Today, Saturday September 3rd, at around 2:45pm, my camera was stolen. I was going into the store to purchase some balloons, in a part of LA I will not disclose, spent no more than 5 minutes inside the store, and I came back with a shattered passenger side window and two missing cameras and two VERY expensive lenses. When I happened upon my shattered window and subsequent missing equipment, what was going to be a lovely day shooting on my ongoing Inflated series of photos, turned out to be one of my most heartbreaking moments in life. As someone who has been shooting photography for nearly have of my life, it shouldn't come as a surprise that my passion is photography. I have shot film for most of it and just recently switched to digital to help streamline my workflow for professional work. So, with my missing digital equipment, my professional career has come to an abrupt stop. Even though I prefer film over digital, a lost camera is a lost camera. It was an extension of me and as corny or cliche as it may sound, a little piece of me is gone as well. I had imagined myself growing with that camera through the coming years. That probably won't happen anymore.
So, what now? Well, I can't accept much paying jobs or work on any of my creative projects until I get a replacement camera and I'm not sure when I'll buy another DSLR so as far as that is concerned, that aspect of my life is up in the air. I filed a police report for safe measure but it probably wouldn't do as much good as I had hoped for since my insurance company won't cover stolen "personal" items (I had always thought full coverage on an automobile insurance policy included theft but apparently it doesn't). Oh, I failed to mention that the lenses that were lost were rented and not theft is not covered by their insurance either so that is money out of my pocket...
Fairly recently, a Getty Images photographer had his gear stolen in Hollywood which was valued at an estimated $9000. A year followed where, on a whim, he decided to use a search website and entered his serial number and, by luck or by chance, happened to find his stolen gear and was able to recover it. This gives me hope. I know exactly what was stolen so I'll be searching the usual suspect websites, craigslist and ebay, and look for new listings of what was stolen. I will continue to do this until the day I find my gear or something serious happens to me. I will not stop. I will use the two websites (http://www.gadgettrak.com/camerasearch/index.php http://www.stolencamerafinder.com/) that offer a service to search serial numbers to help my cause as well. I may not find my gear when all is said and done and I'm not sure if I'm content with that notion at this moment or not. Maybe just fooling myself. I'm the last person to wish any form of negativity on or towards anyone, even to people that hate me or hold me in a negative light. But whoever it was that broke into my car, stole my gear, my passion and my livelihood, I want that person caught. I want to see that day.
My photography will still continue. Just won't be as steady as before. Wish me luck.
-Q
So, what now? Well, I can't accept much paying jobs or work on any of my creative projects until I get a replacement camera and I'm not sure when I'll buy another DSLR so as far as that is concerned, that aspect of my life is up in the air. I filed a police report for safe measure but it probably wouldn't do as much good as I had hoped for since my insurance company won't cover stolen "personal" items (I had always thought full coverage on an automobile insurance policy included theft but apparently it doesn't). Oh, I failed to mention that the lenses that were lost were rented and not theft is not covered by their insurance either so that is money out of my pocket...
Fairly recently, a Getty Images photographer had his gear stolen in Hollywood which was valued at an estimated $9000. A year followed where, on a whim, he decided to use a search website and entered his serial number and, by luck or by chance, happened to find his stolen gear and was able to recover it. This gives me hope. I know exactly what was stolen so I'll be searching the usual suspect websites, craigslist and ebay, and look for new listings of what was stolen. I will continue to do this until the day I find my gear or something serious happens to me. I will not stop. I will use the two websites (http://www.gadgettrak.com/camerasearch/index.php http://www.stolencamerafinder.com/) that offer a service to search serial numbers to help my cause as well. I may not find my gear when all is said and done and I'm not sure if I'm content with that notion at this moment or not. Maybe just fooling myself. I'm the last person to wish any form of negativity on or towards anyone, even to people that hate me or hold me in a negative light. But whoever it was that broke into my car, stole my gear, my passion and my livelihood, I want that person caught. I want to see that day.
My photography will still continue. Just won't be as steady as before. Wish me luck.
-Q