365 bloggers - the one that got away?

[vawitt]

Because I didn't have a camera with me, I missed three potentially very interesting shots today

1) Ranger for the Dept. of Natural Resources stocking a small lake near our house with fish by dropping them from a basket into the water

2) Two guys on a cherry picker, adding new letters to a sign over the tollway

3) A very cool, unidentified bird I saw on my morning walk...who DID NOT fly away when I approached.

What shots have YOU missed?? (she asks, vowing not to leave the house without at least my little P&S cam from now on...)

[mljrbg]

Funny you should ask!! I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I missed this one and I had my camera with me!!

When I was in Florida last week it was very hot and humid. As we took off from Ft. Lauderdale Airport, not even 5 minutes into the air, I looked out the window and below the plane, yes I said below, was the most gorgeous rainbow that was almost within reaching distance. In a heartbeat I thought about taking out my camera but then I also thought there might be an air marshall sitting next to me!!

[vawitt]

LOL on the Air Marshall...flying back from Hawaii last year, on the red eye into O'Hare, there was a glorious sunrise coming up over Lake Michigan as we were preparing to land. I had my cam jammed up to the glass, ready to click, and the flight attendant made me put it away. She STOOD THERE until I did (must have known I would probably sneak in a few shots :o:D). She was so grumpy!

[Danudin]

I'm confused, you aren't allowed to take photos out the window, how long have the airlines owned the air they fly in, I thought it belonged to all of us, Where did they buy the copyrights to rainbows. Youch.
Ron
This is the reason I got into photography, as I saw something that I wanted to describe to Sally and I didn't have the words, you know me always at a lose for words. So I bought a camera, Nikon (P&S) then the DSLR, then a second one in case the first failed and it has but (I Bought a Back up (Second Hand - But Works)).

[lsweeney]

Great timing for this topic, Val! I missed a good one just last night. There is a downtown building here with incredible trompe l'oeil painting on the alley wall. I've often said I hoped to photograph it sometime when there were no cars obstructing the view. Last night there were no cars nearby and I didn't have a camera. Plus the light was fading too fast to allow time to travel home and back.

I always have a camera with me. Well, almost always...

[Not4wood]

Ron's right.

All the time I've spent with either my face or the camera pushed up to the window on an airliner, I've never been asked to stop. In the Terminals, thats another story. I've shot in some, others get testy after 9/11 and I can understand why.

But, for the most interesting depending on where you are when I ask the Security People if I can shoot the planes they just tell me to knock myself out and just don't point the camera to the Security areas. Trust me, you DO want to ask permission. You don't want to be surprised by about a dozen armed guns waving in the air by the Security People because you started to photograph something and they didn't approve. Also, by asking permission you are pretty much a one off and they will mostly give permsion by you being Professional or if not at least mature and respectful.

It is extremely understandable for the Security People/Police to get very testy after 9/11 but there are some things getting way out of hand. I've been hearing about a Protest on this very thing from the UK where the Police/Bobbies are stopping Photographers in the Streets for nothing more then just setting up for a shot. I figured if you have something to hide or your trying to do something as a Terrorist your not going to set up a Tripod and take pictures in the middle of rush hour traffic and broad daylight. Photojournalists and the average Photographers are protesting this action in the UK with chanting and signs stating "Where Photographers, Not Terrorists".

[Chesney]

Last night while the boys were at soccer practice I went for a walk to waste time and came across a rooster pecking and chasing a donkey's behind - it was hilarious! I had my camera in the car naturally, but didn't bring it on my walk!!

I, too, didn't know you can't take pics on an airplane, I just came home with tons of them, oops! ;)

[mljrbg]

I guess I didn't explain it properly. We had just taken off and were not at cruising altitude yet. I did take pics from the plane just not when they said "all electrical devices must be turned off". I thought I should comply with that!!

[efarnstrom]

I've taken pics when coming in for a landing.... just no one around to tell me not to... The most beautiful shots of the rice fields around Sacramento.

The shot I missed this week? While we were taking our DD to the Sacramento Airport, I was shooting for 'harvest on the road'...I got a lot of trucks filled with tomatoes and nuts being transported. Then as we passed a truck my DD said..."that is a truck full of empty cans going to the packing plant"..... drat! My photo/journalism series is missing that one.

[vawitt]

I think Mary Lou hit the nail on the head...because my cam has an on/off switch they consider it an electronic device, so off it must be switched. First and last time I've been asked (maybe just never caught??) :p:D

[Bamagirl]

My biggest regret is that one day I was driving down a rural road between Atlanta and Birmingham, and I saw Amtrack on a parallel track. I realized that I was going to get to the rural, isolated, railroad crossing before he did, and I could have gotten some great passenger train pictures. Alas, I didn't have my camera or my tripod.

I am on that road about once a month, but I have not seen Amtrack before or since.

[klsbear]

I've never had a problem taking pics on a plane and I don't think it's the electronic issue as much as it's a loose heavy object. They ask you to put all carryon under the seat or overhead and I think that counts for large DSLR cameras too. If you had a small P&S that you hid in the palm of your hand until the attendents were seated they probably would not even notice. As for the UK police stopping somone for setting up for a shot, I think in most big cities you need a permit to set up a tripod in a public space - more of a tripping hazard and not wanting you to get in the way of pedestrian flow. I've read a few articles that indicate tripods are a no-no in places like Grand Central Station, Subways, and city sidewalks in Manhatten but a Monopod is generally allowed.

As for the one that got away, I know it's happened more than once to me, but the only one I can think of offhand is a double rainbow I saw after a storm. It would have been a fun capture but not a good photo as it was on a highway with lots of ugly storefronts, powerlines, etc.

My bigger "one that got away" regret is that I still am not that comfortable with all my camera settings yet and I sometimes have my settings and exposures wrong and miss the shot that way. I was at a concert recently and the stage shots were not working until I tried switching from evaluative to spot metering. Same thing the other day in a museum - my on-camera flash (only option I have right now) was too bright and I couldn't remember how to adjust the flash so it wasn't as bright. I checked the manual and I hope I remember next time!