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View Full Version : The Challenge Part II. The one that got away...


Andrew-S
August 4th 07, 05:44 AM
Okay gang the responses to the first challenge where amazing. and I thank
everyone who has either submitted an image or is planning on submitting an
image.
We kept it free of controversy and certainly on topic.

Now my challenge tonight is a bit more interesting. Because it is aimed at
anyone who has a taken a really cool looking photo only to find out that
they didn't get it. You know that classic bragging rights shot that got
away, and left you spitting and frothing at the mouth. We all have them and
it is doubly embarrassing when you are doing it as an assignment or for
money. Think of this as a way of poking fun at yourself, and showing
everyone just how human you really are. If you don't have an image, tell us
a funny tale of the one that got away... Even better would be to tell us a
tale with a photo.

As before please continue to resist the urge to pass inflammatory remarks,
and if you prefer yEnc as your posting method, PLEASE LABEL IT ACCORDINGLY!

Here is one of my shoots that got away...
First off on the way to this photo shoot I had a fender bender that cost me
$700. The project was an air to air assignment with the DC Metro Police Air
Support Unit, and Prince George's County Police Aviation Section. When we
got airborne I discovered much to my chagrin we where having some
communications problems, as in my lads couldn't hear me, and I could barely
hear them. Several times I was screaming at the top of my voice to please
close the formation up so we can get the shots. Alas it was all for
nothing. When I got home and reviewed my images another Police Department
was almost called, because for several hours I was a total basket case.
All told I shot about 700 images in the air that day, and only 1 or 2 where
even loosely considered useable. The dirty sensor was the final icing on my
cake. Believe it or not this was caused by those communications problems,
because a certain VIP who gets his own airspace where ever he goes took off.
So we had to land fast! Not too bad of problem except that I didn't hear
the message about landing. Which naturally of happened on a very dusty
baseball pitch WHEN I WAS CHANGING LENSES! Ever have one of those days???

Lessons learned from my failed shoot...
These days when I fly air to airs I make damned sure that everyone can hear
me at take off, that I can hear the crews, and the various radios crystal
clear, and that we have models to illustrate where everyone needs to be to
make the shots work during the preflight briefing.. I am hoping that I can
redo this shoot again in the fall, but believe it or not coordinating three
police helicopters over Washington DC, and getting the right sort of weather
all that the same can be a challenge of its own.

Now then here is my almost shoot... Who is brave enough to match and beat
mine???

Andrew
PS. If this challenge is also a success. Would anyone be interested in
keeping these challenges going? Perhaps once a week we have an image
challenge and see who responds and with what...

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