Bridezilla

The Bad Girl that changed my life

In 1998, I lost my beloved Minolta kit - camera, telephotos, etc. in an unfortunate pawnshop incident. I had purchased it new in 1982 (see “Big Boys’ Toys, March 1).

I had come to a financial reversal, and moved to another town to seek fresh opportunities. Opportunity came quickly, but I had pawned my Minolta gear in order to get on my feet.

The payday came when I had the money redeem the camera - and I realized to my horror that I could not find the pawn ticket. No tickee, no redeemee. I searched desperately. Went through everything. The deadline passed, and I lost my entire kit.

I spiraled into despair. Gave up on photography. Didn’t care any more. The dinosaur shot in my previous post, taken the next year, was taken with a cheap, disposable camera. As were all of the photos that I would take for the next few years.

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It was 2001, and my cousin’s daughter was getting married. I was asked to do the wedding. I had given up on photography, and turned down the request. “I have no equipment,” I explained.

My cousin was insistent. She offered to loan me the bride’s father’s kit, which he had used for investigations in his former life as a cop. She would not take no for an answer. Reluctantly, I bought three rolls of professional “wedding photographer” film and headed off with my Little Guy to the venue.

I opened up the equipment case to find — a Minolta! Just like mine, except a newer model. All of the controls were in the same places. I picked it up… and my hands instinctively knew exactly what to do.

I had the time of my life shooting that wedding. My Little Guy became Photographer’s Assistant, fetching film, lenses, flash unit; holding lights and reflectors etc. and did a splendid job. Something in me changed. The passion was back. The fire had been lit, never to go out again.

The marriage ended before the film had even come back from processing. The bride’s mother graciously paid the film + processing expenses, and the photos went nowhere.

But my burning desire for photography had been re-lighted. I went to a store in Eugene, Oregon that sold used stuff and bought a cheap, but capable Nikon. NIKON!! What I had always wanted. It was a cheap film body, but fully compatible with those legendary Nikon lenses. I also bought my Little Guy an older, fully-manual Nikon that came with Nikon’s legendary 50mm lens. I went across town and bought a cheap, off-brand lens for myself, which I traded in for something better a little later.

The boy and I went out shooting, and I’ve been shooting Nikons, with Nikon lenses, ever since.

I have never done another wedding, nor do I wish to. The bride’s life spiralled downhill and she is now serving a 648-month sentence in the Washington State Women’s Prison. Yeah, she’s a Bad Girl, and she changed my life.

Here is one of the wedding photos.

Epilog: the missing pawn ticket turned up years later in an old briefcase.