What photo ops have you missed or regretted not shooting?

normhead · 06-16-2012, 03:16 PM

Mine is 44 years old now. I was coming back from my GF's house on the bus, crossing the 401. An oil tanker overturned and rolled right out the right side window. The bus driver slowed down to rubber-neck and i convinced him to stop. I got out with my old Pentax SV and snapped off a roll of film. When I got home I discovered the leader wasn't attached to the take up spool and the film had never advanced in the camera. I never made that mistake again. And I also never got a chance for picture of a rolled oil tanker in the midst of flames from an over pass of the 401 again either. I always told that story to my students, who also probably never made that mistake again. So maybe some good came of it.

**Dma110** · 06-16-2012, 05:13 PM

Last month in Bearizona (a drive thru animal park south of the Grand Canyon), a very friendly year old golden bison named Annabel tried to climb onto the hood of our car. She got both front legs on the hood, but slid off.
I had my camera in my lap, but didn't have time to pick it up.

Tonto · 06-16-2012, 11:08 PM

A young Nun having a smoke in an Alleyway in full habit. I had my FA31 on and didn't want to step forward to get the shot as she may have noticed me. 'Should' have just cropped- Doh!

slackercruster · 06-17-2012, 05:21 AM

Originally posted by Tonto

A young Nun having a smoke in an Alleyway in full habit. I had my FA31 on and didn't want to step forward to get the shot as she may have noticed me. 'Should' have just cropped- Doh!

Sounds like some really great missed shots we all have suffered through. I esp like the smoking nun though!

**JimJohnson** · 06-17-2012, 05:38 AM

My failed shots fall into four categories, some already mentioned: inability to anticipate the event and be ready (driving, happened too fast, and so on), my mechanical failure (had changed a camera control and forgot to reset it, didn't properly load film, FORGOT something critical (like fresh film!)), my camera's mechanical failure, and the one that really frustrates me -

I see something that I really like, but know there is no way (at least with available time & resources - and not necessarily just photo gear) to capture an image that lets other see this same something the way I do. Yesterday it was a small island in an inland lake deep into the forest (10 miles / 16KM and nearly an hour's drive from the nearest maintained gravel road). Cameras are great tools for capturing detail - but weak tools for capturing a gestalt. The island called out to me, but only within the whole of its surroundings.

vonBaloney · 06-17-2012, 09:00 AM

Originally posted by JimJohnson

My failed shots fall into four categories, some already mentioned: inability to anticipate the event and be ready (driving, happened too fast, and so on), my mechanical failure (had changed a camera control and forgot to reset it, didn't properly load film, FORGOT something critical (like fresh film!)), my camera's mechanical failure, and the one that really frustrates me -

I see something that I really like, but know there is no way (at least with available time & resources - and not necessarily just photo gear) to capture an image that lets other see this same something the way I do. Yesterday it was a small island in an inland lake deep into the forest (10 miles / 16KM and nearly an hour's drive from the nearest maintained gravel road). Cameras are great tools for capturing detail - but weak tools for capturing a gestalt. The island called out to me, but only within the whole of its surroundings.

Yeah, sometimes you need to put the camera down and make yourself fully present and just soak in the scene for yourself.

normhead · 06-17-2012, 09:35 AM

Quote:

The island called out to me, but only within the whole of its surroundings.

We experience that everyday. We walk our dogs in a forest that goes for over 100 miles. I have yet to take a shot that in anyway gives one a feel of what it's like to be in that forest. A camera can see maybe 100 feet. But the wind, the sounds I hear, the distances when I can see the ridges, sometimes I'm looking at something 5 miles away. What i see, even through the trees tell me how big it is. In an image, there could be a parking lot after 100 meters. You'd never know. If I start walking straight north and walk 25 miles a day until I hit the Ottawa River, it will be two weeks before I'm back. And I won't see another soul through all but a day (when I cross the trans Canada Hwy) of that walk. How do you convey that in an image?

**JimJohnson** · 06-17-2012, 09:50 AM

I'm familiar with the terrain - or at least travelling alongside it. Beautiful country.

RioRico · 06-17-2012, 10:25 AM

I'll suggest that our greatest 'missed' photo-ops are those we don't even see, that we don't even look for.

I reside now in a fairly remote mountain hamlet, rural-suburban housing in deep evergreen forests. The modular and tract-style houses are mostly behind trees. Monotonous trees. I have walked this terrain for many years. I barely see it now. To shop, we must drive 20 mountain miles downhill to the county seat, and back, on a narrow highway with traffic too heavy to allow casual stopping and shooting. I've driven this route so many times that I no longer see it either. Zillions of photo-ops may exist here, but I'm blinded by familiarity.

