I found this photo in old files and just had to use it as a blog entry. The story behind this image was pretty funny and is a perfect example of how no matter how good you may be, there is still a little but of chance and luck in it all. I was fresh out of Syrcacuse University. Recently transferred to the Navy's premiere magazine, All Hands, as the ONLY photographer on the west coast. Hell, I even had my own car issued to me for travel. Everything was perfect. Couldn't get any better. I think you could say I had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.
So one day I found out there was to be a major missile test where three ships where going to participate in a joint missile launch. The plan was to actually launch all at the same time. I was invited fly out to a ship and be the lead on the shoot and to have unprecedented access to photograph the launch. Needless to say that chip got a bit bigger.
But one thing no one ever knew was how fearful I always was of failing. I never shot a missile launch before, but everybody expected I had shot tons. So once I got to the ship, I immediately started thinking about how I could shoot this in such a way that would blow people away (no pun intended). So I found a ladder. I got permission to get a ladder and to lean it against the hangar bay doors and to shoot from such a position to see the missile launch from the lower angle and the other ships launching in the background. It would be the coolest shot ever. I got halfway up and said this is perfect. But then I got a little nervous and said, I better go higher.
Meanwhile this young sailor came up to me and told me he was an aspiring photographer. He was asking all kinds of questions like a 5 year old. It was funny. I never turned him away. Chip or no chip, I was given the directive a long time ago to "Pass it on as freely as it was given." So I helped the kid. I taught him a few things that he could do with his point and click film camera. It was literally something like a next level up from one of those throw away plastic cameras that you put in the bag at wal-mart and get the prints after.
The call was announced to prepare for the shoot so I left the kid there and said he could stay by the ladder and take a picture of his friend if he liked. His friend was holding some device to track the missiles. He was out of my hair so I was fine. The missiles launched and the job was done. The helo arrived later and flew me back. I shook the kids hand, wished him the best and offered to look at his images when he got back expecting I would never hear from him again.
So then I finally get my film processed and had an incredible surprise. You see apparently, I was so high up on the ladder that I was being zapped by the radar and didn't know it. Literally, every single frame was only exposed on the bottom half. The top half of each frame was fogged. I was blown away (again, no pun intended). I couldn't believe how stupid I could be. The entire shoot was lost. Of course like many photographers do, I blamed the photo lab. It actually worked and furthered my justification to increase the budget to get a better lab.
A few weeks later, here comes that kid. prints in hand and smile on his face like a kid with his hat in his hand. I gave him a cordial smile and asked if I could help him. I couldn't remember who he was. He reminded me and asked if I got anything from the shoot. I gave him the same story about the lab and such. He said, "Can you look at this and tell me if this is good." Needless to say, my mouth dropped. Such composition, the precise moment, THE EXPOSURE WAS PERFECT!!!
All I could do was shake my head and laugh. I was just put in my place and outshot by a snapshot. I asked if I could scan it and sent it on to the chain of command. Where it went from there I don't know. If it got filed somewhere or what. But as far as I am concerned, I have a copy to always remind me.
That was 10 years ago. Now just think. The advent of digital, 7 megapixels in a phone camera, now HD video in a $600 SLR. How many guys out there are there that have a passion, don't know what they are doing yet, but just going by pure gut and instinct??? Tons.
To me this is my most humbling experience and one that I will always cherish. Hopefully it will help someone else realize.
Need another example? How about one for video. This is a video taken by a tourist in Africa. It was so good that National Geographic did an entire one hour special on it.
There was a comment made by someone that Photographers spend years in the field with tons of gear hoping to get a shot like this and some tourist with a video camera gets it. How humbling.
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