Share your photography mistakes.....

[Marcel]

We've all been there, we've all had at least one. Now it's time to share your photography cockup stories.

I'll start with (one of) mine.

Went out to Anglesey in 2003 for the day. I had my Canon G3 at the time, and not much storage, so had to shoot in JPEG due to storage restrictions.

After taking about 120 pics throughout the day, I got home that night, had a look and about 110 of them had a horrible colour cast. Although the camera was set to Auto White Balance, it seemed it had gotten most of them wrong (Inparticular the Halide(I think) lights in the evening).

So I deleted them.
A few months later, I found out how easy it was to fix them in Photoshop :embarassed:.

So, there's one of my embarassing stories, let's hear yours.
Have you left your camera at ISO3200 for the day by accident? Driven hundreds of miles to a shoot and forgotten something? Loaded film the wrong way round?

Lets hear them

 

[Witch]

On holiday last year, we decided to head out at dawn one day to Calanais, this has one of the most stunning stone circles anywhere - and is fantastic at any time of day but we figured dawn would be nice so the night before we went to bed early in preparation. Up and out just after 5am.....drove to the site.......got the camera out the bag, switched it on, held it up to my eye, pressed the shutter button fort the first shot and nothing happened. Hmmm....strange. Tried again, still nothing. Looked at the screen - totally blank. Now it was about then that the first sinking feeling started. Oh no - the cameras bust, we still have four days of holidays left and I've got no camera. Damn damn and double damn. Then the second and even more sinking feeling started as, clear as day in my minds eye, I pictured the battery charger sitting on the side back at the cottage, complete with two nicely charged batteries on top. :embarrassed: The other half is determined not to ever let me forget that!

I feel marginally less embarassed about it since one night earlier in the year at speedway. Myself and our track photographer are just getting set up on the centre green prior to the meeting. Steve had arrived a bit late so he'd not been there on the parade of riders. After a few minutes he turned to me looking slightly sheepish and asked if I by any chance had a spare set of AA batteries of the kind that flashguns take.....he'd taken his out to change them at home and forgotten to either reload the flash with new ones, OR pick up any spares! Fortunately, I had!

 

[Lufbrarunner]

I was on holiday in Italy and went on a trip to Pompei, as we were getting on the bus at the end of the trip I noticed the film counter was on 35 so I took a shot to finish the film and it wound on so another shot it wound on, it turend out that the leader had not slotted into the take up spool correctly. Only happened once though lesson learned.

 

[dod]

went to my cousins wedding without any cards, had to spend £50 on a 1Gb at a local chemist just so I could get some shots

 

[CT]

LOL.

How about just this morning.

I still haven't got a decent shot of a Blue Tit. For some reason I rarely see them in the back garden and never ever on my tree. Perhaps it's a territorial thing... I dunno? Strangely I see them through the front window in the shrubs in the front garden where they're almost impossible to get a shot of. Sometimes when I'm on the computer they're actually perched on the window ledge outside, and I'm convinced now they're just taking the ****.

Anyway this morning I set the camera up on the tripod with the 500 trained on it's usual spot on the tree. There wasn't much activity so I decided to make a cuppa. On sauntering back to the camera, there was a Blue Tit sat right on the top of my tree. I put my cup down spilling my tea all over the place, pressed the shutter and... zippo.... nada. I hadn't powered up the camera! Aaaaaaaaagh!:nuts:

I powered up just as said Blue Tit scarpered. :shrug:

 

[Witch]

ROFL @ CT! At then of course Sir, there is the small matter mentioned just under your username.....!

 

[Steep]

Not long after I got my 300d I went out for the day and took some thirty or forty shots, when I got home I found I had no CF card in the camera!

The default camera setting is to disable taking of photographs with no card inserted, I'd changed that and of course forgot to put the card in

P.S. and I've done the same as Shillman more than once!

 

[Marcel]

lol very true, Witch.