Maybe I should get a moped, to cheaply go to other nooks and crannies. Maybe I just need to wake up.

Old Man · 06-17-2012, 08:13 PM

I have missed countless photos over the years, seems like the best remembered were the ones I did not have a camera with me.

Tonto · 06-17-2012, 09:09 PM

Originally posted by slackercruster

Sounds like some really great missed shots we all have suffered through. I esp like the smoking nun though!

Your not meant to like a shot I missed!

It served its purpose, it changed how I shot with the 31.
Before I was always thinking it was too wide for my 'minds eye' but if I subbed it out for a 43 or a 40 I wouldn't get the wider shots in the street at all.
You can always crop or zoom with your legs- you can't always step back.

Paleo Pete · 06-18-2012, 04:43 PM

You just had to get me started....

Let's see....walking the lake bank, saw a shadow scoot by and heard a hawk squeal. 2 Red Tail Hawks circled me a half dozen times, and squealed at least that many times. Where was my ME Super? Over a mile away on the kitchen table. They were about 20 feet high.

Bald Eagle flew down the woods road on the way to the same place, lit on a limb about 30 feet in front of me, 20 feet up. I had the ME Super hanging around my neck and soon as I moved my hand to grab it the Eagle flew away, I never had a chance.

Filling the gas tank of my old 76 Ford truck in Lufkin TX, heard a loud noise and looked up. The overpass about 50 yards away curved in front of the station and a tanker truck took that curve too fast. It turned over and slid down the overpass against the steel rail at least 100 yards. I was really glad the guard rail held...the camera, ME Super again, was on the front seat but no time to grab it.

Yesterday...walking the pier at Black Bayou Lake and a green Heron flew by. Two people in front of me the first second or two then it was in the trees...no chance...ditto for the great white egret a few minutes later.

I miss them all the time, but the worst ones were when I didn't have a camera. That's why it is ALWAYS on the seat beside me these days. In the past 30 years I've left the house twice without a camera. Once was when the hawks flew over, that's what made me start carrying it all the time. The other time was a few weeks ago, I just plain forgot it. It's there right now, even though I don't plan on using it this evening but you never know. I'm at the local library and have gotten several shots of squirrels and birds right here where I sit. Because I had the camera on the passenger seat...I can also see it looks like a decent sunset coming on, I might go out shooting after all...

slackercruster · 06-18-2012, 05:25 PM

Originally posted by Paleo Pete

You just had to get me started....

Let's see....walking the lake bank, saw a shadow scoot by and heard a hawk squeal. 2 Red Tail Hawks circled me a half dozen times, and squealed at least that many times. Where was my ME Super? Over a mile away on the kitchen table. They were about 20 feet high.

Bald Eagle flew down the woods road on the way to the same place, lit on a limb about 30 feet in front of me, 20 feet up. I had the ME Super hanging around my neck and soon as I moved my hand to grab it the Eagle flew away, I never had a chance.

Filling the gas tank of my old 76 Ford truck in Lufkin TX, heard a loud noise and looked up. The overpass about 50 yards away curved in front of the station and a tanker truck took that curve too fast. It turned over and slid down the overpass against the steel rail at least 100 yards. I was really glad the guard rail held...the camera, ME Super again, was on the front seat but no time to grab it.

Yesterday...walking the pier at Black Bayou Lake and a green Heron flew by. Two people in front of me the first second or two then it was in the trees...no chance...ditto for the great white egret a few minutes later.

I miss them all the time, but the worst ones were when I didn't have a camera. That's why it is ALWAYS on the seat beside me these days. In the past 30 years I've left the house twice without a camera. Once was when the hawks flew over, that's what made me start carrying it all the time. The other time was a few weeks ago, I just plain forgot it. It's there right now, even though I don't plan on using it this evening but you never know. I'm at the local library and have gotten several shots of squirrels and birds right here where I sit. Because I had the camera on the passenger seat...I can also see it looks like a decent sunset coming on, I might go out shooting after all...

Would be nice if we started a thread for the shots that almost got away...be it for the camera that we pack. (Which I don't pack, but need to!)

slip · 06-18-2012, 06:37 PM

I love children, and would love to do a mom,dad, and newborn...but being a male my wife seems to be the lucky one to do the work

Randy

Tom Woj · 06-18-2012, 07:32 PM

Missed a great day for shootings on Saturday just gone. I was filling in as a bassist for a local band for a couple of gigs which I thought would be play one, rush off to the next, play, go home. So regret not shoving my camera in the car as we hung around both gigs for a ages and there were other bands playing.

One was a beer festival too, so great photo ops for the local brewers and companies, could have got some good networking pics. Oh well.

