Most common/annoying reaction to your photos
- Thread starter NorthernFocus
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Just had someone ask me that about this... index.php
FB101
Well-known member
now i know what to say if i ever meet you
How about we make this a recurring thing? Anyone who meets Steve in the wild must comment to him on what a big lens he has (even when he is not carrying a lens) - I'm game
FB101
Well-known member
My wife is from Florida. I have come to fear those few words coming out of her mouth (directed at me or anyone else for that matter) - a major hurricane is headed right at whoever was the intended target. Not being born or raised in the US, I had originally no clue but I learnt pretty fast (at least fast enough to learn that the appropriate answer is "yes ma'am" and run).
John Navitsky
Well-known member
deal!How about we make this a recurring thing? Anyone who meets Steve in the wild must comment to him on what a big lens he has (even when he is not carrying a lens) - I'm game
As photographers we tend to look at a photograph differently and look for different attributes in the photo. Non-photographers can be drawn to something completely different, it may be bright colors, or a bird they haven't seen before, a pretty waterfall, whatever. I tend to seek input from my friends and family who are photographers as well as those who are not. One of my most popular photos and one that I've made a number of prints for among family, friends, and even at a show, is the one I call "Serenity Tree." It's just a leafless tree in the middle of winter and everything around it is completely washed out white ("high key" although that isn't really what I was trying for). I thought it was just a snap shot. However, cannot question successful images.
Funny thread I've had pretty much all of these, and they are irritating since many of these people seem focused on the tool I bought to create my art rather than 1) the beautiful place we're in or 2) what I might create with it. I think I've worked out a couple of good responses since the person almost always means it as a compliment or at least interest...
To "Now THAT's a camera!" etc. - I respond with something like "Go to Dave Stargazer dot com if you'd like to see what I do with it!" which often leads to a conversation and maybe a new fan. Often I'll have them bring it up on their phone right there so they find it.
For the "How much does that cost?" flavor of query, my response is similar to Steve's: "You don't want to know" yes with the winky face haha
If they are disrupting a quiet shoot (esp wildlife), then I might just decline to answer, or make a motion to stay quiet, and point, which invites them into the experience.
Perhaps the most irritating episode for me though was when a guy saw my gear (he had a point and shoot), and accosted me as I was prep'ing to go into the field for a fall color shoot. He regaled me for five solid minutes with this crazy vigilante fantasy story about an ex-marine friend who was in <coded racist language for an area with non-white people>, and they attempted to rob him at gunpoint, but he disarmed them, and held them down until the police arrived. It harshed my mood for a bit shall we say.
In retrospect I hope he heals because there we were, in a beautiful place, at the height of fall colors, but he sees my gear and is triggered to be consumed with thoughts of robbery, violence, police, revenge, and hate...and thought that was what anyone would think... Basically I responded with "ok" and walked away. Later, he started walking toward me in the field, and I hustled off in another direction...
Hope no one gets that sort of experience!
...Dave...
I've had pretty much all of these, and they are irritating since many of these people seem focused on the tool I bought to create my art rather than 1) the beautiful place we're in or 2) what I might create with it. I think I've worked out a couple of good responses since the person almost always means it as a compliment or at least interest...To "Now THAT's a camera!" etc. - I respond with something like "Go to Dave Stargazer dot com if you'd like to see what I do with it!" which often leads to a conversation and maybe a new fan. Often I'll have them bring it up on their phone right there so they find it.
For the "How much does that cost?" flavor of query, my response is similar to Steve's: "You don't want to know
" yes with the winky face hahaIf they are disrupting a quiet shoot (esp wildlife), then I might just decline to answer, or make a motion to stay quiet, and point, which invites them into the experience.
Perhaps the most irritating episode for me though was when a guy saw my gear (he had a point and shoot), and accosted me as I was prep'ing to go into the field for a fall color shoot. He regaled me for five solid minutes with this crazy vigilante fantasy story about an ex-marine friend who was in <coded racist language for an area with non-white people>, and they attempted to rob him at gunpoint, but he disarmed them, and held them down until the police arrived. It harshed my mood for a bit shall we say.
