As I drove down the turnpike recently I noticed a truck which had obviously done "A Sean" (so named for my nephew's experience with a U-haul truck and a low bridge) at the side of the road and remarked to my wife that I'd heard that type of accident happened more often than one might think.
The very next morning as I was having my car filled I heard a tremendous bang!
Yes indeed it, the very same type of accident, had happened less than fifty yards from where I was standing.
No doubt about it, stuck tight!
Now I won't be so bold as to suggest that we've all attempted to drive where we should not have with disastrous results however I will venture to say that most if not all of us have at one time or another been guilty of not paying full attention to a particular task at hand. I do recall one occasion when I drove forty miles down the road before realizing that my dress pants & shirts were not in my car. Thank goodness I didn't have to stop and buy new cameras.
When I returned from that wedding I spent time thinking about and writing down all the little tasks that I performed before leaving to photograph any event;
The checklists, equipment, maps, clothing, water, and event details were given a very high priority.
Many years later I still have those routines and they still serve me well.
I am not usually easily distracted however I make a very conscious effort when on a job to pay attention not only to all that is happening as I watch and observe looking for images but also to things closer at hand.
I'm thinking here of all the little things that can and do on occasion go wrong with cameras;
The mode dial slips from M to P (Gaffer tape)
A battery gives up the ghost just at the wrong moment (Always a spare in my front pocket)
A lens just will not focus (Always more than one camera on me)
A camera suddenly sounds somewhat different (Listen)
Sometimes it's not entirely the fault of the equipment, it might simply be the fault of the person behind the camera. A photographer I know spoke with me just yesterday about an assistant's ruined set of images - shot at an innappropriate ISO without thinking or checking.
When any one of these or other little things occur it really helps if we are "on our game" so to speak and alert in order to avoid upsets.
It's really difficult to catch or eliminate such errors if we are distracted & not paying attention.
So Friday's message is simply to think and be alert!
Have a great weekend.
