Forgetting to bring things-)

I think I'm learning I need a check list to make sure EVERYTHING is in the bag. Luckily I was home but it's was a serious pain going back into the house to find the things that I thought had been put into the bag. Of course the wind kept blowing so I'm sure the negatives are going to be fuzzy no matter what-)

In my long romance with photography I have left for trips leaving certain items behind. So far I have always had film, but have done tings like leaving behind the cable release, quick release adaptor for the tripod, and exposure meter.

So now I force myself to do a check of essential items that should and must be in the bag. It's very difficult to shoot 5x7 without being able to use a tripod.

Mike

I once drove 200 miles to a location that I'd wanted to photograph for a number of years and, unusually, on this occasion took my wife. I packed the car with all the stuff you take on a weekend away and when I got to the location remembered that I'd left all the camera kit on the kitchen table.
Of course I blamed my long suffering wife and we've had many laughs about it over the years.

Everything in my medium format kit has a place in a large pelican case. I put everything back in its place when I am done using it. Of course, there is no place for a tripod in the kit. On several ocasions I have got ready to set up for a shot and realized that I didn't have a tripod After trying to handhold my RB with a 180 lens a couple of time, I have realized that it is a complete waste of time. I now (try) to remember my tripod when I go out on shoots What did you forget Robert?

I used to carry sheet film separately in a cooler. I don't know how many times I would get to a place, get all set up, wait for the light...and then no film.

So now I always carry at least some film with the camera.

I have also forgotten cable releases, filiters, etc.

dgh

I finally had to breakdown and buy a second loupe because I was always leaving it in the darkroom where I used it on the light table to evaluate negatives.

Started out when I clued into the fact that being about five feet away meant I should take into account bellows . Had to go looking for a tape measure. I think I still screwed it up-)) Then I had everything setup and ready to go and went to put the filter in front of the lens. Of course the holder I had didn't fit the lens I wanted to use. Oh forgot to bring a hat to use in place of a shutter. Had to use a film holder-)))

Of course this leads into a parallel topic of what have you left behind at theplace you made a photograph. Like the time I got about 60 miles before I realized I had left a brand new light meter sitting on a log.

Camera...


It's true! I brought tripod, 8 lenses, 6 holders, 80 sheets of film, loupe, dark cloth - but forgot the camera...

I was lucky, it was the "waterfall" scene. All of 2 minutes from home. But still...

I've forgotten plenty of stuff at home. What sticks with me, though, are those times I revisit a place and find stuff I'd lost there. A week ago I went back to an abandoned farmhouse and found my lens brush sitting on the old iron stove, just where I'd left it 11 months ago.

I do the following, so I'll always have anything I need. If I try to remember each time I go out, it's certain that I'll forget something.

I keep everything that's not camera specific in my photo jacket. That's my Zone VI spotmeter, my Sekonic flash meter (for incident readings), cable release, step up rings (for the Hasselblad), filters (deep yellow, 85B and green), step up adapter for the Artar and lens shade for same. Also various and sundry rolls of film, note pad, a pen, and reciprocity tables. I keep this in the trunk of the car along with my tripod. When I go out I decide which rig(s) (Hasselblad, 4 x 5 or 8 x 10) I want to take and put them in the trunk. In this way I know that no matter which I selected, no essential will have been left behind. When I get to wherever it is I'm going to be shooting, I just don the jacket and I'm ready to go. Since I started doing this I haven't uttered "Oh, DAMN! I forgot whatever...." even once.

I can usually find a work-around to leaving most things at home (though Ole's got me with forgetting the camera... make-shift pinhole?), but I'm usually at a loss as I usually forget to bring my creativity with me.

Poco said:

I've forgotten plenty of stuff at home. What sticks with me, though, are those times I revisit a place and find stuff I'd lost there. A week ago I went back to an abandoned farmhouse and found my lens brush sitting on the old iron stove, just where I'd left it 11 months ago.

Click to expand...

What is that saying? "Leave nothing but footprints and lens brushes"?

One year my buddy and I went way out in the wilderness camping/photographing. The major event was me to borrow his 8x10 for the trip. Drove half a day, got ready to photograph, and the question each of had was, "Didn't you bring the ground glass?"

Worse thing I've forgotten was my spot meter.... I was able to guess pretty close, however.

Last trip, I forgot to pack socks. Luckily, those are a lot easier to find (and cheaper)!