Stupid Mistake

[Digital]

This afternoon I had a shoot involving a "grip & grin" photo for the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). This photo will be sent to the newspaper in hopes that it will be published for advertising purposes.

Later this same afternoon, I took several photos of a lady, who had modeling experience, for an impromptu shoot.

In both instances I was having difficulty with obtaining a proper exposure although I did manage to obtain an "acceptable' shot for the AARP session.

I knew something was not quite right since I normally obtain proper exposures using the settings I had set on the camera.

After some study, and noticing the speedlight was not displaying its normal configurations, it dawned on me that the camera, and speedlight were not "communicating" properly. Solution: I removed the speedlight from the hotshoe mount, and immediately reattached it. Problem solved.

During the AARP meeting I had mounted the speedlight onto the camera; however I never bothered to check if it was seated properly. I did not fire up the camera, and flash until I was ready to take the first photo of the AARP shoot.

Moral: NEVER assume that your equipment is going to function properly. Before a shoot, not during the shoot check that all systems are a go. Attempting to figure out what went wrong during a photo session is embarrassing to say the least.

I hope I have learned from this "stupid mistake"

Bruce

[Dave Humphries]

Moral: NEVER assume that your equipment is going to function properly. Before a shoot, not during the shoot check that all systems are a go. Attempting to figure out what went wrong during a photo session is embarrassing to say the least.

Bruce, most of us learn this the hard way at some point, and some (me included) still manage to find 'variations on a theme' when we get complacent (and think we know what we're doing).

I did a shoot yesterday and although I did check the basics before the model (my grand-daughter) arrived on set, I still managed to only spot some basic flash lighting errors after having got half way through each set with myself.

Still, at least this time I avoided the (too embarrassing to say) mistake I made on her previous shoot

Cheers, Dave

PS
What is it they say; 'we learn more from our mistakes'.
However, the smart ones learn from other's mistakes - and by being 'on the ball' while playing the game.

Chant after me:
I must be methodical
I must be methodical
I must be ...

[Shadowman]

I had my moment last weekend, it was five minutes before an event and I decided to check my exposure settings and fired off a few shots, or at least I tired. nothing happened when I pressed the shutter release button, then a few seconds later the camera would fire. I thought perhaps I'd set the camera to back-button focus, that didn't work, etc. My last option was just throwing the camera against the pavement and then thought to look at the mode dial, sure enough I forgot I had set the camera to timer mode. This is what happens when you take forum members advise and read the manual.

[Mike Buckley]

A great lesson to learn, though the mistake is not nearly as stupid as the mistakes I have made.

[tbob]

My dad had a saying that I have stolen. "Once is a mistake, twice is an error, three times is idiocy". He also gave me the saying I use in my signature

In my veterinary practice I strive to avoid doing the same mistake twice, instead I concentrate on finding new ways of messing up. Amazing how fruitful that search has been.

[dennybeall]

OK, I have to jump in. I shot an entire Senior Living Facility taking multiple shots for HDR. The entire time I'd forgotten the camera was in AUTO -ISO. On top of that I just didn't check each shot because time was short.
Totally wasted day - BOOOOOOooooooo didn't even send the invoice.

[pat3pee]

I am also guilty of "not always checking before you shoot". Must say though, thanks to the software programs we have, we can often save some of the mistakes we make.

The other day at our usual meeting place for coffee whilst sorting out the world's problems, the owner came up to us for his usual chat. I had my camera with a 70-200mm lens with me and quickly shot some pics of him. It was midday,full sun and 35C . My camera was set on ISO 6400 and aperture at f/2.8 so the camera obviously selected the fastest shutter speed it has 1/8000s but it wasn't enough. Picture was completely washed out,overexposed , and the AWB showed a horribly blue magenta colour. Thanks to the Adobe Camera Raw controls I could sort of set it as seen in real life.





Cheers/Patrik

[rpcrowe]

In well over 60-years (I am 76) of photography, I have made just about every mistake that can be made.

Early in my career, my excuse was that I was learning but lately I use "senior moments" as the excuse.

The root of any problem now is laziness and complacency. I am so use to most of my equipment that it functions as an integral part of me - EXCEPT WHEN IT DOESN'T.

[CP140]

My best... back in the film days...not loading the film correctly and not noticing that the rewind crank was not moving every time I cocked the shutter.

