My Camera Failed Me

It was almost the tail end of my cousin's wedding celebration that evening. Most of the important event to be photographed were already taken including the akad nikah ceremony which was done the previous night. I was taking mugshots of family members to be placed in my Genie Tree, a free to programme from Yahoo where you can place the profile of a family member showing your relationship with every individual in the tree.
When I heard the whirring sound of the lens trying to lock the focus on the object, I know it is the end of the photo shoot with the camera. I had sensed the trouble earlier when I noticed that going into manual focus mode from auto focus was a problem. To overcome the problem I had used only auto focus as the mode of taking the pictures with the hope that the lens will focus on the object that I wanted to shoot rather than any other object behind or in front of it. With bigger apertures, the camera may sense the objects in front of the object more than the object itself.
The last straw broke when the camera just refused to open the shutter to take a picture when the lens couldn't focus on anything. I can hear the loud whirring of the lens with the gears not meshing in. I sent the camera over the next day hoping that they could fix it up if it was just a minor fault. It was not to be. The camera had to be sent to the service center in Kota Bharu or should they fail to reair it here, it will be sent to Kuala Lumpur. Oh dear. I will be without a camera for at least another week at the least or even for a month! After using it for a couple of months, going back to using the point and shoot camera isn't fun anymore.
When I called up the supplier about the problem, he asked me to bring the camera over with the warranty card. Hey remember to keep the warranty card until the expiry date of the warranty period is over.
While I was at the shop, the wife of the staff there was loking at a new set of a Nikon D60 that her husband had just purchased. The set came with a standard lens of 18 - 55 mm f3.5 - 6.5 or something like that, a flash (not really a top of the range but definitely better than the built in flash) and a camera bag which could hold the camera as well as a few extra lens. Looking at my misery, he offered to sell me the whole lot at RM2200 cash. Wow! That was a fantastic offer. Immediately after, I cancelled my order of the new 18-200 mm f3.5 -6.5 lens which I have ordered earlier which they couldn't deliver. I don't want the new lens as I don't want to be caught with an equipment which I may not be able to use should I change to a new camera. With the cost of the new lens short of the new camera set by RM450, I might as well get a new camera. One of my children will get my old camera.
Of all the time when the camera should get damaged, this is the worst time as today 11th August 98 I will be playing guests to Puteri and her husband who came all the way from the US after reading my blogs about Kota Bharu. Captain Yusof Ahmad would be arriving too and Pakpayne Bakpo would be here on the 12 th of August.
The moral of the story is, when you wan't to buy something like a camera, don't go too far from what others are using. Being adventurous is not in.
Just to keep us in a happy mood, here are some of the pictures taken at the wedding itself.

The father advising the daughter before giving her away in marriage
" Bermula saat ini telah tamat lah tanggungjawab bapa yang di tuntut oleh Islam. Selepas ini tanggung jawab ini akan berpindah kepada suami Syuhada. Ayah pohon maaf diatas sebarang kesilapan ayah sebagai seorang bapa kepada kamu. Disamping itu ayah redhakan segala makan minum yang telah ayah berikan kepada kamu.
Tunaikan tanggung jawab kamu sebagai seorang isteri mengikut lunas-lunas Islam. Setialah kepada suami selagi beliau mengajar kamu mengikut syariat Islam. Selalulah taat kepada suami dan pohonlah maaf setiap hari daripadanya diatas sebarang kesilapan dan kelemahan.
Redha dengan hidup ini dan amalkan sikap tolak ansur antara suami isteridan laksanakan tanggung jawab kepada Allah"
I doubt that there was a single dry eyes among the crowd and the bride was seen wiping tears from her eyes. Luckily the make up was not spoilt.

A similar advice was given to the bridegroom before the father himself s0lemnise the wedding
" Irwan Nasir, Ayah redha diatas pernikahan ini. Bermula dari saat ini Irwan akan memikul tugas berat sebagai suami yang bakal menjadi seorang bapa. Peliharalah isteri sebaik mungkin mengikut lunas-lunas Islam. Amalkan sikap bertolak ansur dan sentiasa memaafkan.
Sekiranya menghadapi masalah rumahtangga, datanglah kepada penasihat yang pakar dan ikutilah nasihatnya.
Amalkan kehidupan mengikut lunas Islam dan jangan tinggalkan solat jemaah bersama isteri.
Ayah doakan semoga rumahtangga Irwan kekal ke anak cucu".
Speaking from two earlier broken marriages himself, Kamal was speaking from his heart.



The gloomy look on those present.


Tuan Haji Ismadi (Kamal's Cousin reciting the doa)

Now it is time for some merriment
Food was prepared for the feast the next day.

The ladies chip in too.

The father hanging the banner to welcome the guests.

Here comes the bridegroom.

The silat was performed for the couple.

"Ouch, don't touch it there"

He ain't heavy, he is my brother.

The newly wed enjoying the silat performance.

The couple was on the dais waiting for the merenjis ceremony.