"The one that got away"

[cyrus]

I guess every photographer remembers the shots he missed, especially that ONE shot that just haunts you still. Mine was at New York City's Union Square. There was some sort of Asian cultural event with a lot of women dressed in traditional, flowing kimono-type robes. Suddenly, there was a big gust of wind -- robes were flapping, wigs were flying, women were tripping over their wooden sandals. It was a riot. I had a 4x5 polaroid conversion and a grafmatic. Perfect set up -- except I was in such a rush to capture the scene that I forgot to fold down the lens cap. DOH!

I still kick myself over that one.

Go on, make me feel better .

[Bosaiya]

Just recently I was on a call with an engine company that needed to enter a locked residence. The first-floor window was open and I stood next to it ready to grab a few shots of the burly firefighters scrambling through. I got a light reading, had my Graflex up and pre-focused, framed on the window... That's when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye - they decided to go break through the front door instead! By the time I turned my camera towards the door it was all over. "Follow the action, stupid!"

Would have been a great shot.

[Terence McDonagh]

Not LF, but . . .

On September 10th, 2001, I returned from a vacation in California for a friend's wedding. We got in late and I didn't unpack my cameras from the trip.

On September 11th, I was at the WTC. I was standing with a fire chief one block south of the towers, on West Street, waiting to see if the construction crew from my jobsite could be any use when the second plane hit, and was still there when the towers came down.

In 13.5 years in NYC, it was the first and only day I did not have a camera with me at work. The memories will hold me just fine. Actually, it's probably a good thing, because I probably would have tried to get closer had I had a camera.

[William McEwen]

I was photographing a violist along a street right across from the police station. Four or five fully uniformed cops came out of a nearby restaurant and chatted with us. The cops were friendly and curious -- nothing at all threatening. We chatted for a few minutes, all good natured with a lot of laughs. Then they walked back to the station, and the violist and I got back to photographing.

A day had passed before I realized I could have done some great photos with my violist posing with the cops.

When I teach, I always tell this story. The picture was right in front of me. My camera was right there with us, all set up. I had plenty of film.

I still kick myself over that one.