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RustyBug wrote:
Okay, so its circa 1988 out at the San Diego Wild Animal Park (not quite Africa, but ...)
I see the male and female lion up on a ridge ... too far to get anything decent even @ 600mm (300 + 2X). However, I see them make their way down from the ridge into some bush that is closer for their afternoon siesta.
I stand alertly on watch for 3 hours for them to come out from the bush. Staff and patrons would come by and wonder what I was so intently watching for, as there was nothing to be seen. Time goes by, and I am finally rewarded greatly, as they make their way out of the bush and stroll up to me. Proximity = literally petting distance (through chain link fence) ... and lose your hand if you dare try. Sun is going down, park is closing in 15 minutes.
I'm sensing once in a lifetime opportunity ... so after I take my first shot (no chimping in 1988), I switch my gear into automatic mode, figuring I'd blow it shooting my normal manual on slide film.
I go through my last roll of slide film (36 exp.) on these two. Get on my motorcycle, ride back into SD straight to my custom lab and drop off my most prized roll of shots ever. All the way there, all I could think about was don't let my film get hurt if I get in an accident.
After waiting two agonizing days for processing, I pick up what is going to be the start of my Nat Geo career worthy slides. To my incredible dismay, I have 37 slides (I rolled tight) of essentially black images, with very light smattering of "gray" sparkle.
I had flash fill set on, and the flash distance to the fence was so short that it was reflecting the light back and the auto-sensing aspect clamped down on my exposure to virtually nothing.
The one and only shot (slight oof @ too close) was the one that I took in manual mode before switching. I don't think I've ever been more "sick" about blowing it than then.
Okay ... who's next?
...Show more →
No wait, what!? They had 300mm lenses way back then? And Extenders!
"the start of my Nat Geo career"
That line is where I fell to the floor laughing. Glad I'm not the only one that has had those thoughts.
Thanks for sharing that sad story Kent. You got me laughing at myself again. I feel better now.
The sad part is, I know it's just a matter of time before I do something silly again. But hopefully it won't be due to the mistakes I made that night.
I can not imagine what it must feel like if you are a big time paid Nat Geo Photog and do something stupid that causes you to loose the shot(s). I'm sure it's a rare event but you gotta know it must happen.
Dave
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ben egbert wrote:
Gotcha beat. Robert Capa (I think it was him) shot D-day and sent the roll back to England for processing where the lab guy ruined it.
Ansel Adams was getting off a float plan in Alaska and dropped a bunch of plates into the water.
That cheating Ben. I wanna here about YOUR pain and suffering.
Do plates go bad once they are wet?
Regardless, wouldn't that be nice to find them even if they were trashed.
Dave
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