Is it just me? Annoying praise...

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Soopahmahn said:
Not starting this thread to be overtly negative, I'm just genuinely interested in other photographers' experience and y'all are my favorite bunch I've found thus far. :love:

Does anyone ever compliment your photography by saying, "You must have an expensive camera," or "That looks great, what a nice camera?" This happened today to me, it's not the first time, but I was just very aware of how it made me feel.

These comments aren't meant to be mean, but I can't help but take it a little personally - I've shown you my art, you've indicated you like it, but you seem to think that the reason the picture looks nice is because I have an expensive camera. Maybe people believe that, or maybe they just don't think about photography like an art form.

I've never heard somebody say, "Wow that song was awesome, sounds like an expensive guitar!" Or, DaVinci must have used the absolute finest brushes, look how nice his paintings are. :LOL:

Makes me want to start shooting with a D40 and kit lens again.

It is just me?
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Just reply by saying that you felt the same way about your cardiologist’s scalpels during bypass surgery. 🤕
 
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Soopahmahn said:
Not starting this thread to be overtly negative, I'm just genuinely interested in other photographers' experience and y'all are my favorite bunch I've found thus far. :love:

Does anyone ever compliment your photography by saying, "You must have an expensive camera," or "That looks great, what a nice camera?" This happened today to me, it's not the first time, but I was just very aware of how it made me feel.

These comments aren't meant to be mean, but I can't help but take it a little personally - I've shown you my art, you've indicated you like it, but you seem to think that the reason the picture looks nice is because I have an expensive camera. Maybe people believe that, or maybe they just don't think about photography like an art form.

I've never heard somebody say, "Wow that song was awesome, sounds like an expensive guitar!" Or, DaVinci must have used the absolute finest brushes, look how nice his paintings are. :LOL:

Makes me want to start shooting with a D40 and kit lens again.

It is just me?
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Couple things going on here….🤔..and I speak from experience. First… ya’ need a little thicker skin. You can smile and reply “Yes it is a nice camera…. It took years to acquire the skills to use it” Never get in a pissing match with a skunk 🦨… You don’t win. Take the high road….always. Some people are just arrogant condescending jerks and you cannot change them. Why try? Smile and walk away…. Don’t waste your time explaining your craft, your art, your music to a “nipplehead”🤓
As a guitar player I know that a 1937 Martin D28 will show my abilities better than a cheap mail-order plastic Roy Rogers’ special.. So there are some things that equipment, tools, etc. do for you… Those that understand photography and appreciate the years of trial and error you have invested are the audience that matters.
An expensive guitar is Aladdin’s Lamp waiting for the right touch. Or….”Wow, that’s a gorgeous table you made, you must have expensive tools!” You don’t need to be offended… they just don’t have a clue… I don’t suffer fools well either…. Just smile, thank them, walk on…. Laugh later and enjoy your work….. and don’t fish for compliments….. It’s always easy to distinguish the sincere people from the idiots…. Life is short……….
 
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Steve said:
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity

Not saying they were "stupid", I think innocent ignorance is a better descriptor (but I wanted to give the exact quote above).

Also, I think this kind of compliment stems form people's experience with cameras. For most people, they notice an increase in quality each time they upgrade to a better camera. They start with a cheap point & shoot (or phone) and as they get better cameras, they notice they get better photos. They are unaware that there's a point of diminishing returns - and that's where art lives :)
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I like the way you phrased that.

I find most people have only a vague idea of what "good" cameras and lenses bring to the table in different situations, because they have not spent time with such gear. If one is trying to get things like BIF, it helps a LOT to have a camera with good autofocus and a sharp fast lens to match. Knowledge is critical, but equipment does matter, sometimes a lot.

But sure, when you look at the best pictures, it is a lot more than the gear. When someone *consistently* gets good shots, that means something; it's what separates the good from the average. A lot of us can get excellent shots part of the time.

All that said, such comments about gear don't bother me.
 
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Happens to me a lot. If it is a friend with a sense of humor, I have some fun with it sometimes and come back with an equally relevant comment like chef/pans, artist/paint brush, archer/arrow etc.. If it is a stranger I smile and say thanks.

I have offered to let people I trust take my camera and let them try and get a shot. The odds of them ever finding a moving subject with a long lens in the viewfinder, acquire focus and get the shot off is almost nil without practice.

