Post a bad thing that happened in your life today

[Betty LaRue]

Michael, be careful & good luck. So happy you are able to keep your commitments except for the one you couldn’t put off. Schlepping camera equipment around is not a walk in the park so I’m tickled your son helped you. Having someone, whether family or friend, is invaluable.

I haven’t been able to carry a camera bag for years. My shooting is either done in & out of my property or street, or places I can drive to, get out of the car & take the shot with minimal walking & carrying only my camera.

I did find my Pelican roller camera bag useful for places like zoos when I was able to walk some distances.

I assume the bulk of your work is carrying your stuff from the car to indoors & wherever you need to shoot.

[Michael Ventura]

20 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Michael, be careful & good luck. So happy you are able to keep your commitments except for the one you couldn’t put off. Schlepping camera equipment around is not a walk in the park so I’m tickled your son helped you. Having someone, whether family or friend, is invaluable.

I haven’t been able to carry a camera bag for years. My shooting is either done in & out of my property or street, or places I can drive to, get out of the car & take the shot with minimal walking & carrying only my camera.

I did find my Pelican roller camera bag useful for places like zoos when I was able to walk some distances.

I assume the bulk of your work is carrying your stuff from the car to indoors & wherever you need to shoot.

 

Thanks Betty.  I am about 80% back to my normal aches and pains.   Today I have two shoots, I rarely do shoots, these days, without some sort of assistant.   Yes, the bulk of my work is driving my car to the location (much of it is indoors) and putting everything on a cart and wheeling it in.   My usual kit, as it where, is a case with three strobe lights, a tall bag of various lights stands, my camera bag and tripod.  Occasionally I bring a powerful battery pack that can run my lights for a shoot or two before having to be recharged.  That is for when I am shooting outside, and I need to light but no electricity handy.   What may have wrenched my back on Sunday was that I did a shoot on Saturday with no help, and I had to bring my equipment up a flight of stairs, into someone's home.  

[Ed Rooney]

 

I remember moving all that heavy kit around. Photography is often hard physical work. Nowadays, I walk at a casual pace, carrying just my little Sony RX100/7 in a jacket pocket. 

 

Edited September 13, 2023 by Ed Rooney

[Allan Bell]

15 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I remember moving all that heavy kit around. Photography is often hard physical work. Nowadays, I walk at a casual pace, carrying just my little Sony RX100/7 in a jacket pocket. 

 

 

Not far behind you now.

 

Allan

 

[Betty LaRue]

20 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

Thanks Betty.  I am about 80% back to my normal aches and pains.   Today I have two shoots, I rarely do shoots, these days, without some sort of assistant.   Yes, the bulk of my work is driving my car to the location (much of it is indoors) and putting everything on a cart and wheeling it in.   My usual kit, as it where, is a case with three strobe lights, a tall bag of various lights stands, my camera bag and tripod.  Occasionally I bring a powerful battery pack that can run my lights for a shoot or two before having to be recharged.  That is for when I am shooting outside, and I need to light but no electricity handy.   What may have wrenched my back on Sunday was that I did a shoot on Saturday with no help, and I had to bring my equipment up a flight of stairs, into someone's home.  

Wheels are great, but stairs don’t work with them. Somebody needs to invent a motorized slinky cart that goes up!  (and down).

[wiskerke]

58 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Wheels are great, but stairs don’t work with them. Somebody needs to invent a motorized slinky cart that goes up!  (and down).

You mean you have no Google? 😂

Try Google Images or Youtube for motorized cart for stairs.

You'll be amazed.

I have a cheap non motorized version and it's easy to totally ruin someone's nice stairs with it, so it's only used outdoors.

 

wim

[Michael Ventura]

Yes, stairs are awful for lots of gear.  Had an early morning shoot this morning in DC park with a sloping path that had large roots going across the path.  Made it difficult to get the cart over the roots.  I had to add some supplemental lighting, it was a large-ish group of doctors and a little flash wouldn't have done it.  One more shoot today and I am doing it alone, my son has caught a cold and just isn't feeling up to it.  It is at a senior living home and I don't want him there sneezing and coughing.  

[Ed Rooney]

 

I'm an elevator man myself. 🙂

[Michael Ventura]

2 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I'm an elevator man myself. 🙂

 

Hold the doors!!  Me too!

[wiskerke]

What was it that Ansel Adams said about subjects that were more than x feet away from the car?

Or was it Edward Weston?

😂

 

wim

[wiskerke]

When my back went out last time, I got me one of these Eckla carts. It's lighter than my other rolling stuff and has decent wheels.

It's not perfect: the stand often gives way unexpectedly. User error no doubt, but still. And it doesn't fit my studio strobes. 8 or 10 big sandbags are no problem though. For the cart I mean. They were for me.

 

wim

[Michael Ventura]

This  is the one I use and on my third one in 30 years or so.  It can hold up to 300 lb / 136 kg 

It can handle curbs pretty well and folds up nicely for the storage area of my SUV.

