Murphy's Law in photography

One of the differences between "pro" and "amateur" photography is the absolute requirement to produce a result. You can't tell a client "sorry, my camera battery is flat" or "I forgot to bring the right lens". So taking backup equipment with you on an assignment is crucial: a spare camera body, spare batteries and so on. But sometimes the gods are just not on your side...

Last week I agreed to photograph a friend's party. He's in the entertainment business and I knew there would be a lot of "celebrities" there. I treated it as a professional assignment, even though I wasn't being paid. But, in a moment of mental weakness, I figured I didn't need to take all the usual level of backup kit - after all, it's just a party, right? I packed a small shoulder bag with just one camera, one flash gun and a few bits and pieces. When I got to the party I stuck the flash gun on top of the camera and fired a test shot: nothing! No flash! The flash fired okay on the test button, so I figured it was the hot-shoe connection. Rummaging through my bag, I was greatly relieved to find a PC sync cord, which I duly attached and presto!... it worked. So I started firing away.

About two hours later, the cabaret act was about to start and I forced my way to the front of the crowd to get some shots. I clicked off three or four shots before I realised the flash wasn't firing. I'd taped the PC cord in place so it couldn't fall out: sure enough, it was still properly connected. But I was definitely getting no flash. It seems that the PC cord had broken internally as I was pushing my way through the throng. So that was it - no more shooting that evening!

If I'd taken with me the full array of backup gear that I would normally take to a professional assignment then I'd still be shooting. But I'd broken my own rules. The first failure (of the gun's hot-shoe) was solved, but then the backup PC sync cord (which was only in that bag by chance) also failed.

Bad luck? No! Bad planning! I should have taken my normal (huge) backpack, which always has three flashguns in it. It was a sobering lesson to me - let it be a lesson to you too!