Things you had to learn the hard way

[ruby.monkey]

If working with rangefinders has taught me anything, it's that lens caps should be left at home.

 

[Vaughn]

Don't set up your 8x10 camera and tripod between a herd of longhorns and their watering hole.

I had the 8x10 set up under the redwoods when a herd of elk grazed into my scene. Lesson -- pack up before the bull elk shows up. Fastest take-down and packing away of my camera I have ever done!

 

[RalphLambrecht]

life

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Don't drop your favorite lens into the roar of the Temperance River Falls. That would be sad.

There's a mint (used to be) Mamiya 150mm f/3.5 (for 645) at the bottom of that river if somebody would like to try fetching it.

 

[rpsawin]

When shooting LF remember the dark slide...


Best regards,

Bob
CEO CFO EIEIO, Ret.

 

[benjiboy]

can straight men join in?

Very funny, I never spotted this

 

[bdial]

Someday, I hope to graduate from the School of Hard Knocks.

 

[Analog Swede]

When heading out, be selective about the gear you take with you. Nothing kills the fun of the outdoors when you realise that you are carrying way too much weight on your back and you are miles from anywhere.

+1

 

[Analog Swede]

A few years ago I spent a day in my small boat with my father. It was a sunny and warm day on the west coast of Sweden. I carried only one camera. For some reason I put the camera in a paper bag (with handles) when we went ashore. Seconds later my camera had to experience the salt water of the Swedish west coast. Never carry a camera in a paper bag when you leave a boat. Stupid mistake to say the least. I tried to salvage the camera by drowning it in fresh water and in distilled water followed by cleaning efforts and a thorough drying but it was dead. Fortunately it was only a digital piece of equipment, not one of my beloved real cameras and I could salvage all pictures from the Compact Flash card. These cards can take a lot of punishment. I often leave cards in trousers or shirts and occasionally the cards are machine-washed.

 

[benjiboy]

When friends invite you to their children's weddings after they have found out how much a pro wedding photographer would charge them, remember to leave your camera at home

 

[BradS]

When friends invite you to their children's weddings after they have found out how much a pro wedding photographer would charge them, remember to leave your camera at home

That occasion calls for a 50 year old Spotmatic loaded with HP5+ (outdoors on bright, sunny days) or Tri-X (any day).

 

[Arklatexian]

There are two things that stand out in my memory. First while working in a friend's darkroom, I made an exposure from a favorite negative, developed, ss, fixed and washed. Showed the print to my friend (a graduate of Art Center). His reaction was why did you take it out of the developer before it was completly developed? The lession, leave the print in the developer for the full development time. Also, when out shooting don't lock your keys in the vehicle that brought you.....Regards

 

[Sirius Glass]

Also, when out shooting don't lock your keys in the vehicle that brought you.....Regards

I carry spare car keys in my wallet at all times.

 

[pdeeh]

"it's not that easy to shoot rocks"

 

[Steve Smith]

Always make sure there's film in the camera before heading out the door.

Or make sure your 120 roll film camera has a takeup spool in it so you don't have to sacrifice a roll of film for it - especially when the only film you have with you is Technical Pan.


Steve.

 

[pdeeh]

Remove the darkslide from the side of the holder facing the lens

 

[removed account4]

developer comes first, and alum hardener does not make a good developer

 

[BradleyK]

Chipmunks (or squirrels?) are attracted to bright shiny things...so don't leave 120 roll film where it can be seen by tiny critters (lost two rolls of PanF+, on my last trip to Banff, to a pair of the little varmits who were apparently quite taken with shiny film wrappers, possibly/probably believing them to contain food. Said creatures watched me set up, and when I walked a short distance away, did the old grab and run.

 

[mark]

Don't toss your bad shots/prints. You will learn a lot more from studying those than you will patting yourself on the back for the successes

 

[Sirius Glass]

Remove the darkslide from the side of the holder facing the lens

ROTFLMAO!

 

[pdeeh]

Seriously.
Or do I mean Siriusly?

 

[andrew.roos]

If the film wind-on feels unusually light, check the multiple-exposure selector.... I once did a whole shoot on just one frame.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Seriously.
Or do I mean Siriusly?

Both