Your most embarassing moment as a photographer!

[YesDear]

The other thread I started about age has brought several people to relate photography stories or experiences. It made me think of my most embarrassing moment as photograher.

I used to shoot weddings, primarlily for friends that could not afford a real photographer. One of my best friends from high school was getting married and asked if I would shoot her wedding. Her husband to be had a mom that always talked about her famous dad. I never paid that much attention to what she said.

At the wedding, I was taking pictures with My F2 and an old Braun F900 flash. This was the bees knees in flashes in those days. Well, I am taking pictures of the family after wedding and this very pleasant older gentleman introduced himself to me. He then proceeded to ask me some questions about my flash. Well I guess I had been tainted by his daughter's boastfull attitude, so I really just blew him off. In hindsight I was actually pretty rude to the man. I am sure I came off worse than the mother of the groom every did. He just smiled and went about his business.

Well, as things always seem to work out I later found out who this man really was. His name was Dr. Harrold Edgerton, professor emeritus of MIT and holder of 43 blue million patents, most in the area of lighting and photography. He actually invented the strobe light. You know all those famous pictures of bullets through apples, etc, The slow motion movies of milk drops and golf swings? Yep he invented the process and the lights!!!

Yea I am an idiot!

Well the was a happy ending, I actually wrote him and appolgized for my behaivor. He wrote me a vey nice note back and actually sent me an autographed photo framed of a bullet going through an apple.

Never prejudge who you meet by who they are with or associated with.

SO....


What is your most embarrassing moment?

[fitzperry]

What a blown opportunity! You probably missed out on some fascinating conversation. Sounds like he should have been shooting the wedding.

Your set up reminded me of a friend from college who met Tom Cruise in a bar about 15 years ago and asked him what he did for a living. After hearing his response our friend finally noticed the tall redhead sitting next to him. :lmao:

[Experiment_626]

Wow! I saw a program many years ago about Edgerton. I found his photos fascinating and have remembered them (and him) ever since.

I don't have any really embarrassing stories that are photography-related, but I did have a very close call once which could have proved humiliating. This was back in my journalist days in the mid '90s; I was an editor, but it was such a small newspaper that I did a little of everything except run the press and sweep the floor. One of the things I really enjoyed was shooting high school sports, especially football and basketball. Well, I went to a big football game one evening. It was only the first quarter when there was a nice pass play for the team I was covering, and a receiver started up the sideline toward my position. I had a great vantage point, but I thought I could get an even better shot if I got down low. Well, when I squatted, my pants leg met resistance from my slightly sweaty leg and wouldn't slide -- and my jeans split at the crotch, more or less in front of a thousand or so spectators! I stood up quickly, wondering how to escape as quickly as possible. However, as I looked around, I realized that no one had seen it. Whew! However, I had a problem -- my pants were split, and I still had a game to shoot. I certainly didn't have enough shots to leave. I couldn't go home and change and return, because I lived almost 50 miles away. I was afraid I was just going to have to leave and hope the publisher would cut me some slack (or some slacks, which would have been helpful at that point). But thankfully, I remembered I had a light jacket in the car. I retreated -- carefully but casually -- to my car. I grabbed the jacket and tied it around my waist. Anyone who noticed would have presumed I had it in case it got cooler before the game ended. It hid any potential embarrassment perfectly, though I was self-conscious about it the entire time. And I don't think I squatted the rest of the game!

I dodged a bullet that night ...

SSB

[YesDear]

For those that are interested here is a link to the picture I have from Doc Edgerton

http://www.arco-iris.com/George/edgerton.htm

[Geoff_M]

Wow, you blow off "Doc" Edgerton! You win! ;) I can't touch that. I was going to throw in the time that I unknowingly stepped in front of the shot of the chief AP photographer at Indy and got royally chewed out in front of several of my peers, but.... never mind!

My favorite work of his are the nuclear test photos that show an atomic bomb at the instant of detention: Rapatronic Camera & Photos (http://simplethinking.com/home/rapatronic_photographs.htm)

[drcandon]

Well, I can't top any of these...I have had my usual embarassing photography moments - shooting a wedding - loaded new film - looked down and the frame advance counter ain't going anywhere...ripped leader - lucky for me it was preliminary shots that could be re-posed ( is that a word??) - soooo glad digital is the way to go...

However I do have a story - did not happen to me (supposidly true - the photographer has a reputation for honesty -so I don't doubt him)...he was a wedding photgrapher at the time ( it was not that long ago - but before digital - just to set the stage). As I understand it, one of the bridesmaids asked for him to go to a room to take some photos of the bride....no big deal so far - had same thing happen to me, but read on...He knocks on the door and is bidden to enter. Goes in, closes door behind him turns around and - you guessed it - here is the bride in a veil, high heels, garter and well, nothing else....guess she wants some, errrr glamour photos for the groom...my friend had a well deserved reputation for professionalism and discreteness, so I guess that is what got him this gig...

Also, he developed some of his own colour shots ( he had a huge colour darkroom - I was envious)...I guess, the bride knew of this, since I doubt she wanted this stuff developed by a commercial lab and end up - well - back then it would be on electronic bulletin boards ( remember them??)

So, non-plussed he proceeded to do what she wanted.....

I never got to look at the shots ( darn it) guess he gave everything to the bride and groom..

Oh yea..as a moral to the story, that couple are still happily married - hmmmm??

And of course this is way before digital..if you get my meaning...