Some good stories ladies and gents, keep them coming

I regularly do something similar to CT, forget to turn the camera on, and only realise when I go to take the shot.

 

[Warspite]

Took my camera last year to a renewal of vows ceremony to get some extra pics for those involved.

Using only onboard flash to be as discreet as possible, my mistake was leaving the Flash Sync speed at the default setting (instead of setting it to 1/200), meaning lots of shots blurred due to subject movement as the shutter speed was only getting around 20 to 30.

Static shots worked ok, and the important shots were captured by a far more experienced friend, but I still have the urge to kick myself for such a stupid balls up:bang:

(Learned a valuable lesson all the same though )

 

[..MD..]

only last weekend i went out on sat takin some shots on a very dull day . so i wacked up the iso as you do..
sunday was great mediaeval festival on in the town . lovely sunny day out again took about 200 shosts most of which i thought yes wait till i get home .
can you guess what i forgot to do .. i know you have done it to come on admit it...

 

[oldgit]

Probably the worst occasion I've had was the Ruby wedding of my outlaws.

You guessed it - I was taking the photos.

It was about 10 years ago now so I was using film, a 500N and a flashgun.

First thing that happens is the batteries on the flash gun go flat.. expected.
So I stick in the 2nd set... nothing... not a sausage.
That means I'm down to the built in flash. Ho hum.

I fill the first roll of 36 and switch to the 2nd one. Problem is there isn't one. I've only managed to bring along all the used film and leave the unused back at the house.....

Then I get the One and only film back from processing and discover I've had all 5 AF (was a 500n) points active and have several very sharp pictures of the tree/wall in the background..

I can still hear the silence.... :embarrassed:

 

[minimeeze]

I was on holiday in Italy and went on a trip to Pompei, as we were getting on the bus at the end of the trip I noticed the film counter was on 35 so I took a shot to finish the film and it wound on so another shot it wound on, it turend out that the leader had not slotted into the take up spool correctly. Only happened once though lesson learned.

Been there, done that recently on the Dorset meet......
Spent the whole day on the Saturday at Kimmeridge shooting what I thought were some excellent shots for my landscape project at college. It wasn't until the following day at a different location when it came to light that the film hadn't loaded properly so I didn't have any Kimmeridge shots Something I'd never let happen again though!

Got to the Bolton Abbey meet and suddenly realised that my 2x 1GB CF cards were still sat on my desk in Aldershot :embarrassed: leaving me with just a 256MB CF card. Fortunately I was shooting film (which was correctly loaded this time ) - just had to shoot the digital shots in JPeg rather than the usual RAW. Grrr

Went to Marwell Zoo last winter and my battery died half way round cos I forgot to charge it before I went. Kept having to stuff it down my trousers to warm it up and get some life back into it (no smutty comments either please )

 

[oldgit]

(no smutty comments either please )

awwww!
You are no fun anymore. Imtakinmybathome,grumblegrumblegrumble

 

[Ally]

Last year I was up for a the Lord Provost's citizenship award, its a big thing in Dundee that only 7 people get nominated for and you go down in the archives for it. I never won the award the worst part was when I tried to take a photograph and their was no card in the camera :bang: what made it even worse was barely 10 minutes before that they were going on about how my photography had helped the school and that I was already accepted into college to study photography :bang: :bonk: The communications officer at Tayside house was talking to me after the Jack McConnell visit and gave me a special award for remembering to put the memory card in the camera

 

[nilagin]

Took my sons to Snetterton to see the British Superbikes testing the week before the 2006 season started. Got my Paanasonic out which was only about 2 weeks old and my first chance for some action shots with its 12x Zoom lens. Only to find the battery had been left at home in the charger.
Having several Digital cameras which have different ways of scrolling through photos and deleting them, managed to delete about 100 photos when I only meant to delete 1. I've done it a few times too.

