There are few books available in the photographic press that actually prepare you for doing studio photography the way it is really done. Oh, there are Amphoto books and Petersen books that show lighting setups and tit shows and how to write up a contract to a New York advertising agency, but none of them ever cover the actual business of going into your studio on Christmas morning and discovering it to be an inch deep in water.
The studio windows streaming condensation from the inside were the first clue. Opening the door to the vista of Lake Huron was the second.
I dived for the property line in an effort to locate the main water supply tap. Once that was off, the electric mains was off. and then i donned my Lloyd Bridges' gear and stepped inside. A hot water hose to the studio washing machine had burst in the night.
At this point of time I must record my relief that I had purchased Manfrotto Autopoles to hold up my Superior paper rolls, Manfrotto light stands to hold up my Elinchrom mono-block flashes, and cheap IKEA cabinets on little legs. Most of the expensive stuff was well above the water line. I lost about a metre of paper that was touching the ground and that was about it.
Further knowledge gained: Christmas day is lonely - everyone is elsewhere, so if you are in trouble, it is YOUR trouble. Grain shovels make an admirable way to throw water out a door. Hard tile floors in studios are wonderful. You can get a floor really, really clean if you need to. Summer is the best time to have a flood as the warm days aid evaporation.
As you can see, one of the scheduled shoots went ahead - others have been re-booked.
It has been an exciting holiday.
