JPG Magazine: Stories: Personal Post: V.I.V., A.!

V.I.V., A.!

By John Linton

26 April 2008

And now back to our regular programming: We loaded up the car (we always forget something) and headed off for a week's stay in Brewster, MA located somewhere in beautiful Cape Cod. But first we had to stop at Midstate Camera Repair to pick up my Canon Rebel. Once I gave the friendly camera guy my name he remembered my camera, "Yeah, I call you 'The Sandman.' You must love the beach. Your sensor was dirty and your camera was filled with beach sand, but don't worry, I gave it a good cleaning and it's as good as new."

Just then my wife pulled out her Minolta film camera and asked why the little flashing thing was flashing (we have misplaced the manual). He said, "It's letting you know your film's rewound." She said, "But I've only taken 6 pictures." Then he said, "Probably a defective roll of film." At that point the conversation faded in my mind as "Enter Sandman" popped into it for some reason. I was pulled back into their conversation when I heard him say, "Yeah, you got a better lens on this film Minolta than your husband has on his Canon. That's the cheap, slow one that they throw in with the camera when you by it." He was a film guy who didn't like digital or computers.

Before we left, he told me I should look into getting a Sigma 100-300 zoom. He loved his. It could get him a close up of a fly's ass at quite a considerable distance. I countered that I had noticed some JPGers seem to love their Sigma 10-20 wide-angle. He wasn't into wide-angle shots and didn't seem to know what JPG was. It was time to go.

We arrived a little early at Brewster Green and our bungalow was not ready. Brenda asked if there was anything to see in the area while we were waiting. The guy said, "Yes, there's the 'Herring Run' going on right now." I thought maybe a road race wouldn't be a bad thing to take some photos of (with my cheap, slow lens). When we got there I found out that actual herring were "running" up Brewster's fresh water stream, attracting hordes of gluttonous seagulls and quite a few human spectators. It seems the herring do this for two weeks every year to spawn in fresh water. As I watched the herring "running" in circles a vision of Paul Lavallee's Couch Couples photo flashed in my head. I started taking photos of gluttonous seagulls, "running" herring, and babbling water.

Just as a guy came up to tell me he hoped I was getting some good shots, that this was the best herring run in twenty years, I looked down in horror to notice that I'd been "shooting" without my memory card. I'd forgotten that Mr. Midstate had removed it when I'd dropped it off. I now clearly remembered leaving it next to the Rebel manual on my desk by my Mac G5. I could hear Mr. Midstate telling me that if I'd just use film...I shoved the extra memory card I carry into my Rebel and headed back to the herring.

As I retraced my steps my camera suddenly refused to take any more photos. The battery was dead. Thoroughly frustrated, we drove back to our bungalow, now ready, left the battery recharging, and headed for the Old Jailhouse Tavern and a couple of Cape Cod Amber drafts.

Tomorrow is another day.

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