One year this week! Yes, it's been a year since I visited Don's photo and Ron sold me my first digital camera, the Canon 40 D. I still remember unwrapping it and gingerly placing it on the softest surface I could find-didn't want to scratch it! It's kind like the purchase of a new car-New rules apply- Park far away from the rest of the cars in a parking lot (don't want dents!) And I'm sure the "no food in the car" rule is effect for at least the first 3 months after purchase. I don't know what it is but as time goes on little changes begin to happen, eventually the fast food becomes acceptable when driving and dents-well, they just add "character". So too I think it is with the purchase of a camera. I don't know how it happens but as a photographer, I started to develop a kind of friendly familiarity with my gear. My first camera, the Canon EOS Rebel(film) I still have to today. It's 18 years old, but we've shared many a vacation together, photographed many family events and was always reliable for me. I still wouldn't think of selling it. It's family! So too it is with my Canon 40 D. We've been through over 24,000 images together this year!
This week I let her down! During a shoot, the sync cord I was using got wrapped on my leg and my attached camera, that I so gingerly placed on a ledge, came crashing down about 4 ft. onto concrete! I heard the crash and turned around in time to see it bounce up off the concrete and go crashing down yet again. Slow motion would be an understatement! I'm surprised I had the calmness to walk over to it a casually pick it up -when all I really wanted to do is scream-NO! NOT MT BABY!
It looked okay- Monitors seemed to work-I took a couple of shots-looked okay. I finished the photo shoot and afterwards spent a little more time inspecting it. I noticed some scraping by the top of the pop up flash and thought I'd try the flash. ERROR 4, Obstacle, (or something to that effect popped up on my monitor.) UHHHHH!!! Shear terror grabbed my heart! Who could tell me what to do. I spied Ross in the Studio and thought he would know what to do. I'm sure Ross saw the terror in my eyes, the sense of bewilderment and shock. He took it from me and within minutes had used pliers to pry the pop up flash open to get it to open and closed again.
I was sooooo relieved! (You can see the damage above the "C" in the above picture).
The next day I spent some time talking to Ross and he told me a number of stories of how other photographer's and himself had had accidents with their gear, and Paolo, a friend and fellow classmate, told me I was now considered a "Pro" because I had gone through this experience. (Some form of initiation that was!) Talking about it lessened the pain a little. I still couldn't look at it for a day. I think I was a little to traumatized, maybe a little scared I would discover something else was wrong. It was the next evening that I was ready to deal with the truth. Was the Camera really okay? I happened upon a garden tour that evening in the neighborhood and thought it would be perfect opportunity to see if it still could take a good picture. It was very therapeutic evening -I think we're going to be alright-A little more "characterized" and definitely looking forward to year two together!
2 comments:
hahahaha! Oh Ebonie! Your poor camera! I'm glad it's o.k! :D
Battle scars, Ebonie! Be proud of them. It means you and your camera are out in the world where scrapes, dings, and bumps happen. Of course, these plastic ones are a little more worrisome than the good old metal bodies.
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