Mr Rusty's tip for better photos...

[mr rusty]

Remember to check there is a film in the camera!

First time ever I have done this. Grabbed my OM1 which is usually loaded with B&W, checked the counter - plenty left - only on "2". Shot the film, went to rewind and......... no film! Felt such a twonk I didn't let on to my d******l shooting colleagues. Still, loaded a film and carried on.

I normally get in the habit of loading a fresh film every time I take the used one out. I use 3 OMs with B&W, Portra 400 and ektar 100. Somehow, must have forgotten to reload, and never noticed the rewind wasn't rotating..........

[nsurit]

I wouldn't think about giving up my screen anytime soon. I've recently done the same thing. Felt like an idiot. Yes, I know the rewind crank turns everytime I advance the film on my OM. Won't do that again, well at least not right away . . . or hope I don't. Bill Barber

[guitstik]

Forgetting to load film, not checking that the camera is loaded before opening and forgetting to put the kickstand down on my motorcycle before I dismount. These are a few of my favorite things to forget to remember at the worst times.

[Jeff Kubach]

At least you didn't open the camera while it still had unwound film in it!

Jeff

[M. Lointain]

15 years ago I hiked over a mile to a frozen waterfall in Colorado only to find the battery dead on my camera. I hiked back to the car and got a fresh battery. Upon arrival at the waterfall the second time I discovered I didn't bring any film. Another trip... A few years ago I did it again, with the film I mean. Was shooting some beautiful stuff on the windward side of Mt. Tamalpais and then I started to get that funny feeling. Yep, after two hours and about 50 shots, no film. Needless to say I am now religious to the point of paranoia about checking film whenever I pick up a camera. Every time. No one is immune to this though. Everyone reading this thread can identify with that particular sinking feeling whether they comment or not.

[rrankin]

Wouldn't help my photos any...

[benjiboy]

Remember to check there is a film in the camera!

First time ever I have done this. Grabbed my OM1 which is usually loaded with B&W, checked the counter - plenty left - only on "2". Shot the film, went to rewind and......... no film! Felt such a twonk I didn't let on to my d******l shooting colleagues. Still, loaded a film and carried on.

I normally get in the habit of loading a fresh film every time I take the used one out. I use 3 OMs with B&W, Portra 400 and ektar 100. Somehow, must have forgotten to reload, and never noticed the rewind wasn't rotating..........

I've been a photographer for more than fifty years and for the first time in my life I recently shot a roll of 120 film in a Mamiya TLR, and when I opened the back to remove the film the camera empty , fortunately it wasn't anything important, but I felt such a fool.

[Rick A]

I shot a 36 exposure roll (or so I thought), rewound it and developed, only to realize it never advanced and only a clear length of film to show for it(dang, the counter went past 36,I thunk I had a bonus). That film is stapled to the front of a shelf in my DR as a reminder.

[Sirius Glass]

I arrived at Skyline Drive NP only to discover that the 4"x5" film was still in the refridgerator. I turned around, drove home, picked up the film, drove back to Skyline Drive. Time loss 2 hours, but worth it.

[Bill Burk]

I developed a nervous tic this way with my OM...

Carrying camera around neck, spinning rewind knob feeling for tension.

You can overdo this. I have a tiny half-moon kink in several shots.

The imaginary roll of film has shots of a mother bear forcing her cub up a tree to try to get our food despite us throwing rocks at them. Descendents of these talented creatures still roam Paradise Valley.