When was the last time you screwed up ...

sedwards · Feb 2, 2017

Let's see... From the times I thought my film was engaged on the take up spool to severely - and I mean severely - underexposing whole rolls to turning on the room lights with a stack of photo paper out in the open to selling my Leica II just so I could move somewhere with one of my exes... The list goes on! Oh, maybe my brightest moment was dropping a developing tank while agitating thus spilling developer everywhere and exposing the film!

pdeeh · Feb 3, 2017

fdonadio said:
Nikon cameras (the ones I used, anyways) force you to activate the multi-exposure switch every time you want to re-expose the same frame.

I don't own a nikon

fdonadio · Feb 3, 2017

pdeeh said:
I don't own a nikon

I see. That was my point.

BMbikerider · Feb 3, 2017

Two days ago when I was using my ETRSi. I accidentally set the multi exposure lever so that I 'took' about 6 images on one frame before I noticed. Fortunately I was able to go back and re-take them again. As I was able to take them again it wasn't a complete screw-up, so does this count?

pdeeh · Feb 3, 2017

I've come to realise that not taking a photograph (or losing one, or a wrecked negative, or a lost negative, or a crashed hard drive or an irrecoverably deleted file) ... Doesn't (and don't) really matter.

If photographs do matter at all, it's only the ones that actually still exist that have any bearing on life.

twelvetone12 · Feb 3, 2017

Yesterday I did some prints without removing the red filter from the enlarger. At least I know it does not fog the paper

LAG · Feb 3, 2017

pdeeh said:
I've come to realise that not taking a photograph (or losing one, or a wrecked negative, or a lost negative, or a crashed hard drive or an irrecoverably deleted file) ... Doesn't (and don't) really matter

Well IMHO ... apart from the fact that there is actually a big difference between not taking/having it and taking/having it, otherwise I agree

Rick A · Feb 3, 2017

getting out of bed this morning.

pdeeh · Feb 3, 2017

LAG said:
Well IMHO ... apart from the fact that there is actually a big difference between not taking/having it and taking/having it, otherwise I agree

That there is a difference between those things is not being denied or commented upon.

Patrick Robert James · Feb 3, 2017

I wanted to reset the condenser height on my Focomat since the glass carrier I have kludged together takes up a lot of vertical space. No problem there. Put in a spacer. Came out perfect. The problem came when I noticed the bulb was in a little crooked and felt loose so I gave it a little tighty-tighty but it still felt a little loose... Figured it was just the old socket. Got the Focomat back in place. Turn on the enlarger to focus and POP! Turns out I tightened the bulb right out of it's base. Now I just have to pop down to the store and pick up one of those short necked Focomat bulbs....

LAG · Feb 3, 2017

pdeeh said:
That there is a difference between those things is not being denied or commented upon.

I didn't realise that "you have come to realise" was related with the previous post. I screwed up! (no better place)

Vaughn · Feb 3, 2017

pdeeh said:
I've come to realise that not taking a photograph (or losing one, or a wrecked negative, or a lost negative, or a crashed hard drive or an irrecoverably deleted file) ... Doesn't (and don't) really matter.

If photographs do matter at all, it's only the ones that actually still exist that have any bearing on life.

I have not taken (or not successfully taken) many photos that are as important (to me and my photographic endeavors) as the ones I did take. For example, the 70+ sheets of 4x5 I exposed in NZ on a 3-month hitch-hike around the county -- almost none came out due to a light leak in the back. The experience of setting up, metering and taking those 'images' made them some of the most important film I have ever exposed. They gave me the reason to take 5 years to save the money to return -- new 4x5, new bike, plane ticket and cash for a 6 month trip. And they gave me the experience with the NZ light to return home with images for a solid portfolio.

In addition, many images I see as I walk around inform me as much as the ones I actually take and print.

But I agree that "If only..." and other related phrases are a waste of mental energy.

MattKing · Feb 3, 2017

Some of the people here have obviously not worked as wedding photographers....
Although I did photograph one wedding where I had no input on the schedule whatsoever, and the bride who created the schedule included absolutely no time to take formal portraits of the bride and groom.
Naturally, they were disappointed when there were no formal portraits of the bride and groom taken.
So they booked the church again, got back into their "costumes" and we shot some!

LAG · Feb 3, 2017

MattKing said:
Some of the people here have obviously not worked as wedding photographers...

I did, up to three different - poorly paid - times. But all the "screws" tightly fitted.

fdonadio · Feb 3, 2017

Rick A said:
getting out of bed this morning.

Yes, but we all keep doing that for no apparent reason, day after day. This doesn't really count.

