The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes

The Tree of Woe

“CONTEMPLATE THIS on the Tree of Woe.”

—Thulsa Doom, condemning Conan the Barbarian to death in the desert

I tend to overdo things. It must be a bit about being raised Irish Catholic. I go out there anticipating disaster. I look for the simple, fatal flaw that will dash my hopes, crush my spirit, befuddle my brain, corrupt my flash cards, estrange a client, and generally doom me to a ruinous fate. This mistake, miscue, misdeed, is usually self-inflicted.

So, I bring more stuff than I need. Mostly for backup. Sometimes I even use it. At Life magazine, Eisie always used to say, “Bring it, even if you don’t use it. ...