Poll of forgetfulness — items lost, dropped, or left behind

[Kevin M Bourque]

I dropped two very nice 82mm filters from the deck of this bridge: http://www.cooperriverbridge.org/

They were just small enough to roll under the railing. I heard them go "tink" on the rocks below.

[goamules]

Back in the 80s I was diving off Lanai, Hawaii. I had a new waterproof case for a cheap camera. On this dive we suddenly encountered two huge manta rays. They circled us for about 10 minutes as I snapped pictures of this rare encounter. I safely hooked the camera on my dive vest. Guess what was missing as I climbed up the dive ladder?

[David Karp]

Ouch. I bet the images from that dive are burned into your memory though.

[Raymond Bleesz]

All in Colorado other than Turkey's

All my mishaps have occured in Colorado & all occured in my earlier years--on a road trip down Rabbit Ears Pass into the "Boat", I put my Leica G111 on top of the station wagon--down we went for several miles around corners, etc--on the down side, I asked the driver to slow down & pull over to the side, gently--The Leica, which my parents purchased in Germany in 1955, which I still use, was sitting atop the station wagon enjoying the Aspens & Steamboat's picturesque valley.

In 1976, I stopped at the Dairy Queen in Idaho Springs & had a cone--I left my Tumi bag with a Nikon F2 system on the table--I had driven a few blocks down into historic Idaho Springs, realizing my mistake, did an immediate illegal U turn & raced to the Dairy Queen---my bag was sitting on the table, with other cone lickers.

In 1978, perched atop my Victorian 3 story building in Georgetown, Colo, I had my F3 & 300 sitting on my Tiltall tripod---Georgetown winds are known in the state--but I was negligent on getting the right spread on my tripod--Over the edge onto the young aspen trees I had planted down on ground level--The F3 was toast, the tripod & 300 survived.

And the latest occured in Istanbul, Turkey 2 years ago--I left my 77mm lens cover on a mosque floor as I was on my belly "getting the right angle". My tour group of 5 & guide were most sympathetic with my loss---we tracked down the "photo market area in Istanbul", & I was able to purchase a new Nikon lens cover at a stiff price. The following day, our group was driving in the vicinity of the mosque by chance, & the tour guide & I went to the site while the others waited--the Turkish guide, speaking the native language to the mosque attendees, asked if they had found a lens cap the day prior--Hoppla!!! I gave the attendees a few American dollars (If you have an interest in this Turkish Photo Guide, ask--Outstanding).

All these mishaps had made me extra carefull with my 4x5 Acra Swiss stuff--I consider myself lucky for all these years.

Raymond--in the Vail Valley

[Peter Gomena]

Rollei tripod quick-release left on a rock on a beach some years back. I can almost picture the spot where I left it. By time I realized I had left it, the tide had been in and out several times . . .

Peter Gomena

[pyro]

Not forgotten, but close...

I was out on a rocky ledge above a cliff in Canyonlands NP, preparing to screw on a big, expensive B+W circular polarizer on my lens, when I dropped it. The thing fell on its edge and began rolling, slowly at first then gathering speed as it did so, towards the edge of the cliff. I started to run after it, but, realizing I might go over the edge along with the filter, I stopped dead in my tracks. I watched my poor filter roll the last four or five feet towards the edge of the cliff and fall to its death below.

[Ash]

Forgotten to:
Take the lens cap off my SWC
Take additional rolls of colour film
Remove the dark slide
Close the shutter after composition
Take Light Meter to a shoot

I don't think I've left anything behind though. If I have, I still can't remember!


Once when I was about 7 years old I left my jacket by the side of the road. It was still there hours later when my parents realised my mistake.

[Sevo]

Do assistants and make-up artists count? I seem to have left behind more crew members than objects...

[Roger Thoms]

OK, I forgot my Harrison tent out at my house in Flagstaff. Knew I was forgetting something when I left. At least I forgot it in a safe place.

Roger

[Jim Galli]

You guys are all in better shape than me if you can remember what you forgot.