Had to yank a stuck lens off my camera at a wedding last Saturday

I was shooting my cousin's wedding in this tiny chapel near Austin, and during the ceremony my 24-70mm lens just locked up on the mount. Couldn't zoom or focus, bride was walking down the aisle, total panic. I literally had to twist the lens off with both hands while kneeling behind a pew, and it popped off with a loud crack that everyone heard. Guest next to me whispered "you okay?" and I just nodded like it was planned. Has anyone else had gear fail at the worst possible moment during a paid gig?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice891mo ago

Oh man, @benclark you are so right that sound just gets stuck in your head forever. I still hear that plastic-pop sound in my nightmares, probably worse than the bride's actual vows at this point. The whole time I was trying to twist that lens off I was thinking "well this is a great way to look like a pro in front of 80 guests." At least your flash explosion probably looked dramatic and cool, mine just sounded like i broke the camera in half. Did you ever figure out what caused your flash to blow up?

grantp281mo ago

Man, I bet that bride's dad still talks about that pop.

benclark1mo ago

Dude that crack sound is forever burned into your memory I bet. I had a flash tube explode during a first dance once and I still flinch at the sound. The worst part is having to act professional while your heart is pounding out of your chest. Hope you got the shot though and that the lens survived.