[leprechaun]

Rpcrowe, I don't use senior moments! I call it sometimers syndrome, some times I remember and some times I don't.
With dslrs it's easy to forget to checks the settings. I now check the photo view after the first shot.

Hey CP140. any relation to the CP140 long range patrol aircraft? Just wondering as I used to build some of the wing components.
Yes I've done the sane thing with the old film camera not loading it in the sprockets right. however one occasionally get a good shot through their mistakes.

[CP140]

Rpcrowe, I don't use senior moments! I call it sometimers syndrome, some times I remember and some times I don't.
With dslrs it's easy to forget to checks the settings. I now check the photo view after the first shot.

Hey CP140. any relation to the CP140 long range patrol aircraft? Just wondering as I used to build some of the wing components.
Yes I've done the sane thing with the old film camera not loading it in the sprockets right. however one occasionally get a good shot through their mistakes.

Yep... got a bunch of hours logged out over the North Atlantic looking for big grey things whose crews spoke Russian...

[plugsnpixels]

And this is why I no longer have the nerve to do wedding photography! Last time was in film days, which was even worse because 1) you couldn't see what you were getting and 2) the lab could mess it up even if you didn't. Glad to say I never had a disaster wedding, but too much stress anyway. Fine art is where it's at...

As for digital, RAW is wonderful and covers a multitude of sins.

[Shadowman]

Shall we add a theme song to this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiZfviToAlo

[rpcrowe]

"As for digital, RAW is wonderful and covers a multitude of sins." I had not set up the computer I had just received when I ventured up to L.A. Airport to shoot the our Korean rescue dogs arriving. One of our volunteers told me that she had an editing program set up on her computer which I could use while the ladies were checking over the dogs.

Anyway, I shot RAW + JPEG and "tried" post processing my JPEG images on a version of Paint that was so old, it may have post dated the digital age

The results were pretty poor to say the least but, I had to use them because the images were needed. I am slightly overwhelmed with the vast number of rescue dogs we have in our home right now but, now that my computer is up and running, I will return to the RAW images and post process them. I will post the results of a couple of images shot in JPEG with Post Processing done in that old version of Paint and images shot in RAW and post processed in CS6.

[GrahamS]

In well over 60-years (I am 76) of photography, I have made just about every mistake that can be made.

Early in my career, my excuse was that I was learning but lately I use "senior moments" as the excuse.

The root of any problem now is laziness and complacency. I am so use to most of my equipment that it functions as an integral part of me - EXCEPT WHEN IT DOESN'T.

I spent a whole morning shooting in and around a nice little village recently and only when I got home and went to download the images did I notice that the camera mode was set on "M" and not "A". Thankfully, the iso was set to "Auto" which saved my bacon.

[leprechaun]

In 2013 on a visit to Ireland, we went to Blarney Castle. We drove from Dublin and I did not take my dslr but just too my P&S coolpix. So we get to the castle grounds and I take a few photos then I get a message, memory is full. I only got 4 photos as I forgoten to install an SD card. Dumb! half a dozen sd cards sitting in the hotel room in Dublin. Luckly I was able to copy some photos from my nephews sd card onto my laptop.

[rpcrowe]

Always resetting your camera to the same parameters at the end of a shooting session will prevent or minimize picking up that camera and starting another photo shoot with the wrong parameters chosen.

I have goofed and started shooting with the wrong exposure, ISO or focus style selected. Sometimes it takes a shot or two to realize my error. However, with dog portraits, sometimes the first shot or two produces the best results.

[zen]

I suppose we've all had our share, and I've had plenty - but for me, this last Saturday was the first for THIS one.

After shooting all day at Ft Niagara - scenes of volunteers in a re-enactment of the War of 1812, complete with a very sharp Redcoat drill team, which is seen only rarely on this side of the river, then getting home to download - only to find that I'd forgotten to put a card in the d--- thing! What a bone-head! I'll not live this one down easily!

Zen

[Hans]

LOL! Some great opportunities for smart people like me to learn from those mistakes.

While shooting some portraits of the kids on Kodak Portra with an old Nikon FE recently I opened the back to have a look at the pictures. Now that was stupid! 🙃

[Shadowman]

I say a stupid mistake is a deliberate move to return to an event/location we'd otherwise cast off as a past memory. Sure you won't be able to create the exact moment in time, but hey life is about making memories ...