Photographs Not Taken No. 2

Have you ever thought you documented a moment with a camera but to only find out later that the camera you used was unloaded or malfunctioning? I have.

Have you ever been to Spring Lake or Howarth Park in Santa Rosa? I was there only a few weeks ago, on a trip for school. I brought one of my favorite cameras to photograph with because of how “easy” I feel the camera is to use. I think this idea of “easy” is my downfall. I became clumsy, I cut corners and became too relaxed. I find becoming too relaxed will bite you in the end, in terms of photography.

It must of been 30 minutes into the trip, and 20+ pictures in that I realized my camera was not actually loaded. What do you think about frame counters on a camera? My curiosity is from this fault, and this fault only. Never have I put thought into the counter of frames in a camera until now. The camera’s frame counter is stuck at 40 and has been this way since last Spring.

I was on this boat launch at Spring Lake, and a boat was heading towards the launch to dock. There were three men, beers and fishing rods. I thought it was the perfect picture, for what exactly I have no clue, but something I feel could culturally represent the area.  “Americana”

I asked the men I could photograph them while they floated my way, so they didn’t awkwardly stare. They allowed and I snapped away. Film only, no shots with my digital camera for some reason. It didn’t occur to me that newer technology was needed.

Pure photography needs pure photographic equipment, right? No distractions from LCD screens or memory cards.

After that moment, I had a thought. How many shots am I at? Haven’t I been shooting way more than this roll of film could handle? I had to of reached 36 frames already. I have had film loaded in the camera for quite some time right? Wrong.

Turning the rewind lever, to my dismay the camera was empty. Unloaded and not ready for me to take my pictures. “Leave, goodbye, sorry we aren’t open” is what I feel my camera wanted to say to me earlier. But my camera is a camera, and not a person.