I once let the son of a large corporate clients President accompany me on the sidelines of an NFL game. I set him up with a Nikon pro body and a 400mm f2.8 lens. I don't think he was able to get one decent shot the entire game. He gained an instant appreciation for the skill needed in addition to the equipment and he is a professional photographer, though in college at the time and not an action photographer.
 
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Cameron T said:
That's why I love shooting ranges. Nobody can hear anyone else, good or bad :)
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Larry Sherertz said:
Couple things going on here….🤔..and I speak from experience. First… ya’ need a little thicker skin. You can smile and reply “Yes it is a nice camera…. It took years to acquire the skills to use it” Never get in a pissing match with a skunk 🦨… You don’t win. Take the high road….always. Some people are just arrogant condescending jerks and you cannot change them. Why try? Smile and walk away…. Don’t waste your time explaining your craft, your art, your music to a “nipplehead”🤓
As a guitar player I know that a 1937 Martin D28 will show my abilities better than a cheap mail-order plastic Roy Rogers’ special.. So there are some things that equipment, tools, etc. do for you… Those that understand photography and appreciate the years of trial and error you have invested are the audience that matters.
An expensive guitar is Aladdin’s Lamp waiting for the right touch. Or….”Wow, that’s a gorgeous table you made, you must have expensive tools!” You don’t need to be offended… they just don’t have a clue… I don’t suffer fools well either…. Just smile, thank them, walk on…. Laugh later and enjoy your work….. and don’t fish for compliments….. It’s always easy to distinguish the sincere people from the idiots…. Life is short……….
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Too old to get a thicker skin, but I have joined a shooting range😊
 
People learn from other people. That's how humans roll. Cultural transmission. I'm trying to learn oil painting. So yes I do ask what type and brand of surface an expert prefers, and what brand of paint and what colors are on the palette and for that matter what brand of palette. I hope they are not getting all offended when I ask.
 
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Winston Churchill (Sir) said:
"Please hire me I have real good equipment so I will get you the best results"

Double edged sword 😂
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I know someone who opened a photography business back in the late-1980s, and she wasn't able to get enough clients to keep the business going, and was facing having to shut her studio after only a few months in business. Her products were great, and presented very well, but it just wasn't working.

She got some advice, and went to a trophy store and bought some First-, Second-, and Honorable Mention ribbons and put them on some of the work in her studio. After that, things turned around, and she is still in business, although semi-retired.

What it takes to make a go of it, huh? We never know what a potential client may be swayed by.
 
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Whiskeyman said:
I know someone who opened a photography business back in the late-1980s, and she wasn't able to get enough clients to keep the business going, and was facing having to shut her studio after only a few months in business. Her products were great, and presented very well, but it just wasn't working.

She got some advice, and went to a trophy store and bought some First-, Second-, and Honorable Mention ribbons and put them on some of the work in her studio. After that, things turned around, and she is still in business, although semi-retired.

What it takes to make a go of it, huh? We never know what a potential client may be swayed by.
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Semi related story, a portrait shooter I know told me a story about someone he knew that raised his prices, and immediately got more phone calls from people wanting stuff done.

Sometimes it's the strangest things that get peoples attention
 
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Whiskeyman said:
I know someone who opened a photography business back in the late-1980s, and she wasn't able to get enough clients to keep the business going, and was facing having to shut her studio after only a few months in business. Her products were great, and presented very well, but it just wasn't working.

She got some advice, and went to a trophy store and bought some First-, Second-, and Honorable Mention ribbons and put them on some of the work in her studio. After that, things turned around, and she is still in business, although semi-retired.

What it takes to make a go of it, huh? We never know what a potential client may be swayed by.
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Yup - it's all about perception.

I understand and agree on Hanlon's Razor - thing is this - I just never know how to answer anyone who tells me I have a stunning camera. I mean - what does one say? uhm thanks? it's not like it's one of my children who has a lovely smile or nice ears - its a black piece of "stuff" and a long "thing"
 
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Winston Churchill (Sir) said:
Yup - it's all about perception.

I understand and agree on Hanlon's Razor - thing is this - I just never know how to answer anyone who tells me I have a stunning camera. I mean - what does one say? uhm thanks? it's not like it's one of my children who has a lovely smile or nice ears - its a black piece of "stuff" and a long "thing"
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I just say thanks if they compliment my gear. It really seems the simplest solution, and moves the conversation right along.
 
