A Digital Duh

Plugging in...

How many of us have done something like this?

A digital camera is such a wonderful creation. No film to worry about. Take as many photos as you want, view, delete, take again. Take hundreds more! Document your way through life. Absolute instant gratification, almost like an ATM machine. Some digital cameras also take video clips; some of the hybrids can shoot 60 minutes or more of live video.

I was called upon to assist a client who had taken some video footage of her daughter and wanted to transfer it from the camera to the computer so it could be shared with the world. Not really, just the family and ALL the daughter’s friends. This was LONG before utube existed. Taking pictures and video are very easy – most people don’t even crack the camera’s manual before they become expert shooters.

My first course of action is always to talk first – I ask many questions before I take over and begin troubleshooting. I listened well to my client, asked for the camera’s instruction manual and checked out the camera from stem to stern. Now being very familiar with the camera, I proceeded to follow the camera’s instructions to transfer the video footage. Oops – instructions were as clear as day and would have worked perfectly. If. Only. If only my client had loaded the “digital film” into the camera before she took the camera on its maiden video shoot. No film, no footage, no fun, no fair. She did put in the batteries and it was fully charged. No consolation.

ALWAYS REMEMBER: before calling for help - is it plugged in, is it turned on? And in this case, is the ¨digital film¨ card inside?

Unplugged