Disaster in Banff... or is it???!! Hand-holding my Chamonix 4x5...

[deldridg]

Hi all,

well, a couple of days ago I flew Sydney to LA then LA to Calgary, arriving to discover that none of my checked in luggage had made it (and now, 30 hours later it appears that it never will...). First problem was how to stay warm wearing a t-shirt, a thin jacket and jeans. At least none of my film went near a scanner - one small victory at least.

The next and far more serious problem remains the issue of shooting my 4x5 with no tripod, which was checked in with its lovely geared head. Never mind the tons of clothes and motorbiking gear that has gone as well.

So early today, sporting a new heavy jacket, my mobile phone and a little Fuji X10 (with one battery and no charger) I decided to follow the excellent advice in Darwin Wiggett's "Banff National Park" (see oopoomoo.com/ebook) and headed out to scout some good spots, check for light/crowds etc. in the hope that my tripod would arrive for tomorrow (Fri). Wow - Banff is unbelievable and I am happy to plug Darwin's excellent work - his book has taken me places I would never have found otherwise.

Anyway - it appears all my gear has been either lost or stolen and I certainly won't be seeing it while in Banff (only here until Sat morning). So this means that tomorrow I will attempt to use my 4x5 with no tripod and no rangefinder (other than my Linhof viewer). I think I will stick to Tri-X 320 for some extra speed and keep my fingers crossed! Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I did the rounds of Banff during today to seek a loanable/rent-able tripod, perhaps foolishly thinking that someone in a camera store might empathise and help me find a solution* - only needed for a day. The guy in the Banff store (near the bridge) showed no interest, said his tripods were all new and too small (which is probably fair) and that as far as the X10 was concerned, I could either buy a charger for $50 or he would happily charge it up for $12. I had a similar reception from their sister store in the Banff Springs. "Damn dude - that's a shocker. You could either borrow one of mine or I'll ring a mate who'd love to help out." That's what we'd all say, right?

So any advice will be appreciated. I will set out tomorrow with the 4x5 and hope to get some usable shots. If I do, I'll post one or two!

Anyway - take care and cheers!

David (now the proud owner of new socks, undies and toothbrush!)

[George Richards]

http://www.banffcentre.ca/va/facilities/photography_gallery/

You might give them a call - contact at the bottom of page.

George

[jb7]

At least you didn't check in your cheerfulness- I'd be disconsolate. Though twenty minutes ago I checked in a camera too big for carry on, and the film is using up most of that allowance anyway.

In fact, reading this, I'm feeling a bit disconsolate already, just in case...

Good luck with your search, if I were you, I'd search for photographers rather than shops, they'd be more inclined to help out. I'm sure someone here knows someone there...

[George Hart]

Very sorry to hear of your losses.

And the name of the airline is…?

George

[deldridg]

Hello George,

many thanks for this advice. I will certainly do so and fingers crossed I won't have brought out all this gear for a dozen blurry images!

Much appreciated!

Cheers,
David

[deldridg]

Hello Joseph,

thanks for your note. I understand your check-in anxiety but I'm sure you'll be OK. I have flown probably several hundred times over the recent years and this will be my first actual bag loss if it doesn't turn up. Naturally this auspicious event coincided with perhaps my most expensive baggage event ever! One bag was full of motorcycling gear - full leather suit etc. and I've brought clothing and other stuff for my stay in Calgary over the next 3 months so I don't have to ship it back and forth on my return trips to Oz. I've done an inventory of my equipment and a fairly conservative replacement value and it's certainly up there! This will test my insurer and their commitment to me...

As for cheerfulness - well, it's a bit of a "first world problem" isn't it?! After all, I am in Banff for a few days and will be living at the Sheraton in Calgary for nine of the coming 12 weeks. I've spent too much time in the 3rd world to get too upset about this. I suppose the frustration is more around just how difficult it is to communicate with the baggage people who are "handling" my case (pardon the pun). How two fully tagged bags can simply 'disappear' in LAX is beyond me, unless of course someone took a fancy to my leather outfit... :)

And yes, I'll try to chat with photographers today for at least a chance to put my camera on something sturdy!

Cheers,
David

[deldridg]

Very sorry to hear of your losses.

And the name of the airline is…?