[MarkBarbieri]

My most embarrassing photography moment happened at WDW. I was there just before Halloween. For fun, I decided to dress up in costume for the park. I put together a totally over-the-top ridiculous outfit as a super-nerd photographer. As it happened, I met another photographer there and she took a picture of me in my costume. Later, she posted the photo on a photography forum without the context that it was a Halloween costume, so all of the other people on the forum thought I was some deranged geek that wanders around Disney World festooned with all of this outlandish gear.

[jann1033]

My most embarrassing photography moment happened at WDW. I was there just before Halloween. For fun, I decided to dress up in costume for the park. I put together a totally over-the-top ridiculous outfit as a super-nerd photographer. As it happened, I met another photographer there and she took a picture of me in my costume. Later, she posted the photo on a photography forum without the context that it was a Halloween costume, so all of the other people on the forum thought I was some deranged geek that wanders around Disney World festooned with all of this outlandish gear.

well that would probably fit 90% of the posters here;)

[Mick00]

My most embarrassing photography moment happened at WDW. I was there just before Halloween. For fun, I decided to dress up in costume for the park. I put together a totally over-the-top ridiculous outfit as a super-nerd photographer. As it happened, I met another photographer there and she took a picture of me in my costume. Later, she posted the photo on a photography forum without the context that it was a Halloween costume, so all of the other people on the forum thought I was some deranged geek that wanders around Disney World festooned with all of this outlandish gear.

Any chance of a link to that picture hehe :-P

[safetymom]

That was my costume to the Halloween party I went to several times at MK. :)

[DVC Jen]

Probably every time I leave the lens cap on and can't figure out why my camera isn't working.

BUT - I would have to say - it was when I cleaned my sensor - took that photo of the sky and then upon viewing it burst into tears thinking I had ruined my sensor - only to be asked by my oldest, "umm Mom? Isn't that just the leaves from a tree?"

Gonna be a long time before I live that one down around here.

[JR6ooo4]

This one time, at WDW I was taking pics of a Mickey great, and he turned and waved at me!!!! I was sooo embarrased!
http://MnMStudios.smugmug.com/photos/69240985_vPR57-M.jpg

MIkeeee

[thecatsss]

lens cap.

on.

[thecatsss]

oh...and inadvertent reflections.

[ElizK]

lens cap.

on.


I did that. Do you know the talking garbage can in Tomorrowland? Yes, the Talking Garbage Can told me "Your lens cap is on, Mom!" Nice. I was done. Time to go, kids! My kids tease me about that at every opportunity.

[Karenj2]

When I was in High School, just learning photography, I joined the local volunteer fire company (probably because of a cute guy). They needed to take pictures of each volunteer for some reason, so I offered to help out. Well, it was a manual camera, and I hadn't quite figured out the whole flash/shutter speed thing, so EVERY picture of EVERY volunteer was half black/half bottom-half (and probably a bit blurry to boot). And this was film, so I of course didn't realize my error until after I got the pictures developed.

I think I just never went back.

[MarkBarbieri]

Any chance of a link to that picture hehe :-P


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1613775&page=2#21

[bnorm27]

:rotfl2:

[My2Girls66]

I did that. Do you know the talking garbage can in Tomorrowland? Yes, the Talking Garbage Can told me "Your lens cap is on, Mom!" Nice. I was done. Time to go, kids! My kids tease me about that at every opportunity.

:lmao:
Gotta love the talking garbage can:)

[ElizK]

:lmao:
Gotta love the talking garbage can:)


:blush:

;)

[MontanaZoo]

That dang Manual when you think you're on Av....I usually switch between the two settings but the animals at the zoo I photograph with Av since they are so fast. I was out at the tiger exhibit and our 600 lb + siberian male was going through incredible acrobatics, clawing on trees, really great stuff and there was fresh snow in the exhibit too. I was sure I was getting tremendous pictures. Until I noticed I was on M instead of Av and they were all extremely washed out.

My niece looked at me and told me that she hated my camera. I was still having a major d'oh moment. :) She was just as excited as I was about the photos and knows that I have a tendency to run out of battery power, or memory card or something while out on grounds (since I don't take my full camera bag with us) and usually at the worst moment.

[Crystal_27]

UG - mine happened at CRT. Although I was using my f2.0 lens, it was still too dark in there to get a usable shot of my DD with Cindy without a flash. So, I proceeded to snap on my external flash and power it up. Well, the PhotoPass photographer told me to get my picture first, but my flash had yet to cycle (it's so slow), so I had to tell her to just go ahead and take the picture (I didn't even snap one). I know what the PhotoPass photographer was thinking: another crazy mom with lots of fancy photography equipment that she doesn't know how to use. How embarassing! :headache:

[DebºoºS]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1613775&page=2#21

:rotfl2:I remember seeing that pic and thinking geez Mark really does go to the parks prepared for any shot:laughing:

[william4192]

no story, just subbing

[Kyen]

Last September I took my niece to MK to meet the princesses. She went up with my sister to Sleeping Beauty and took her picture, then she went up to Cinderella without a problem, the final princess was Belle, as I was taking a picture of just Belle the photopass photographer asked my niece if she wanted to take one with Belle, my niece just looked at the guy and said "NO CAUSE BELLE IS STUPID!" and walked to the door. :scared1:
I was left standing there just looking at Belle who was laughing. Just before leaving I apologized for my neice, Belle said that she has been called lots of things but NEVER Stupid. Leave it to my niece