 

[Rhodese]

Sometime ago doing a wedding using a 2 ¼”for the formal outside shots and two 35 mm for the rest. I had used a canon A1 with 50mm f1.2 with iso 400 film for the inside church shots, the vicar didn’t allow flash, the other 35mm was a T90 with a 80-200f4 used for candids the T90 has auto rewind the A1 doesn’t I had heard the T90 rewind and continued with the last few candids on the A1, now with the zoom, on reaching the end of the film,yep you’ve guessed It, like the prat that I am, I opened the back to reload I slammed it shut realizing what I had done but iso 400 and June sunlight AAHHH . I did manage to salvage a few; I told the punters it was a special effect. Thank god for digital.

 

[CT]

Sometime ago doing a wedding using a 2 ¼”for the formal outside shots and two 35 mm for the rest. I had used a canon A1 with 50mm f1.2 with iso 400 film for the inside church shots, the vicar didn’t allow flash, the other 35mm was a T90 with a 80-200f4 used for candids the T90 has auto rewind the A1 doesn’t I had heard the T90 rewind and continued with the last few candids on the A1, now with the zoom, on reaching the end of the film,yep you’ve guessed It, like the prat that I am, I opened the back to reload I slammed it shut realizing what I had done but iso 400 and June sunlight AAHHH . I did manage to salvage a few; I told the punters it was a special effect. Thank god for digital.

I did a wedding once using a manual wind 35mm SLR. We'd just come out of the church and were doing some shots outside when the film counter hit No 36. I stupidly tried for the extra shot and felt the lever wind go slack as the adhesive strip parted from the spool in the film canister.

I ended up crawling into a broom cupboard while the vicar and several of the guests stuffed pew cushions around the gaps in the door. I managed to get the film out of the camera and back into the canister, before loading a fresh roll and carrying on.

Character building stuff!

 

[IanC_UK]

I usually find getting out of bed is the biggest mistake i can make ! lol

 

[chewyuk]

Went all the way to the brecon Beacons to take some shots and then realised the my batteries we still charging on the mantelpiece

 

[mrgubby]

I usually find getting out of bed is the biggest mistake i can make ! lol

Getting into bed can be a mistake as well

 

[Col_M]

I've left my old 350D on ISO 1600 then went around the Barbican and Hoe snapping away, i didn't realise until i got home and looked at the pics on my computer :bonk:

 

[pxl8]

My last day at Joe's Basement was my biggest mistake (so far).

Working the night shift in E6, very busy. The replenishment alarm had gone off for the 1st dev. and at the same time someone was pressing the entry buzzer to get in. I went to check the alarm and change the 20ltr cube of chemicals. The spares were stored on metal shelving and the one I wanted was in the corner so I had to take another one off to get at it. As I put the first cube on the floor the buzzer went again so I decided to go answer it, just as I got near the front door the guy I was working with came along so I left him to it. I went back to the chemical rack, picked up the cube I'd put down a minute ago and swapped it out on the machine. Spotted the mistake yet?

45mins later some rolls come off with a red tint but we didn't pay much attention as the tog who shot them was always playing with strange effects. 15mins after that some film for the TVTimes comes off with the same red tint and then the penny drops (more like clangs). I go check and sure enough I'd put the wrong cube on the replenishment rack and the 1st Dev was now sucking bleach into the tank. The two jobs on the machine at the time were the M&S Autumn fashion catalogue shoot and the TVTimes sending a bunch of stars from the Bill and other progs to Bosnia at the time of the orphan thing.

I spent the next few hours with a "oh f**k" look on my face, it was a stupid mistake to make, worse as it was only 7 weeks until my wedding!

I know Joe's paid out £16k for the M&S reshoot, I dunno about the TVTimes settlement tho.

 

[CT]

LOL. Good job it was your last day!

Going back a few years the liability of processors used to be limited to replacing the roll of film, but following a few successful law suits, mistakes can now cost them big time.

 

[h.r.ford]

My last day at Joe's Basement was my biggest mistake (so far).