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I just chuckle inside... tell them thanks with a smile and move on in the conversation if there is one. But... the voice in my head triggers a reflex response ... "Fantastic meal Chef... you must have a great stove!" LOL It's no big deal IMO... try not to get annoyed... it's going to happen over and over.

Enjoy the day all.
Hatch
 
I think photography is very tech heavy. You can have a vision and imagination, but some shots arent going to happen without the tech. You give a beginner a fancy camera and lens and put it on auto on a beautiful Yellowstone morning and there is a fair chance they can get a couple high quality jpegs without all the years of study I've put in. Part of the art part is knowing what gear to buy and bring and how it works. The people asking might simply want to see how the experts do it. No need for a smart retort.
 
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Cameron T said:
Semi related story, a portrait shooter I know told me a story about someone he knew that raised his prices, and immediately got more phone calls from people wanting stuff done.

Sometimes it's the strangest things that get peoples attention
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It's been a few years, but I once read an article about a retail "experiment." The store, I believe it was a large chain, had a bunch of seasonal sweaters out, priced sorta mid ranged. They were not selling that well. I can't remember the details, but they raised the price. And sales went ... up. Which probably isn't that big a mystery. The price was interpreted as a measure of quality, and hey, I want a *good* sweater.
 
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Thanks all for your thoughtful replies. Again, I was just interested in wondering how common this sentiment might be, and how this community perceives and reacts to it. Great feedback!
 
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Used to have contact with an art photographer in New York. She told a story of being invited by mutual friends to someone's home for dinner in the city, at which she shared a 'slide show' (and this is long enough ago that it was in fact likely slides :) ) of her work. At one point the host of the dinner made the famous 'you must have great gear to produce such wonderful photographs' to which my friend waiting until it was the end of the evening when thanking the host for the dinner said, "That was a delicious meal, you must have the very best post and pans in your kitchen." LOL
 
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Agree with a lot here that comments about gear are fine. No problem.

What does bother me is how Every Ebirder out there expects me to give a report on what Im seeing and have seen.
So when i say well, I took some shots of a downy WP, saw a yellow warbler and am now watching this chipmunk, quite often the reply is
‘OH, those are all common ( Yeah, no kidding) you didn't see the latest XYZ rarity thats rumored to be around? It seems they need to one up you on whatever you've seen.
Not to mention I've been out there since 06:15 and they are showing up at 09:30 expecting me to give them a full report.
So excuse me if after 5 hours of sleep I can’t remember every bird Ive seen since I got there.
My standard reply is now, “Im seeing the same things everyone else is” lol
That throws people and I hear what? a lot. And have to repeat it.

I really have minimal interest in chasing a rare bird that is common on the western half of the US and got blown to the east coast. Im just as happy watching / photographing Gulls, Blue jays, crows or any other bird as much as a hooded or prothonotary Warbler.

Birding ethics is pretty bad in some places here.
I had a group of snow buntings in a field /gravel type parking lot last week. 400 TC out the window of parked Truck so hard to not notice that. A guy comes in, pulls right up where Im pointing to / focused on, flushes the birds, then pulls up 20’ and gets out, sets up a tripod and spotting scope pointing towards where the birds flushed to and landed and sets up his IPhone on an adapter to take pics through his scope. AND THEN, starts to stalk the birds. He's got a laptop in one hand he ends up setting on the ground and is having a Bluetooth conversation on his phone while he's doing all this.
Im just looking at him in shock sort of, as is an older couple parked behind me who came in after me but before him.
I just left in disgust but man…. Just sad.
 
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I have heard this before. I'm a wildlife photographer. This is one of the hardest genres to shoot. Being outdoors in constantly changing light (for multiple reasons). So when i hear this, i tend to point it that for wildlife/fast action, you need top gear. That a phone would never catch this you're of action and that there are still plenty of people with top gear that still don't get great shots.

Having great gear just means the gear is no longer a limiting factor and gets it out of the way so the photographer can the the shots they envision. That is still the 8 inches behind the camera.
 
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What I get is, "You have expensive-looking equipment; you must be a professional photographer?"

A few years back, I was taking photos with my NIKKOR 200 -400mm f/4, on Mahone Bay's Govt wharf. A fella in his pickup truck leaned out his window and yelled, "Hey buddy, how many watts is your lens?" I said, "It's 400 watts!" B^)

Let's face it, the latest equipment does make our photos better than ever. The modern-day camera is laterally a computer with an expensive piece of glass attached to it.
 
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