Saturday 17 September 2011

The Misadventures of a Photographer.

Hello friends, I would like to tell you a true story. Today, upon reflection, it is amusing. Yesterday, it was anything but!
It was a beautiful , bright,  sunny in the financial district in downtown Toronto.  I was on my way to do an editorial shoot for one of the magazines. Loaded with equipment -photography gear, - I made my way , underneath the office tower from P2, to a maze of corridors  and was happy to see a sign directing me to the elevator. This was a freight elevator. I soon piled my photography equipment in there and the door closed behind me. I pressed the button for the appropriate floor.  Nothing happened.  After a couple of tries, still nothing happened. so, I tried selecting other numbers, other floors---just in case.  No success. The elevator stood still. I reasoned that probably, a special card is needed to activate this elevator and since I have no such thing, I  should just get off.    Easier said than done!  I pressed P2 again, where I still was,  but the door remained shut. By now, I  was worried.   AH! Now I saw the Emergency button. this gave me hope. I pressed this red button, thinking, all will be well soon. Nothing!  Not a sound.   Now, I was scared. Really scared!  My mind started racing;   I had no food in my  handbag, not even an energy bar. Soon, my blood sugar would fall very low. What with that and the stress of this situation, my anxiety attacks, so long dormant,  would  now reappear. Is this elevator totally airtight ?--I wondered. How long before I run out of air?   I'm not allowed to die, ----I have a shoot to do!  They will fire me!  (What?)
What about my doggy? --He will miss me.   So, I banged my wrist against the heavy door of this grungy elevator and screamed for help.   No one heard me. It was hopeless.  To make matters even worse, the week-end was starting. It was Friday afternoon!   No one would use this freight elevator  for at least 2 days now,  maybe more, if there is no freight being delivered for a while. I must conserve my energy ,--I mustn't keep banging too hard-or yell incessantly.
After what seemed like an eternity---but was actually only a few minutes, -just as I was starting to resign myself to my fate ;  at best, a very long week-end in isolation, ( no cell phones, no computer, no newspaper, no T.V)----a miracle happened. Someone pressed the button on the 6th floor, called up the elevator and got in. He was most surprised by the reception he got;  I jumped on him, hugging and kissing him, in tears of utter joy!   I was saved!

Does anybody  out there think that the life of a photographer is easy or smooth?
Read my book.  It will be coming out soon!


Lisa

P.S. Have a great week-end------and stay clear of freight elevators!

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