So yesterday was pretty disappointing. We had waves, we had weather, we had it all and I blew it. I drove down to the beach to go shoot and couldn't get a hold of the two kids I wanted to go out with. No big deal. I decided to swim out anyways and try out the force fins my buddy Jason let me borrow. Instead of just getting right too it I chatted with Jeff at The South End Surf shop for a bit. I should have been getting my gear together because Jason was going to go surf. Instead I chatted, then went out to try the fins and lost a contact in a barrel. No big deal. Popped another one in as Jason was running out to grab some waves. Well, there I was in the parking lot. Not ready at all. My water housing was not ready, my flash was not ready, and I was wet, wasting time with a contact. I got it in and rifled through my bag trying to get everything out for assembly. Where is my flash sync cord? I don't know? I saw it in my bag. Take everything out of the bag and get salt water on it. Don't find the cord. The wind is offshore now and barrels are firing. It's cloudy, dark, been raining, I can't find my flash cord.... screw it. I'll surf. I grab my board and run out and start surfing. So I'm sitting in the lineup feeling stupid about my flash cord and frothing for waves. It's really good and I'm having a blast trying not to think about missing the photos because it's cloudy and dark. Then it happened. The sun started to poke out as it went down. The skyline got orange... then the clouds... then the most intense and massive rainbow I have ever seen began to form. Everyone was freaking out. Barrels were spitting. The sky was exploding and the water turned an amazing turqoise. I was just sitting there taking it all in for the longest time not realizing my error. Finally the thought occured to me that this was a once in a lifetime event and my camera was only a few hundred yards away. WHAT AM I DOING? I raced into shore as best I could... threw my board down on the beach with my 1mm hooded top and gloves. Running I pulled of my choking neck gasket and huffed all the way to my car. I grabbed the camera and ran back to the beach. The rainbow was over half way gone and I'm just sitting there desperately snapping shots. For a brief moment the sun bounces light off the cloud layer and reignites a far duller form of the rainbow as if to taunt me. I sulk back to the car and toss in my salt water covered camera. It dripped off my wetsuit and hair hitting it as I ran. What a waste. I threw the camera back in the car, grabbed my board and surfed until I couldn't see because it was so dark. FAIL.
A shadow of its former self.