Working the night shift in E6, very busy. The replenishment alarm had gone off for the 1st dev. and at the same time someone was pressing the entry buzzer to get in. I went to check the alarm and change the 20ltr cube of chemicals. The spares were stored on metal shelving and the one I wanted was in the corner so I had to take another one off to get at it. As I put the first cube on the floor the buzzer went again so I decided to go answer it, just as I got near the front door the guy I was working with came along so I left him to it. I went back to the chemical rack, picked up the cube I'd put down a minute ago and swapped it out on the machine. Spotted the mistake yet?

45mins later some rolls come off with a red tint but we didn't pay much attention as the tog who shot them was always playing with strange effects. 15mins after that some film for the TVTimes comes off with the same red tint and then the penny drops (more like clangs). I go check and sure enough I'd put the wrong cube on the replenishment rack and the 1st Dev was now sucking bleach into the tank. The two jobs on the machine at the time were the M&S Autumn fashion catalogue shoot and the TVTimes sending a bunch of stars from the Bill and other progs to Bosnia at the time of the orphan thing.

I spent the next few hours with a "oh f**k" look on my face, it was a stupid mistake to make, worse as it was only 7 weeks until my wedding!

I know Joe's paid out £16k for the M&S reshoot, I dunno about the TVTimes settlement tho.

Must say so far you win! I bet you never ever ever make that mistake again!

 

[pxl8]

LOL. Good job it was your last day!

Going back a few years the liability of processors used to be limited to replacing the roll of film, but following a few successful law suits, mistakes can now cost them big time.

That's why it was my last day

Liability was never limited to the cost of the film and the pro labs knew it. They'd try it on with Joe Public and amateurs but never with a pro tog.

 

[CT]

That's why it was my last day

Liability was never limited to the cost of the film and the pro labs knew it. They'd try it on with Joe Public and amateurs but never with a pro tog.

That makes sense. Colab lost a wedding film of mine for well over a week. I was having kittens to be honest thinking of the possible consequences. The boss agreed to give me a no quibble letter admitting liability if they couldn't find it, which I could show to the clients, but it didn't ease the stress at the time!

Eventually they turned the place upside down and found it under a filing cupboard having dropped out of an In Tray. I can't describe the relief! I dunno what I'd have done tbh if the worst had happened.

I have to say Colab are top people but **** can happen. :shrug:

 

[Grendel]

OK I wasn't going to admit this but here goes......
Out with some friends a while back, camera in hand, trying to look the part. Everyone very impressed with my camera and kit etc. Turned on the camera, held it up to my eye and all was dark in the view finder. Turned it off and back on, pressed a few buttons but nothing! A bit embarrased I declared that the battery must be faulty or something. Then one of my mates said "would it help if you took the lens cap off?"

Doh! :bang:

 

[DoubleT]

a few years back i went to beaulieu museum which i havent visited for about 12 years. was all exited and was looking forward to taking some nice photos.
only to find out i left my memory card in its reader in my PC at home!! how annoying !
another time visited a Marwell Zoo took 2 photos and battery died , and of corse i had no back up!.. i only went there to take photos!!

ah well, theres always next time.

Matt

 

[Arkady]

All the usual ones:
No film in the Haselblad cassette.
Using the wrong Hasselblad cassette (neg instead of tranny/B&W etc).
Tripping over the studio light cables, sending two sets of Bowens lights to the floor in a concrete-floored aircraft hangar 4 hours drive from any replacements (bounce flash?) while shooting a group phot of RAF Veterans next to a Lincoln Bomber. With no spare bulbs...
(I eventually did a timed exposure and ran round the group with a Metz hammerhead gun doing multiple flashes - oh how we laughed...).
Dev'ing neg film in E6 chemistry/tranny film in C41 chemistry.
Dev'ing unprocessed film and putting the exposed film back in the camera to use again (very interesting).

Yes, thank F*** for digital...