Biggest stuff ups ever
When it all goes wrong, how to come back again…well, life goes on-and so do you! This may have happened to you…
A very long expose’ of fobiles of the past.
Thought I’d share some. Because they were the worst, traumatic moments…at the time, and thank goodness, only made once-you learn a lot from them!
So I thought I’d let people know what I’ve done wrong-especially good for beginners!
And also, probably won’t happen to you-cos digital clears up a lot of this…
No film.
You think you’re organised. You’re nervous. You take the five band members on these mission location shoots in the dark. Thankfully, this is preSERIOUS professional days-when one roll would never be enough!
Anyhow, you’re all excited to see the photo’s, you’re planning to develop them straight away…and you take a few more the next day,. You go into the darkroom with the camera…Oh mi god-the experience is lost!
But the memory will always remain-check the little window at the back of your film camera. Today’s equiv-check you have the memory card in the camera. (not that it’ll work without it-just make sure you bring it!)
Exposing the film.
I decided to hook myself up with a more experienced photographer to learn the ropes of wedding photography. Straight out of the yellow pages. He was nice enough to oblige.
He showed me how to fiddle with his camera, a rather complicated, old fashioned thing. Mid wedding, he asked me to unload and reload. I thought I heard the click of the film being totally wound back. I swear, I’d been doing this for awhile, I knew what I was doing. Not with that camera! I was so mortified, I could barely speak-I’d opened the camera and exposed the photos of the ceremony.
The only way I could calm down was to say ‘Will I still be here in a year? Will my life go on? Will I still be affected in a year’s time, even if I don’t end up this guy’s assistant? (not that he’d offered!) ‘ Yes, I’ll be ok, I need to tell him…
And then the thread at the bottom of the camera that connected the tripod disappeared. Somehow the replacement of that rested on my shoulders. The least I could do after that stunt….(he did say I was good with people..(yes). I don’t think he wanted to see me after I told him though! He was very gracious, despite it, saying everyone makes mistakes. Thank god, because I was melting.
Exposing the film twice.
Yes, back in the days of film and un-automatic camera’s, there were those ones that needed to be wound back by hand. I would usually fold back the end of exposed film, the bend being the sign the film had been exposed. But not religiously. Until the day I exposed film twice.
Of course, it was another band shoot, where the girls went to lots of effort to look good, getting all dressed up and spending hours on hair. At least by then, I’d use a few rolls. Hence the confusion. When everything finally gets rolling, you move fast!
We got a few extra shots than planned-because I used the same roll twice by mistake.
There were a few happy accidents in my book-but not the desired effect for the band :( Oops. I always folded the film after that.
Not enough film.
I got to go to a very high profile gig, and be one of three photographers at the Entertainment Centre. Yes, I had experience, yes I had both a diploma and degree in photography. But I was shit scared. I hadn’t done too many live gigs.
The other photographers agreed with my film choice, speed and recommended not to worry about a red filter-it would be faster without it (to catch the action). They were really friendly. I turned around, seeing what it’d be like as a performer-imagine looking out at that sized crowd. No wonder it’s an addictive buzz. No wonder they make a huge effort to prepare etc-it’d be awful to be in front of that many people and not be really good! And there I was, right up close. Speeecial!
Photographers are only allowed to stay for the first three songs. I had three rolls of film. Thought that’d be PLENTY. Nah. No way. Geez, when you have an international performer in front of you-they are that renown because they are damn good. Seriously entertaining, charismatic, fascinating to look at and moving n shaking. Three rolls gone by one n a half songs. I felt like that kid in the ‘for the broken’ moment of the ad-just totally dismayed in myself, and scared to death I didn’t manage to get anything decent in three rolls.
Film ending during the action.
Lucky for me, I could go back the second night. Yes, really ‘spoilt’, as my dad would say, or, rewarded for the huge effort I’d put in at work (it was work related). This time, I planned to go back, armed, and full of new knowledge.
I’d processed the film from the night before. There were some gems. There were things I’d done just out of pure point n shoot lust. Some technical improvements could occur. It was a two person performance (plus band), and I’d really neglected the guitar playing member of the band. I vowed to make it up that night.
I followed that guy across the stage. Despite a dramatic entrance, there was not too much this guy did-he was talented audio, but the lead singer was where the action was. Still, I’d made a decision.
Finally, he noticed I’d been ‘following’ him. He came over, to ‘give it up’. I’d graduated camera’s, to an electric thing, that wound itself back at the end (no double exposures for me!). At that precise moment, the film was finishing. This laid back, behind the scenes performer was letting loose…and I had to shake my head, and gesture the film winding action. It was like a scene from ‘Extra’s’. He shook his head in disgusted and prowled away. I was so humiliated.
But I’m still here. Lost in oblivion, with or without a photo of that guy!
Hehe. Well, RB’s not oblivion!
I’ll be back!
Mark Ramstead
You have a lot of guts. I admire that.
Samantha Van S...
thanks mtn man. no guts, no glory!
Craig Goldsmith
A great tell all tale Sam.. a emotional roller coaster.