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Archive 2014 · Your best "MacGyver" moment on a job?

  
 
k14process
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Your best "MacGyver" moment on a job?


What I mean by this is we all have been on a job and for some reason or another forget to bring or lack the proper tool required to get the shot. And we scramble around to find something that will work.

I personally have repaired torn softboxes with chewing gum (disgusting I know but got the shot), and gaff taped my 4x5 back together after it fell down a cliff (strong wind and my back was turned, hey I was 18 at the time!) and used it the same day on a critical assignment.

Just curious if anyone else has made some engineering marvel to save the day.



Feb 16, 2014 at 10:57 AM
sjms
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Your best "MacGyver" moment on a job?


generally that I get the shot that both I and the people I'm doing work for are satisfied with. my work is highly varied and requires some fast thinking. it seems most of my work needs a little more effort due to its lack of prior accurate info.

back a few years ago I was requested to "assist" a person that needed to photograph a particular book of photographs at the Ellis Island facility archives of the NPS (I do a bit of work for them all over). the night before (so as to not look like a complete idiot) I reviewed the operating docs for the camera they chose to use which was a Hassy H4D-40. before this day I had never even looked at one other then at the Photo Plus shows in NYC. the next day the gentleman arrived with the rental case full of gear and handed it over to me. I looked at him and remarked "aren't I helping you?". his response was "i have no idea how to operate this thing". for some strange reason I had a feeling this was going to happen. I had already loaded the Phocus software for remote use on my laptop. you know, just in case. so I gave him the "well I did stay in a holiday inn last night" line and promptly took over the situation. I even had my assist standing by. 5 hours later he had his shots and I had my intro to the H4D. I have used it a few more times after that for other jobs. quite a different feel from what I was used to.



Feb 16, 2014 at 11:21 AM
k14process
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Your best "MacGyver" moment on a job?


Haha that is amazing!!! It makes me think of the 5 P's: Proper planning prevents poor performance. Well done!


Feb 16, 2014 at 11:35 AM
NikonManiac
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Your best "MacGyver" moment on a job?


In TYBD (the years before digital) I was in Utila, Honduras on a diving vacation. I was using an Ikelite housing with a Nikon N70, the only camera I owned that fit the housing. This also in the days before rechargeable camera batteries but, no worries, I brought three on the trip. Based on past trips, I shouldn't even have to use the second battery, let alone the third.

Then Murphy struck. For some reason, my strobe and camera stopped talking correctly and the camera would never go into non-metering, standby mode. The first battery was dead by the end of the first day. Battery two was toast before noon on day three.

No one carried the correct battery; it was McGyver time. I went to the general store and found AA batteries. Another store had wire. It was back to the room to try to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

With some thin cardboard, the wire, AA cells and duct tape (never travel without duct tape) I was able to rig battery packs that I could fit into the housing and connect to the camera. It didn't look good but it worked.

I lost half a day of shooting but I stil consider it a successful trip.



Feb 16, 2014 at 12:52 PM
k14process
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Your best "MacGyver" moment on a job?


That's insane! But a great example of using what you have to find a solution. Brilliant.


Feb 16, 2014 at 02:58 PM
sjms
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Your best "MacGyver" moment on a job?


k14process wrote:
Haha that is amazing!!! It makes me think of the 5 P's: Proper planning prevents poor performance. Well done!


thats what i try to live by when working though at times there seems outside forces trying very hard to prevent. and then again I am married with child.



Feb 16, 2014 at 05:42 PM
ZoneV
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Your best "MacGyver" moment on a job?


On the flight to Peru one of my two cameras stopped working - back then film camera.
At the hotel I took a pocket knife and opened the camera bottom, and could it un-jam.
So I could use it during the 2-3 weeks holiday with no further problem.

When the mirror of my EOS 5D dropped off (typical problem there) I planned to replace it with a 100% mirror. But cause I want to use the camera until I found a fitting mirror from an old SLR camera, I used Gaffa tape to tape the old mirror in place:
http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/Canon_5D_mirror_replacement.html

The screw for the column from Manfrotto 055 tripod doesn´t prevent the column from rotating. So one day I screwed it too hard, the tripod base broke. Ireparied it with a hose clamp - and it still works this way 20 years later as my main tripod.




Feb 22, 2014 at 07:23 AM





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