Friends and loved ones, we gather here to recognize the probable demise of something very dear: my Nikon D40. While the circumstances are undoubtedly tragic, a jazz funeral seems more fitting given the bang it went out with.
Last evening, sunset neared, and it was overcast and dreary, but interestingly enough the sky actually seemed brighter to the west. I surmised there might be scattered clouds over Lake Michigan, conditions which can look very interesting with the golden sunset light illuminating clouds from below. So, I headed towards the Lake, biking in spite of the threatening showers.
The sunset was shaping up to be a gorgeous one.
Additionally, the clouds were a bit cumulus, so they weren’t as flat and dull as normal overcast. They darkened the sky enough that it balanced well with the ground, so it was an excellent time for picture taking.
This isn’t a white balance error. After the Sun set, a wonderful purple hue set in.
Soon, a bit of a storm began brewing. The waves picked up in intensity. As I was shooting near the sand and rocks, a bit of surge from the waves crawled further up the beach. I got my shoes and jeans soaked, but kept the camera clear by watching what was going on.
This is the last picture my camera took, and I believe it’s the very wave that snuck up on me. As I held the camera an inch or two above water level, I watched for oncoming waves and aligned the camera so the framing was right and things were mostly level. Unfortunately, I was concentrating at the moment more on the latter two, and when the crest of the wave arrived, I was still holding the camera down by the water surface. My Nikon sliced right through the wave, ending up momentarily submerged.
I instinctively ejected the battery and started shaking water out of the battery and connection port areas. Unfortunately, neither this camera nor lens are “weather sealed,” so they’re completely without O-rings or other wonderful and waterproof things.
I headed back home then, just as rain and lightning moved. Interestingly enough, this follows a long pattern of me being unable through various misfortunes to catch lightning on film (or CCD, as it were). At home, I wiped the camera down with something better than my t-shirt, the best I had at the beach. I’ve managed to resist inserting the battery or turning it on, knowing that could fry still-wet circuitry.
And, while the introduction sounded a tad maudlin, I believe there is hope left. Most parts seem dry right now, and after perhaps 24 hours, it may be time for a test. While this camera is not made for incidents like this, I’ve been impressed with Nikon’s durability before. A death at the tender age of seven months would cast a bit of a tragic pall on the picture series I’m running (that is, working on, sometime. Maybe). Perhaps in 24 hours it will have dried sufficiently to test.
The last picture I have to post, a panorama of the sunset, needs some more time to process. I’ll post it here sometime hopefully.