George

Hi George,

the problem was that I was given bad advice in Sydney. The lady at Qantas (Sydney) check-in told me she was checking my bags through LAX to Calgary and that they'd be in Calgary without me needing to do anything. I've done this route many times and this was the first time someone had told me this so I specifically queried her and received assurance that they were going straight through automatically. I assumed that Qantas had made some arrangement with the TSA and Air Canada and thought nothing more of it other than it was nice to finally not have to do the carousel thing and the 400m drag between Tom Bradley and T2.

So it was an easy mistake for someone to make but in this case, sadly one with fairly significant consequences for me. At least Qantas showed concern in trying to expedite the tracking but I don't have high hopes. Fingers crossed...

Cheers,
David

[Fred L]

Sorry to hear about the missing bags, I'd be steamed as well. Surely Qantas should be able to trace the bags through to LAX, unless they were pilfered as you think might have happened.

If you were in Toronto, you could have borrowed one of mine. Hopefully a member in Calgary can help out.

[Ari]

David,
Send me a PM with your address in Banff, I'll send you a loaner tripod; just ship it back to me when you're done.
I'll send you a PM right now in case you don't see this right away.

[Jody_S]

Don't be afraid to shoot without the tripod, you may find you can do reasonably well with improvised camera rests and leaning it against things. In fact, this may force you to shoot from different perspectives, you might get some really good photos. Though if you can get your hands on a tripod, I'm sure that would help too...

[Hans Berkhout]

email sent. contact me if you need more help, now or in future.

[welly]

I took one of my best portraits handheld. It was a little bit of a guess where to point the camera but luckily I was using Fujiroids (FP3000BW) and so could re-adjust and shoot. As a result of that, which I did enjoy, I've bought a Linhof zoom viewfinder and I plan to do more handheld photography with my 4x5 (a Toyo 45AX). I really enjoyed the freedom.

[Greg Y]

....sounds like the disaster was not in Banff at all but en route ;-) Enjoy the area. On the topic of loaner tripods I'm glad some members here have been able to help you. It's worth remembering that camera store employees in a tourist town are...employees. In this digital age I'd doubt that many even own a tripod. I hope your visit works out despite the loss of your gear.

[ROL]

It looks as though Hans has your back, but I would second the gallery/museum connections locally. I was once able to locate a loaner light meter in Stanley, Idaho through the local historical museum (I later repaid the kindness with a one–off, really limited edition GSP of Sawtooth Lake and Mt. Regan).

[deldridg]

Sorry to hear about the missing bags, I'd be steamed as well. Surely Qantas should be able to trace the bags through to LAX, unless they were pilfered as you think might have happened.

If you were in Toronto, you could have borrowed one of mine. Hopefully a member in Calgary can help out.

Hi Fred,

thanks for your message - more frustrated than steamed I guess. Such an unnecessary waste. Hopefully - if the goods have been taken - they go to someone who needs them more than me!

If this happens again and I'm in your neck of the woods, I'll be sure to call and the same if you're in Sydney of course! :)

Cheers,
David

[deldridg]

email sent. contact me if you need more help, now or in future.

Hello Hans and many thanks.
David

[deldridg]

I took one of my best portraits handheld. It was a little bit of a guess where to point the camera but luckily I was using Fujiroids (FP3000BW) and so could re-adjust and shoot. As a result of that, which I did enjoy, I've bought a Linhof zoom viewfinder and I plan to do more handheld photography with my 4x5 (a Toyo 45AX). I really enjoyed the freedom.

Hi Welly,

it would be great to be able to shoot without a tripod and I may have that chance when I can get organised here! Scheimpflug by hand sounds awfully tricky... :)

Cheers,
David

[deldridg]

....sounds like the disaster was not in Banff at all but en route ;-) Enjoy the area. On the topic of loaner tripods I'm glad some members here have been able to help you. It's worth remembering that camera store employees in a tourist town are...employees. In this digital age I'd doubt that many even own a tripod. I hope your visit works out despite the loss of your gear.

Hi Greg,

yes, you are right. I shouldn't be too hard on them - perhaps I can blame jet-lag eh? :)

So far no luck but will keep trying. That hand-holding might soon become a reality for me. Luckily I've been carrying my 18mth old daughter around a lot lately back in Oz - will need the strength I'm sure!

Cheers,
David

[deldridg]

It looks as though Hans has your back, but I would second the gallery/museum connections locally. I was once able to locate a loaner light meter in Stanley, Idaho through the local historical museum (I later repaid the kindness with a one–off, really limited edition GSP of Sawtooth Lake and Mt. Regan).

