The Lost Shower Shot
Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 6:06PM This is one of those slightly off-topic posts I told you would appear every now and then. But bear with me here.
Patty and I went camping last week—drove up to the high desert in search of quietude and park-bench weather. We found the weather, and absent one private jet, we found the quiet, too.
We set up our camping chairs under the awning of our truck camper, and there we sat for hours at a time, just talking and reading and laughing. There was an occasional tear or two and one (short-lived) argument. (We’ve found that the length and frequency of our arguments is inversely proportional to our age and time together.)
Our truck camper—the one you see in the 2006 photograph at the top—is made in Canada by BigFoot. We’ve camped with this rig since 1998, and along the way, we’ve added and subtracted things to help minimize the process and maximize the experience of traveling in the back country.
One of those things is the outdoor shower head—complete with hot and cold running water. Mostly we’ve used this for washing our little dog, all eleven pounds of him. Of course, as a boudoir photographer, I’d envisioned using this outdoor shower differently, but neither the time nor the circumstances ever seemed right.
Until this trip.
There we were in a remote campground with no facilities other than a pit toilet. For you non-campers, it’s exactly that: a tank in the ground with a hole in it, a toilet seat on top, and thankfully for those who must use these things, four walls and door. Gratefully, our camper is equipped with it’s own toilet—one that flushes, I might add. But I digress. The point is, the fewer the facilities, the fewer the visitors, especially in mid-week.
Returning from a walk, Patty says, “You know, there’s nobody here. I’m taking an outdoor shower. Why don’t you take pictures… of me.”
As the late afternoon’s warming light approaches, I’m thinking all I need now is a camera, a small flash for some rim light, and one reflector. Perfect. Then it hit me: We left on an impulse and I didn’t bring a camera, or a small flash, or a reflector. I thoroughly enjoyed the view, of course, but damn, no pictures!
Well, you know we’ll be back, but the only guarantee is that pit toilet.
As for the lost shower shot, I offer in its place this one of Melyssa, an enchanting Muse.
Reader Comments (6)
I can guess that you were never a boyscout - "Always be Prepared". Better luck next time.
Chuck S
Not off-topic at all. Just emphasizes that boudoir is where you find it. [and that the boyscout motto mentioned above is totally relevant to a photographer]. Better luck next time.
you went off into the wilderness without a camera???
sheesh.
aw! That kind of sucks for photography. But, maybe it was a perfect time that the camera was NOT needed ;)
-joshua
Aww...c'mon Patty, let hubby show us some of your modelling piccies! I bet they're beautiful :-)
(If I can do modellingt at my age, anything's possible!)
Anonymous- I was, and at least in one respect, I was ;-)
Wildpics- It is where you find it, isn't it? The topic of a future post.
JimmyD- I stopped carrying cameras to the back country several years ago--Patty and I call it "The Last Gourd Shoot." I hope you don't mind if I elaborate in a future post.
Joshua- Indeed, it was.
Lin- There might be more, but in the meantime, she's at the top of the http://boudoirphotographer.blogspot.com/2007/09/im-pretty-lucky-guy-really2.html" REL="nofollow">first post.