Confession...

Well... it's been 8 years since the last time I went to a fair.  The Orange County fair here in Costa Mesa is a big one, and this year my wife and I decided to attend.  My attraction to the fair is rather primitive, better yet... barbaric might be a better word.  I mean how can you go to the fair and not get a Tyrannosaurus sized smoked turkey leg?!    As soon as you step foot out of your car after parking, you can't miss the smell of BBQ and wood burning smokers in the air!

Well... this confession isn't about the awesome smoked turkey legs found at the fair. So my wife and I are walking around and the sky which was now showing amazing colors is now the perfect backdrop for a portrait of my wife.  I frame her up with the sky and dancing lights from the fair in the back ground.  Press the shutter, got the shot.  Take a few more before I notice a blinking "No Card".   Seriously?  Yep... I left my memory card home in my card reader that was still plugged in my computer. 

So... we got a few iPhone shots of us that evening and still had a great time.  Yes... even had a succulent smoked turkey leg that was worth mentioning in this thread! 

The first thing I do with a new camera is to set it NOT to take photos without a card.

And, like you, it WILL happen to me.
Luckily in film days I could hear by the noise of the motor drive if there was film in the camera or not.
I was saved many times.
When I photographed people, and after a few frames hear there is no film inside, I would say: "Are you at ease yet? Now lets try it with film."

That's the beauty of the D800, there is ALWAYS a card in the camera. Usually, this happens just once to a photographer.....

Oh man, sorry to hear!  Well at least you had good time

I am really surprised the images weren't buffered, allowing you to transfer them to a card once it was inserted.

Oh, so sorry Alex.  We're all only human!

effron wrote: That's the beauty of the D800, there is ALWAYS a card in the camera. Usually, this happens just once to a photographer.....

Actually I was using the A7R...

But yes... this was the first time for me.  My wife sure had a good laugh, well we both did!   

We all have done it! My friend told me that when he was shooting weddings he shot part of the wedding without film in one of his backs and had to re-stage the cake cut, bouquet and garter toss, and first dance. Ouch!!

Alex wrote:

effron wrote: That's the beauty of the D800, there is ALWAYS a card in the camera. Usually, this happens just once to a photographer.....

Actually I was using the A7R...

 

That was my rather obscure point......

My (then) wife and I decided to go through a Lamaze type natural childbirth, in a very good hospital (for safety) that hosted natural childbirth. I brought a Retina IIIc with me in the labor room, and loaded a 36 exposure roll of TriX. I shot throughout the labor, excited about the good shots I was getting, up until she was brought to the delivery room, and I followed, without camera, to receive my daughter in this world. Back in the room, Daniela was brought to her mother for the first time, and I brandished the Retina to shoot more. When I checked the counter, i realized the film had never advanced....in my nervous excitement, I had not checked that the spool rotated when I advanced to the first frame, and I had not a single image , not one! I consider it one of the nadirs of my photographic efforts, and you know I always check that the film is advancing....yeah, I still shoot the occasional roll:)

effron wrote:

Alex wrote:

effron wrote: That's the beauty of the D800, there is ALWAYS a card in the camera. Usually, this happens just once to a photographer.....

Actually I was using the A7R...

 

That was my rather obscure point......

Gotcha... well either way... I had a Homer Simpson moment , followed by 'I left something at home syndrome' 

John Landolfi wrote: My (then) wife and I decided to go through a Lamaze type natural childbirth, in a very good hospital (for safety) that hosted natural childbirth. I brought a Retina IIIc with me in the labor room, and loaded a 36 exposure roll of TriX. I shot throughout the labor, excited about the good shots I was getting, up until she was brought to the delivery room, and I followed, without camera, to receive my daughter in this world. Back in the room, Daniela was brought to her mother for the first time, and I brandished the Retina to shoot more. When I checked the counter, i realized the film had never advanced....in my nervous excitement, I had not checked that the spool rotated when I advanced to the first frame, and I had not a single image , not one! I consider it one of the nadirs of my photographic efforts, and you know I always check that the film is advancing....yeah, I still shoot the occasional roll:)

Hi John!  Thanks for sharing the story, you told it so eloquently, that I felt bad for you!   Reading this, I knew what was coming.  Similarly... I was telling this story earlier too another film shooter who recalled a similar film incident as yours.  He was on assignment for The Smithsonian Magazine for a yearly event back in the day photographing deer coming out of an opening that symbolically was important.  Anyway... after the event, he noticed the film like yours had not advanced .  

Speaking of your daughter... how is your granddaughter doing?  When are you heading back to Seattle?  Jackie wants to head up too Seattle for a weekend trip.  Never been there.  If we do make it... I just need to remember to bring spare cards!  lol 

ubookoo wrote: We all have done it! My friend told me that when he was shooting weddings he shot part of the wedding without film in one of his backs and had to re-stage the cake cut, bouquet and garter toss, and first dance. Ouch!!

Well, now I can put that notch in the old belt myself!  ha ha ha

Speaking of your disaster, it happened to me yesterday...I went outside the deck to get some bird shot and grab one of the cameras from the box. I looked at why, -- it sez "ER". I removed and screw back the lens, it still sez "ER". Looked at the SD card -- it wasn't there. Checked my laptop. Yep! right there! Meantime, my birdie flew away...