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06-16-2012, 03:16 PM	#16
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	Mine is 44 years old now. I was coming back from my GF's house on the bus, crossing the 401. An oil tanker overturned and rolled right out the right side window. The bus driver slowed down to rubber-neck and i convinced him to stop. I got out with my old Pentax SV and snapped off a roll of film. When I got home I discovered the leader wasn't attached to the take up spool and the film had never advanced in the camera. I never made that mistake again. And I also never got a chance for picture of a rolled oil tanker in the midst of flames from an over pass of the 401 again either. I always told that story to my students, who also probably never made that mistake again. So maybe some good came of it.

06-16-2012, 05:13 PM	#17
Dma110 Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Gilbert Arizona Posts: 559	Last month in Bearizona (a drive thru animal park south of the Grand Canyon), a very friendly year old golden bison named Annabel tried to climb onto the hood of our car. She got both front legs on the hood, but slid off. I had my camera in my lap, but didn't have time to pick it up.

06-16-2012, 11:08 PM	#18
Tonto Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wellington Posts: 969	A young Nun having a smoke in an Alleyway in full habit. I had my FA31 on and didn't want to step forward to get the shot as she may have noticed me. 'Should' have just cropped- Doh!

06-17-2012, 05:21 AM	#19
slackercruster Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NE, USA Posts: 1,302 Original Poster	Originally posted by Tonto A young Nun having a smoke in an Alleyway in full habit. I had my FA31 on and didn't want to step forward to get the shot as she may have noticed me. 'Should' have just cropped- Doh! Sounds like some really great missed shots we all have suffered through. I esp like the smoking nun though!

06-17-2012, 05:38 AM	#20
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,772	My failed shots fall into four categories, some already mentioned: inability to anticipate the event and be ready (driving, happened too fast, and so on), my mechanical failure (had changed a camera control and forgot to reset it, didn't properly load film, FORGOT something critical (like fresh film!)), my camera's mechanical failure, and the one that really frustrates me - I see something that I really like, but know there is no way (at least with available time & resources - and not necessarily just photo gear) to capture an image that lets other see this same something the way I do. Yesterday it was a small island in an inland lake deep into the forest (10 miles / 16KM and nearly an hour's drive from the nearest maintained gravel road). Cameras are great tools for capturing detail - but weak tools for capturing a gestalt. The island called out to me, but only within the whole of its surroundings.

06-17-2012, 09:00 AM	#21
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by JimJohnson My failed shots fall into four categories, some already mentioned: inability to anticipate the event and be ready (driving, happened too fast, and so on), my mechanical failure (had changed a camera control and forgot to reset it, didn't properly load film, FORGOT something critical (like fresh film!)), my camera's mechanical failure, and the one that really frustrates me - I see something that I really like, but know there is no way (at least with available time & resources - and not necessarily just photo gear) to capture an image that lets other see this same something the way I do. Yesterday it was a small island in an inland lake deep into the forest (10 miles / 16KM and nearly an hour's drive from the nearest maintained gravel road). Cameras are great tools for capturing detail - but weak tools for capturing a gestalt. The island called out to me, but only within the whole of its surroundings. Yeah, sometimes you need to put the camera down and make yourself fully present and just soak in the scene for yourself.

06-17-2012, 09:35 AM	#22
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	Quote: The island called out to me, but only within the whole of its surroundings. We experience that everyday. We walk our dogs in a forest that goes for over 100 miles. I have yet to take a shot that in anyway gives one a feel of what it's like to be in that forest. A camera can see maybe 100 feet. But the wind, the sounds I hear, the distances when I can see the ridges, sometimes I'm looking at something 5 miles away. What i see, even through the trees tell me how big it is. In an image, there could be a parking lot after 100 meters. You'd never know. If I start walking straight north and walk 25 miles a day until I hit the Ottawa River, it will be two weeks before I'm back. And I won't see another soul through all but a day (when I cross the trans Canada Hwy) of that walk. How do you convey that in an image?

06-17-2012, 09:50 AM	#23
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,772	I'm familiar with the terrain - or at least travelling alongside it. Beautiful country.

06-17-2012, 10:25 AM	#24
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	I'll suggest that our greatest 'missed' photo-ops are those we don't even see, that we don't even look for. I reside now in a fairly remote mountain hamlet, rural-suburban housing in deep evergreen forests. The modular and tract-style houses are mostly behind trees. Monotonous trees. I have walked this terrain for many years. I barely see it now. To shop, we must drive 20 mountain miles downhill to the county seat, and back, on a narrow highway with traffic too heavy to allow casual stopping and shooting. I've driven this route so many times that I no longer see it either. Zillions of photo-ops may exist here, but I'm blinded by familiarity. Maybe I should get a moped, to cheaply go to other nooks and crannies. Maybe I just need to wake up.

