markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Went to a family birthday party yesterday. Took the 5d MIII and flash. Began shooting and the flash seemed erratic. Missed many"good shots". Checked settings, ... everything seemed OK. After about 2 hours and experiencing the flash still being erratic, I discovered it was not seated completely in the hot shoe. DUH!! DUH!!! DUH!!! OH well, one more learning experience. I'm 81! Is there a time, other than after departing this Earth, I might exhaust my DUH's?
Mark

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

Unfortunately they are endless and sometimes even become prolific with age. I am 80

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Thanks. Now I feel better.
Mark

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Don't feel bad!

I used to have a side business of electronic flash repairs, modifications and custom builds. Experience professional photographers would rush in- in a panic, with flash failures, malfunctions and erratic firing. It's a good thing I am an honest guy. In so many cases it was just a loose contact, a faulty synchronization cord, a dead battery or dirt or corrosion on battery compartment contacts.

My first boss and mentor had a policy for all our wedding photographers- NEVER TAKE YOUR EQUIPMENT APART AFTER EACH JOB! Bolt down the on-camera flash and leave it there- if you don't want to use it, just shut it off. Never fold up the press cameras or retract the bellows into the body. Carry lots of spare connector cords at all times. Seems like overkill but as it turned out, most malfunctions were caused by those little simple "duh" things.

It's like going to the doctor with a minor complaint and they can't figure it out so they wait 'till you get real sick- that they can fix! After a photographer finds out that he or she missed shots because they forgot to turn on their flash, they would have preferred something more serious as an excuse- like a capacitor shortening out and blowing up the entire unit!

Don't worry- from now on you will remember to tighten that locking device on you speedlight! If you ever feel bad about any of your mistakes, just drop me a note- I will send you a very extensive list of (duh) things that even pros did with and to their equipment. How about the guy who immersed his flash unit in a fish tank- he said it fell in but I suspect he put in it there to back light the fish- the back of the tank was coated with crystalline paint . When he brought in what was left of it, it still had the tiny tripod attached to the tripod socket and a plastic bag was fused to the unit. I guess he thought a Zip-Lock bag would suffice as an underwater housing. He may have "cooked" all of his tropical fish!

Best regards!

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

No. Like last week, getting a rainbow on Yosemite falls, forgot I had turned on bracketing. Did a panorama which was useless.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Thanks. After living with me for 81 years, i’m accustomed to my DUH’s
Mark

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Mark, I'm almost a couple of decades younger than you, but we all do these things. My mother-in-law (my favorite party animal) is now over 90 and has three older siblings. She is fiercely independent and managed several parts of a fund raising church luncheon, including some of the heavy lifting. You are only as old as you think you are.

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

That may be true, but brain farts seem to be the one thing we never run low on

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I assume that you are speaking for yourself!

BebuLamar

Just did a boo boo with my camera yesterday Sunday. Saturday I was checking the spot meter function of my camera vs my spot meter. They are less than 1/3 stop with each other so good. Forward to Sunday, my wife asked me to take some pictures for her and after a couple of shots I did some chimping and saw that some shots were overexposed. Took another test shot and it was OK. Not only after I am done did I realize that the camera meter was till in spot mode.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

Can't answer your question, but is that a recent picture on your avatar? You look more like 61 than 81!

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

No it's not! I look more like 41, now! LOL
Mark

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

And again we learn that a fellow Hog is also human!!

Been there, done that!

Keep photo'ing in good health, Mark!!

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

about what?

did I forget to mention the CRS?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Our "Duh-Uh" cards are perpetually refilled when you go past 80 - so I think you're ok. That is also true for those of us who use the alternate D'OH! cards.

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