Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Anyone Seen My Blimp ?

I've just come to realise that photography is a bit like golf.

Just when you think you're getting good at it, it bites you in the butt.

We were just now sitting outside, enjoying the sunshine, when we heard the distant sounds of engines coming from above and from the East. Suddenly over the treetops came the unmistakable shape of the Metlife Blimp, Snoopy One, which was on a short flight from having provided aerial shots of the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens last weekend to setting up for the PODS Championship at Tampa Bay starting tomorrow.

Given the slow speed of Snoopy One, I didn't exactly have to rush inside to get my camera which was still on the tripod from my canal path trip a couple of hours ago......see previous post.

So I was all set up in plenty of time as it passed directly overhead and I didn't even have to zoom much to get it to fill the viewfinder. I rattled off several shots and as it passed off to the West, I happened to glance at the display on the back of the camera and saw the "No CF Card" warning message flashing.

OMG. I'd removed the card to download the bird photographs earlier today and forgot to put it back !!! Snoopy One was now a distant dot in the sky and probably my only opportunity to photograph it in the air was gone.

I was mortified at this unbelievable faux pas. And pissed off too. I came inside and proceeded to turn the air the same colour as the sky outside.

Yes I'd SEEN it and so that will be something to tell the grandchildren, once I get married and have at least the one kid necessary to provide that grandchild.

Trouble is, there is more chance of Snoopy One passing over my front garden in Leeds !!!

So "Be Prepared" should be the photographers byword. Ok two bywords.

I wasn't - and now my grandchildren will have to make do with a fanciful story and a glove puppet mime about the day grandpa missed the blimp.

Silly old sod.

4 comments:

Daphne said...

Ah, a shame - but at least you found out quickly, unlike in the Olden Days when it was entirely possible to take a whole reel of film and then find out it had stuck at photo 2, or that someone had opened the back of the camera, or that there was no film in there in the first place. All these things have happened to me, always when I thought I'd got some really great photos. But you're more technical than I am (errr - who isn't?) so would probably have noticed that too.

Rosanna said...

I hate to tell you this but I see that said such blimp each and every year directly overhead at the Buick Open that is directly across the street from my office each and every year but then you would have to be in good ole Michigan Last week of June.... thank goodness you are some distance away from me so that you can't pummel me.!!

Silverback said...

Film in cameras, Daphne ? Film ? Whatever do you mean ? Hehe.

Yes thank you Rosanna !! A few other snowbirds here in the park have kindly mentioned that Snoopy One passes right over their homes at various times of the year and so it's no big deal.

I once saw a dozen balloons tethered to a car dealership sign in Leeds - that's about as much excitement as we can take in the UK.

Anonymous said...

Blimpless in Sebring....hmmmm that's the title of an old song isn't it? Now why does that phrase sound familiar???

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