This is a shot from Shark Fin Cove in Davenport, CA from last Christmas 2010. I went back here in 2011 to reshoot this comp when tragedy struck.
The tide was higher than it is in this shot and the surf was raging. I had set up my tripod about 8-10 feet closer to the arch from this spot when a huge surge up to my waist pushed me up the beach and the back flow pulled my tripod with my Canon 5D MkII attached out into the ocean. I could see the three tripod legs bobbing in the crashing waves as it kept getting pulled further away. There was really nothing I could do. I left and came back hours later at low tide hoping to salvage some remains but nothing was there - it was gone.
The worst part is I had cancelled my insurance months earlier and hadn't gotten around to re-insuring my gear. Pretty stupid.
So all in all I lost the Canon 5d MkII body, Canon 17-40 f4 lens, Gitzo 1325 tripod, Bogen 3047 head, and all of that day's images.
Location
Davenport, CA
Details
Canon 5D mkII, Canon 17-40 f4@23mm, f13@1/2 sec, ISO 200