Had I been more *with-it* yesterday, I would have considered this approach. It's been great wandering around with my Linhof viewfinder in any case - learning to visualise more effectively has been a goal of mine for some time!

Cheers,
David

[C_Remington]

Are you travelling on business????

[BrianShaw]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the airlines. Somewhere is Georgia is a warehouse full of "lost, misplaced, and unclaimed" luggage that gets auctioned off by the pallet-load for pennies-on-the-dollar. I hope your gear doesn't end up there!

I have had luggage lost a couple of times, and it always caught up with me eventually... but always long after I needed the clean clothing and toiletries. At least I got my stuff back, though. Maybe you'll be fortunate like that too.

[deldridg]

Are you travelling on business????

Indeed, choosing to spend my jet-lag adjustment days in Banff before heading to Calgary on business. If I was paying, instead of spending 9 weeks in the Sheraton - I'd sleep on a bench somewhere and spend the savings on more gear! :D

Cheers,
David

[deldridg]

Well, it's Sunday now and I can report that my bags finally turned up during yesterday. Unfortunately there was little time and lighting available to take the shots I was really after but at least I don't now have to go shop for clothes. :-)

Thank you to all who offered their support - it was not really a huge deal in the scheme of things but it was certainly a frustrating one.

Cheers,
David

[Greg Y]

Well David, Good to hear. You're only an hour from Banff during your stay in Calgary....& this is an interesting change of seasons time....even closer to Highwood Pass on Highway 40 ...many spectacular views. Best of Luck

[Fred L]

wow that's great news David ! too bad about the photography end of it but I imagine you're pretty attached to your biking gear ;) hope in your three months there you get to take a break and visit other parts of the province or Canada.

[Eric Rose]

If you need the use of a darkroom in Calgary email me, eric at ericrose dot com

[eddie]

Hi George,

the problem was that I was given bad advice in Sydney. The lady at Qantas (Sydney) check-in told me she was checking my bags through LAX to Calgary and that they'd be in Calgary without me needing to do anything. I've done this route many times and this was the first time someone had told me this so I specifically queried her and received assurance that they were going straight through automatically. I assumed that Qantas had made some arrangement with the TSA and Air Canada and thought nothing more of it other than it was nice to finally not have to do the carousel thing and the 400m drag between Tom Bradley and T2.

So it was an easy mistake for someone to make but in this case, sadly one with fairly significant consequences for me. At least Qantas showed concern in trying to expedite the tracking but I don't have high hopes. Fingers crossed...

Cheers,
David

uuummm? not sure what to tell you......BUT the airlines make numerous announcements on NON domestic flights arriving into the USA that say you MUST clear USA customs WITH your bags. no matter what.

now you know. the check in person should know that as well.......

buy a cheap tripod from wally world

[cowanw]

Except that there seem to be sufficient exemptions (either foreign airports (possibly in Canada and Ireland eg) or airlines) to make one confused.

[deldridg]

Well David, Good to hear. You're only an hour from Banff during your stay in Calgary....& this is an interesting change of seasons time....even closer to Highwood Pass on Highway 40 ...many spectacular views. Best of Luck

Hi Greg - I'll ask around about Highwood Pass - sounds interesting. Being able to operate my camera wearing a ton of clothing and 3 inch thick gloves could pose a challenge for an Aussie who has just come from mid 30s!

Cheers,
David

[deldridg]

wow that's great news David ! too bad about the photography end of it but I imagine you're pretty attached to your biking gear ;) hope in your three months there you get to take a break and visit other parts of the province or Canada.

Hi Fred - yes, the bike gear is certainly not something I'd like to lose. However, I'm not sure how effective it will be at some of the temperatures around here and with random icing beginning soon, I'm not entirely sure we'll be heading out this trip. However, the idea of riding around these parts has great appeal, though I'm not sure how much of my camera gear I'd fit into a Ducati pannier system!

Cheers,
David

[deldridg]

uuummm? not sure what to tell you......BUT the airlines make numerous announcements on NON domestic flights arriving into the USA that say you MUST clear USA customs WITH your bags. no matter what.

now you know. the check in person should know that as well.......

buy a cheap tripod from wally world

Hi George - yes, you are correct. However, I travel through LAX regularly and in all these years it was the first time I'd been told by Qantas that my bags were checked through. She was adamant and I assumed that Qantas and Air Canada had made some kind of agreement with the TSA, and when you seem to spend half your life buzzing around in aircraft, after a while you tend to listen less closely to announcements. :)

I'll know better next time!

Cheers,
David