Cheers (and I mean it),
Flavio

silveror0 · Feb 4, 2017

When was the last time you screwed up ...

You mean what time today?

Wayne · Feb 4, 2017

I put a gallon of RA-4 developer that was in a glass jug into a warm water bath without loosening the cap. Liquid and gas expands when heated. Glass, not so much.

plummerl · Feb 4, 2017

Two weeks ago, I picked up my M6 to load a roll and go. Opened it up to load said roll and stared at a half used roll of film.

removed account4 · Feb 4, 2017

i keep forgetting to change the iso dial on the agfa i am using
instead of 400 it thinks i am shooitng iso 25 film every time i load another cassette ...
can't change it midstream because half the roll will be over ( or is it under ) exposed
and by the time i put another roll in i hav already forgotten to do it again

faberryman · Feb 4, 2017

What time is it?

Dennis S · Feb 4, 2017

Not engaging the roll anti rewind tab on my X-700 with motor drive. Second time (NOT same day) for me as ALL my other cameras do that automatically.

c41 · Feb 5, 2017

Wayne said:
I put a gallon of RA-4 developer that was in a glass jug into a warm water bath without loosening the cap. Liquid and gas expands when heated. Glass, not so much.

Yikes. That makes me think back to many of my homebrewing (beer) mistakes, the very first being never drink and brew!
I'm guessing (and hoping) no greater injuries than dented pride?

Beyond the normal 'rote' mistakes like lens caps and loading/unloading film, a favorite is to include my coffee cup in dawn landscape shots.

An empty camera on a stunning afternoon in a town I'll probably never see again is probably my saddest but pales in comparison to Vaughn's, well done for getting back there!
You must have been pretty nervous developing those first sheets from your second time around?

mrosenlof · Feb 5, 2017

(1)
There are the boring compositions, missed focus, poor exposure.

and one I haven't seen in this thread yet
(2)
Yesterday while cutting 35mm negs to put in a 6 frames x 6 rows print file page, I cut one piece 7 frames long. Grrr. Yes, I could stick in in and cut the next strip 5 frames, but. Item (1) was in effect, so I looked carefully at the two ends of the 7 frame strip. Picked the least boring of the two, either would have been disposable to be perfectly honest, and cut off the single frame.

David T T · Feb 5, 2017

Vaughn said:
I have not taken (or not successfully taken) many photos that are as important (to me and my photographic endeavors) as the ones I did take. For example, the 70+ sheets of 4x5 I exposed in NZ on a 3-month hitch-hike around the county -- almost none came out due to a light leak in the back. The experience of setting up, metering and taking those 'images' made them some of the most important film I have ever exposed. They gave me the reason to take 5 years to save the money to return -- new 4x5, new bike, plane ticket and cash for a 6 month trip. And they gave me the experience with the NZ light to return home with images for a solid portfolio.

Brutal! And you beat my story!

I had just picked up a Sekor C 65mm for my RB67, my first wide for this camera, and it was spotless. So spotless, in fact, that it didn't occur to me to test it. Maybe it hadn't been used ever? Anyway, I was excited to shoot Fall foliage with my new wide angle, and packed up my RB with the 65, 90, and 127, a couple of backs loaded with Ektar, Marchioni Tiltall (what else with an RB?), bag of rocks, cement shoes, etc. and hiked 15-20 miles with this heavy ass kit. 12 hours I was at it. I got exactly ONE image back, when I got over my excitement enough to swap in my 90mm. I think I actually cried. The above quoted post puts it in perspective, though!

Wayne · Feb 5, 2017

c41 said:
Yikes. That makes me think back to many of my homebrewing (beer) mistakes, the very first being never drink and brew!
I'm guessing (and hoping) no greater injuries than dented pride?

Beyond the normal 'rote' mistakes like lens caps and loading/unloading film, a favorite is to include my coffee cup in dawn landscape shots.

An empty camera on a stunning afternoon in a town I'll probably never see again is probably my saddest but pales in comparison to Vaughn's, well done for getting back there!
You must have been pretty nervous developing those first sheets from your second time around?

No injuries, but painting of the kitchen walls will take place sooner than planned. Fortunately it didn't explode it just kind of went kerploooshnk as I went to pick it up. The bottom dropped clean off and a wave-splash rolled up out of the dishwashing tub it was in and onto the painted wall. I wiped it off, I thought, but a couple days later stains emerged that I can't get off. Funny (haha) because I almost never do anything with chemicals in the kitchen. Just got lucky I guess.

When was the last time you screwed up ...

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