Where's my monopod?

Modelling the Phillip Sparks collection

The start of the Fall/Winter 2010 fashion season (in Toronto at least) began with the Phillip Sparks catwalk located in a building near Bathurst on Queen street. I had gotten there early, as usual, and grabbed a nice spot to photograph at the end of the catwalk.

My editor had been going over procedures in case I got there late or couldn't get in. I was the first photographer on the scene and I arrived late, late for me. I had misplaced my monopod and spent a while looking for it. Not finding it I decided to leave before I really was late . I would have to photograph the show hand held.


Watch by Hamilton.

It wasn't until after the show that I retraced where I last used the monopod. "Good Gravy!", as my grandmother would say. "I left it at Massey Hall!". At least that's the last time I remember holding it to photograph Jamie Cullum.

I had been told to move out after the third song and in my haste had my lenses, camera bag, and monopod in a disarray. I stopped at the exit door, leaned my monopod next to the door frame, I swapped lenses from my camera into my camera bags to carry back home, then sorted out my long lens. The 70-200mm had a lens doubler that I was using to get the 400mm range. I had to dismantle it and pack that away as well. I then left Massey Hall.


A woman in the audience enjoying a cranberry martini

The question was "Did I take the monopod with me from the door frame or not?". I may have left the monopod on the subway. I was tired that night. I knew it wasn't at home in my apartment from the search earlier on in the day. I didn't have anything to loose so after the Sparks catwalk I made my way back to Massey Hall.

There was some other event going on at the time but no one lined up for tickets when I got there so I went right up to the ticket booth and asked "Did anyone find a monopod?". "What's that?". "It's a metal stick to put your camera on.", I replied.

The guy in the booth asked me to wait inside. I wasn't there very long when a security guard came out of a door carrying the "camera stick". It was like he was surrounded by golden light from heaven. Small angels "ahh ahh"ing. "There it is!", I exclaimed. The guard could see the amazed, happy look I had on my face, and handed it to me like I just won an award. "Thank you so much.". "You're welcome so much."

I left happy to not have to buy another replacement camera item.

Note: It should be known that between the location of the Phillip Sparks show and Massey Hall I had gone into the Eaton Centre and saw a monopod at Black's Photography. It's about half the size of my existing monopod and can be stored in a camera bag quite easily. I never got the price of it because if I knew the amount I might want to buy it. The only bad thing about it was that the quick release clamps were not adjustable. If they wore out you couldn't take them off or readjust the tightness on them.