 

 

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, Michael Ventura said:

This  is the one I use and on my third one in 30 years or so.  It can hold up to 300 lb / 136 kg 

It can handle curbs pretty well and folds up nicely for the storage area of my SUV.

 

 

Cool! You could take me everywhere in that! I’ll even stick a foot out on the ground occasionally to help with getting the wheels over those gnarly roots! Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

[wiskerke]

9 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

This  is the one I use and on my third one in 30 years or so.  It can hold up to 300 lb / 136 kg 

It can handle curbs pretty well and folds up nicely for the storage area of my SUV.

 

 

 

Yes that's a great one too. I wrecked something similar though carrying too much stuff. Surely an inferior knock-off: it was under $50 not $276.75.

I also have 3 of these: Porter Case in 2 sizes. B&H doesn't seem to carry them anymore, but they once were a staple. Some of my strobes live in these.

The thing with the Eckla is that it's super light weight and the wheels are better. I do need to inflate them every time however. And the wheels can come off, but I don't remove them and then it's awkward to stow. I got mine used from someone who had had the same ailment. Really common with photographers. She also lived on the 3rd floor with no elevator. They somehow forgot to put those in in Amsterdam houses in the 19th century. Plus to save space the stairs were steep and narrow as before like in the 17th century.

 

wim

 

[Bryan]

When all else fails, talk about the weather.  Rain today, more tomorrow. Had intended to go for a walk with friends, but it has been cancelled.

 

It's been a funny year, lots of rain preceded by a bit of a drought. Potatoes and blackberries did well, onions rubbish, and the tomatoes got blight.  Just eaten the last of the sweetcorn, they were good, and not touched by the rats. 

[sb photos]

Only took a single body and lens with me on Sunday, along with a spare SD card and battery. All was well until I went to eject the SD card last night and found none there. The camera had been writing to my backup card in slot 1, a 128GB CFexpress type B card. My card reader for that card was left at home, and I won't be back until Friday. No compatible USB lead either. Oh well, it's not the end of the world. It's a good job I had different kit with me yesterday when I shot news and uploaded. Note to self, check both card slots in future.

[Ed Rooney]

 

Nobody asked, but the thing I found worst about heterosexual relationships was waiting outside shops while my significant other was inside looking around. 

[geogphotos]

42 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Nobody asked, but the thing I found worst about heterosexual relationships was waiting outside shops while my significant other was inside looking around. 

 

That's what pubs are for. 

[Ed Rooney]

8 hours ago, geogphotos said:

 

That's what pubs are for. 

 

I'll drink to that! 

 

Come to think of it, LGBT couples probably do no better in this situation. They are surely more involved in style than I am. 

[NYCat]

Just send your significant other shopping with her gay best friend. They will have a ball and her purchases will be divine.

 

Paulette

[Michael Ventura]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I'll drink to that! 

 

Come to think of it, LGBT couples probably do no better in this situation. They are surely more involved in style than I am. 

 

I was thinking the same thing.  That is one thing I really do not miss about being married.  Though my daughter is even worse than her mom.  I avoid shopping with my daughter, even for groceries.  I go in, get what I need, and get out.  My daughter can stand there reading and comparing products for what seems like eternity!

[Cecile Marion]

I absolutely hate shopping and my four kids are the same. Their dad was the shopper in the family, and definitely the clothes horse.

[NYCat]

On Thursday my shower floor is going to be removed to see where a leak is coming from. Last time they rebuilt my shower (two years ago) my neighbor across the hall was away and she let me have the keys. It was lovely to be able to just go across to shower and use the bathroom. This time she is away now but returning on Thursday. Drat. I'm sure I can knock on the door when I need to pee but not the same as having the apartment to myself. I have a cat-sitting job over the weekend and will be able to shower there and spend as much time as I want to keep away from the noise and dust. My poor cat will have to live in the bedroom. Definitely not a horrible problem and will be over soon.

 

Paulette

[Bryan]

20 hours ago, NYCat said:

On Thursday my shower floor is going to be removed to see where a leak is coming from. 

 

Paulette

We've just returned from our elder son's house. where we used the bath then found water dripping through the lounge ceiling ! I drilled a hole to let the water flow but couldn't identify the source of the leak. He'll have to get a plumber to lift floorboards and investigate. 

 

Then we both came down with what I think was Norovirus, sickness and diaorrhoea.   It's good for losing weight !

 

Not the best of trips !

[Mr Standfast]

46 minutes ago, Bryan said:

We've just returned from our elder son's house. where we used the bath then found water dripping through the lounge ceiling ! I drilled a hole to let the water flow but couldn't identify the source of the leak. He'll have to get a plumber to lift floorboards and investigate. 

 

Then we both came down with what I think was Norovirus, sickness and diaorrhoea.   It's good for losing weight !

 

Not the best of trips !

 

 

Take care Bryan and Mrs Bryan!