06-17-2012, 08:13 PM	#25
Old Man Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Indiana Posts: 171	I have missed countless photos over the years, seems like the best remembered were the ones I did not have a camera with me.

06-17-2012, 09:09 PM	#26
Tonto Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wellington Posts: 969	Originally posted by slackercruster Sounds like some really great missed shots we all have suffered through. I esp like the smoking nun though! Your not meant to like a shot I missed! It served its purpose, it changed how I shot with the 31. Before I was always thinking it was too wide for my 'minds eye' but if I subbed it out for a 43 or a 40 I wouldn't get the wider shots in the street at all. You can always crop or zoom with your legs- you can't always step back.

06-18-2012, 04:43 PM	#27
Paleo Pete Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,880	You just had to get me started.... Let's see....walking the lake bank, saw a shadow scoot by and heard a hawk squeal. 2 Red Tail Hawks circled me a half dozen times, and squealed at least that many times. Where was my ME Super? Over a mile away on the kitchen table. They were about 20 feet high. Bald Eagle flew down the woods road on the way to the same place, lit on a limb about 30 feet in front of me, 20 feet up. I had the ME Super hanging around my neck and soon as I moved my hand to grab it the Eagle flew away, I never had a chance. Filling the gas tank of my old 76 Ford truck in Lufkin TX, heard a loud noise and looked up. The overpass about 50 yards away curved in front of the station and a tanker truck took that curve too fast. It turned over and slid down the overpass against the steel rail at least 100 yards. I was really glad the guard rail held...the camera, ME Super again, was on the front seat but no time to grab it. Yesterday...walking the pier at Black Bayou Lake and a green Heron flew by. Two people in front of me the first second or two then it was in the trees...no chance...ditto for the great white egret a few minutes later. I miss them all the time, but the worst ones were when I didn't have a camera. That's why it is ALWAYS on the seat beside me these days. In the past 30 years I've left the house twice without a camera. Once was when the hawks flew over, that's what made me start carrying it all the time. The other time was a few weeks ago, I just plain forgot it. It's there right now, even though I don't plan on using it this evening but you never know. I'm at the local library and have gotten several shots of squirrels and birds right here where I sit. Because I had the camera on the passenger seat...I can also see it looks like a decent sunset coming on, I might go out shooting after all...

06-18-2012, 05:25 PM	#28
slackercruster Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NE, USA Posts: 1,302 Original Poster	Originally posted by Paleo Pete You just had to get me started.... Let's see....walking the lake bank, saw a shadow scoot by and heard a hawk squeal. 2 Red Tail Hawks circled me a half dozen times, and squealed at least that many times. Where was my ME Super? Over a mile away on the kitchen table. They were about 20 feet high. Bald Eagle flew down the woods road on the way to the same place, lit on a limb about 30 feet in front of me, 20 feet up. I had the ME Super hanging around my neck and soon as I moved my hand to grab it the Eagle flew away, I never had a chance. Filling the gas tank of my old 76 Ford truck in Lufkin TX, heard a loud noise and looked up. The overpass about 50 yards away curved in front of the station and a tanker truck took that curve too fast. It turned over and slid down the overpass against the steel rail at least 100 yards. I was really glad the guard rail held...the camera, ME Super again, was on the front seat but no time to grab it. Yesterday...walking the pier at Black Bayou Lake and a green Heron flew by. Two people in front of me the first second or two then it was in the trees...no chance...ditto for the great white egret a few minutes later. I miss them all the time, but the worst ones were when I didn't have a camera. That's why it is ALWAYS on the seat beside me these days. In the past 30 years I've left the house twice without a camera. Once was when the hawks flew over, that's what made me start carrying it all the time. The other time was a few weeks ago, I just plain forgot it. It's there right now, even though I don't plan on using it this evening but you never know. I'm at the local library and have gotten several shots of squirrels and birds right here where I sit. Because I had the camera on the passenger seat...I can also see it looks like a decent sunset coming on, I might go out shooting after all... Would be nice if we started a thread for the shots that almost got away...be it for the camera that we pack. (Which I don't pack, but need to!)

06-18-2012, 06:37 PM	#29
slip Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,535	I love children, and would love to do a mom,dad, and newborn...but being a male my wife seems to be the lucky one to do the work Randy

06-18-2012, 07:32 PM	#30
Tom Woj Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Stafford, UK Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 163	Missed a great day for shootings on Saturday just gone. I was filling in as a bassist for a local band for a couple of gigs which I thought would be play one, rush off to the next, play, go home. So regret not shoving my camera in the car as we hung around both gigs for a ages and there were other bands playing. One was a beer festival too, so great photo ops for the local brewers and companies, could have got some good networking pics. Oh well.