What's your most embarrasing moment as a photographer?
I just was reminiscing about a wedding in which I was a second shooter not far enough in the distant past just yet. This particular wedding provided the unique opportunity for me to claim 'most embarrassing moment' so far. I thought it would be fun to share it and hear from others.
Here's my submission:
Everything had gone great in shooting the wedding. The bride and groom were just ending the first dance at the reception in a somewhat ritzy dance hall. The floor was empty except for the bride and groom. I was switching back and forth between 16-35mm and a 24-70mm lenses. Since there were disco lights all over the place I was using the hoods in the darkened hall. At one point during a lens switch, I didn't get the hood seated on the 24-70mm lens right, so when I zoomed on the bride and groom, the hood dropped off the lens and bounced on the dance floor at my feet. The hood on a Canon 24-70 isn't really that small....and not much smaller than the hood on a a 70-200mm....which is sizable. As I took a step forward and bent down to retrieve the hood, I accidentally kicked it. It went scooting across the dance floor and went under the bride's dress. I had no idea what to do. The danced had just ended at the same time this happened. I didn't want the bride to trip on my hood. So I shuffled across the dance floor and said: "I'm so sorry but I have to lift your dress". She was incredibly gracious and said "oh don't worry about it, go ahead". Everybody in the room seen it and even the DJ made some humorous remark. The rest of the night went fine......but I'm a lot more careful about seating the hoods now. Doh!
Here's my submission:
Everything had gone great in shooting the wedding. The bride and groom were just ending the first dance at the reception in a somewhat ritzy dance hall. The floor was empty except for the bride and groom. I was switching back and forth between 16-35mm and a 24-70mm lenses. Since there were disco lights all over the place I was using the hoods in the darkened hall. At one point during a lens switch, I didn't get the hood seated on the 24-70mm lens right, so when I zoomed on the bride and groom, the hood dropped off the lens and bounced on the dance floor at my feet. The hood on a Canon 24-70 isn't really that small....and not much smaller than the hood on a a 70-200mm....which is sizable. As I took a step forward and bent down to retrieve the hood, I accidentally kicked it. It went scooting across the dance floor and went under the bride's dress. I had no idea what to do. The danced had just ended at the same time this happened. I didn't want the bride to trip on my hood. So I shuffled across the dance floor and said: "I'm so sorry but I have to lift your dress". She was incredibly gracious and said "oh don't worry about it, go ahead". Everybody in the room seen it and even the DJ made some humorous remark. The rest of the night went fine......but I'm a lot more careful about seating the hoods now. Doh!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Shane E. on -
Or wear really stylish underwear.
Charles said:Jason Holzworth said:i was shooting an event for jacob at prime, and i bent down near one of the benches to photograph some ladies. As i stood up, my pants got caught on something and were ripped from the knee thru the crotch area.
Not to self: Bring extra set of clothes....heh heh.
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Permalink Reply by Shane E. on
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Oh, whatever. Photoshop someone 74 times in a week and you never hear the end of it.
Ryan Armbrust said:He will. Shane has tons of spare time now that he is no longer photoshopping me onto everything.
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Permalink Reply by Brittany Murphy on -
I personally loved all of the photoshopping. I still didn't get my DL pic though! YOU KNOW!!!
Shane, I imagine it would be amazingly hard to humiliate you. So, I would LOVE to hear your story!
Shane E. said:Oh, whatever. Photoshop someone 74 times in a week and you never hear the end of it.
Ryan Armbrust said:He will. Shane has tons of spare time now that he is no longer photoshopping me onto everything.
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Permalink Reply by Charles on -
So where's the gallery Shane? Inquiring minds want to see your mastery!
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Permalink Reply by Shane E. on
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This is probably not something for a public forum. But that has never stopped me before.
