the camera away and drink vast quantities of Pinot Grichot I happened to look at the UV filter when putting it back on. Whilst they look the same a #2 closeup filter doesn't quite work the same as a UV!

Almost as bad as the wedding shoot (I don't like doing them but this was for "friends") when the bride and groom sat there beaming at me whilst signing the register and my smile of encouragement turned to one of rictus as the batteries died on the camera before I could get a shot. This wasn't helped by the best man muttering "what a load of bollocks" behind me.

Oh and the boring V8 race were nothing happened until my camera jammed and then there was a multiple pile up right in front of me.

 

[Magnus]

I broke my in two places once trying to save my Hassleblad from crashing to the ground, saved the Hassy.

I unleashed my tripod and one leg came of, bounced on the rubber end thing straight through the narrowest little opening in a bridge into the donau.

Poured Chateau neuf du pape all over my leica m3 + 50mm summilux at the end of an enervating evening in a restaurant thinking it was my glas.

Had at least 20 gallons of beer and other not yet defined liquid substances poured over me and my M3 whilst trying to capture the atmosphere a punk concert back '75

Again my m3, whilst holding it on the end part of the strap the camera was about 6 inched from ground level happily dangling there when all of a sudden the leash of a german sheppard dog got tangled, I pulled, the dog froze, I pulled again now only harder the dog got angry, tore off at great speed dangling my M3 along the way. The lens died the camera still lives upon the day of today... bit bumped bent and schratched, but this adds to the character...

Whilst tee-ing at golf in a friendly match with some collegues I hit the ball obviously, but in my after swing struck my mates Canon T90 out of his hands blowing to smithereens, as was also the case with his hand.

.... and these things are only camera related.... thank go this is not a DIY forum hehehehehe

 

[benjiboy]

Yeah, "Life's a bitch, then you die".

 

[colrehogan]

I did a boneheaded thing last week. I fired off the shutter without pulling the darkslide. However, at the time, I couldn't recall whether I had pulled the darkslide and just put it back in incorrectly or had just not pulled it out at all. I developed it the other day and it turned out that I hadn't pulled it. I had gotten in a hurry trying to get the shot. Oops!

 

[Pete H]

Tried close ups with my 5x4 for the first time ... worked out a bellows factor of 6, so I increased the exposure by 6 stops. Some seriously over-exposed film here. :rolleyes:

 

[joeyk49]

I did a boneheaded thing last week. I fired off the shutter without pulling the darkslide. However, at the time, I couldn't recall whether I had pulled the darkslide and just put it back in incorrectly or had just not pulled it out at all. I developed it the other day and it turned out that I hadn't pulled it. I had gotten in a hurry trying to get the shot. Oops!

That tops mine...first LF shot of my life...set up tripod, selected image (River scene), took readings...set shutter, re-took readings, left shutter set, focused, refocused...took a deep breath and fired...

Forgot to pull the dark slide...duh! Pulled the slide took the shot, all was well.

Then, a friend came by the scene and I had to show him my new toy...I had put a new cassette in and taken a shot. Took out the cassette to show him. When I went to reinsert the cassette in to the back, I realized that I had flipped it, once, or was it twice? Guessed and reloaded and shot...fortunately guessed right (I hadn't marked the cassette sides) phew!

 

[bobfowler]

I brain farted this afternoon...

Was shooting some 5X7 at a local park. Made my first exposure, moved to a different location, got everything set, inserted film holder, made next exposure, then saw that I had made the second exposure on the same sheet of film as the first.

I hate when that happens...