We had this wedding in the middle of nowhere. It was on some road in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by corn fields and a bunch of nowhere. Michelle made me eat at some truck stop Hardee's on the way there (I'm not blaming her, but I'm going to blame her). We generally avoid fast food, but we were going to a location that we hadn't scouted and didn't want to get too pressed for time. I am not allowed to tell Michelle anything nasty or foul that I observe while we are still in a restaurant or while she eats. She orders and I watch employees pick those nose, etc. That's how we do it. And it was a truck stop Hardees. I could have written a book on what I saw. In fact, I might even need therapy. Counseling, at a minimum.
Anyway, I was hungry, so I ate my food. And by the time we got to the middle of nowhere, my stomach was a bit unsettled. A lot. It was clear something was on it's way out and soon. The ceremony was going to be outside but the reception was inside of some building, which was like some kind of rec center kind of place, maybe built just for weddings. I don't know. All I know is that it had one mens room. When I went in there, there were 3 bridesmaids in there hanging up clothes on the side of stall. I wasn't sure if I was going to throw up or crap myself, and I was almost okay with both by that point. They laughed about something and left. I have no idea what they said because I thought I might explode and focusing your eyes and hearing are the first systems to fail in an overload situation.
So, I may have engaged in activities which left quite a heavy aroma. I don't know. I think I burned out my sense of smell in the early moments. I think it was something dark and foul and inhumane. Anyway, after I was done, I was washing my hands and all of the groomsmen came in there to get ready. They didn't say much. Probably because they were holding their breath as best they could. The groom wasn't there yet. However, I would like to state for the record that it is poor building design not to be the mensroom on the outside wall with a window. So, I only claim partial responsibility.
I went outside to photograph the building and I started feeling really nauseous and sick again. I thought I might throw up, but then I realized it was going to come out the same way again. But I didn't want to go back in to the mens room because all of the groomsmen were in there. It just seemed like a violation of their human rights. I believe in the Geneva Convention and even under the articles of war, you couldn't do something like that to someone. Also, I was going to have to hang with these guys all day and I didn't want to be the guy who stinkbombed the groom on his wedding day. At least, not any more than I already had. I not entirely sure that the smell wouldn't have stuck to him like bad cologne. This was not normal bathroom usage. It would have been something heinous and wrong.
We were still a little early for the time we were supposed to be there. I told Michelle that I might drive back to town and blow up one of those restrooms. Maybe at a McDonalds or something. I hate that damned red headed mime. Nothing against red heads. Just mimes.
I got in the car and started driving. I was uncomfortable. Very. It was kind of like timing contractions driving a pregnant woman to the hospital. The town was several miles and my poo pains were maybe 15 seconds apart. I knew that baby was coming. I think I could have held it. But I will never know. I noticed this small area next to the road with a bunch of trees and surrounded by a line of trees and bushes on three sides. So, like any real man, I ditched my suit jacket, grabbed a box of kleenex from car, and ran in there did what any American would do... do. And when I was done, I was a new man. But, as I was walking out, I noticed the tombstones. Then the little box of trees in the middle of the fields made more sense. So, I jumped in my car and drove back down the road to the building in the middle of nowhere. I went back to the mens room, washed my hands (always wash your hands after pooing in a family graveyard), and photographed the groom getting ready.
I was not so much embarrassed about pooing in a field. Nature calls and I answer. I do feel a little uncool about pooing in a family graveyard. But they should get bigger tombstones or a "no dumping" sign.
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Permalink Reply by Charles on
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Wow! I was getting asthma attacks from reading that, from laughing so hard....and I don't even have asthma.
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Permalink Reply by Brittany Murphy on
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Wow Shane. You don't disappoint with the embarrassing stories. I had to keep from peeing myself from laughing so hard while I read that!
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Permalink Reply by Nina Greipel on -
Shane, that has got to be the funniest story I read on here so far!!! Funny? Yes! But the mental picture I have now is another story......
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Permalink Reply by Shane E. on
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My better judgment told me not to post this, but that isn't the one I listen to.
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Permalink Reply by casey moore on -
mine would just be tripping over my power pack or knocking over my light stand nothing to terribly embarrassing but good for a laugh
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Permalink Reply by Ron Burgis on -
Charles, I would think your most embarrassing moment would be showing up a hour & 1/2 late to a gig without calling....
Ron
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