In retrospect I hope he heals because there we were, in a beautiful place, at the height of fall colors, but he sees my gear and is triggered to be consumed with thoughts of robbery, violence, police, revenge, and hate...and thought that was what anyone would think... Basically I responded with "ok" and walked away. Later, he started walking toward me in the field, and I hustled off in another direction...
Hope no one gets that sort of experience!
...Dave...
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You're so correct!!!!!!!!!
haha, before I retired you would have really enjoyed me. Most of my career I was a project manager. I was paid to see the negative in every situation. how to prepare plans, contingency plans and plans for when contingencies go awry. My philosophy was "If anything can go wrong, it already has... you just don't know it yet." I had a sign on my desk that said "Murphy was an optimist.". So happy to be retired and out of that life. It can put one in a very very dark place.Did I mention that people who see positive in any situation are annoying?
And follow it up with "If I had that lens I could take pictures just as good as him.How about we make this a recurring thing? Anyone who meets Steve in the wild must comment to him on what a big lens he has (even when he is not carrying a lens) - I'm game
haja, Oh I'm so in....
I'm not an angel and sometimes comments bug me, but I try to remember that people are generally just being friendly, curious, or trying to complement you and just don't know a lot about photography.
Meanwhile, one of the funniest things that happened once was a teenager with his friends pointing at me and laughing, saying, "that guy is taking pictures of BIRDS! Why would anyone take pictures of birds!?" His friends looked to be a little embarrassed by their buddy and didn't say a word.
There are often people who tell me they just saw an eagle in a tree and it's an Osprey, a stork in the pond that's a heron, etc. Again, I try to remember that they just want to engage in conversation or be helpful.
Meanwhile, one of the funniest things that happened once was a teenager with his friends pointing at me and laughing, saying, "that guy is taking pictures of BIRDS! Why would anyone take pictures of birds!?" His friends looked to be a little embarrassed by their buddy and didn't say a word.
There are often people who tell me they just saw an eagle in a tree and it's an Osprey, a stork in the pond that's a heron, etc. Again, I try to remember that they just want to engage in conversation or be helpful.
Doug Herr
Well-known member
...For the "How much does that cost?" flavor of query, my response is similar to Steve's: "You don't what to know
When I get that question from someone who has no visible means of (financial) support I generally pack up & call it a day.
If anyone posts something in the critique forum I'll give it an honest response, especially if a specific question is asked. Otherwise I'll just click like or give some generic praise.
Rassie, I've had similar experiences when I'm outside with my telescope, believe it or not. Most people have never looked into the eypiece of a telescope, and probably also into a camera with a telephoto lens. Letting them peer into the eyepiece of the telescope is often a great experience for them. Maybe letting them do so with the camera, when conditions permit, would also be enlightening.
I may have worked for you in the past....
Rule #1: The customer is always right.
Rule #2: When the customer isn't right, refer to rule #1.
haha. If you did, I apologize. I didn't like what I did for a living but it paid the bills. I much prefer what I do now.I may have worked for you in the past....
Jeff
Feiertag
Well-known member
A few years ago, when I lived in Nova Scotia, a local fisherman asked me, "How many watts is that lens?" I said, 200-400 watts!
All of my lenses are 2.2-gigawatts...
Should have said “only when you’re skinny dipping.” LOL!
So what happens when a bird flies by at 88mph?
Did you see the new member, "Riparian River Skinny Dipper". LOL
Do you take that with your cell phone?
Lee Trevino once commented on a reporters exclamation, "what a lucky shot" by replying, "The more I practice, the luckier I get"
I probably fit into that camp my self Steve. I look at your photos and photos from others on this forum and think man there is no way I will ever be good enough to capture images like that but I keep struggling on because I love what is to me a hobby even though life gets in the way most of the time to keep me from pursuing it like I would wish I could.I've essentially had that happen over the years. While gear helps and can improve keeper rates, it only gives you more of what you are already getting. I've shot with people using the exact same gear as I use and they weren't even close to getting the same photo. They weren't watching their backgrounds, weren't as creative with composition, weren't getting close enough, weren't getting low / high enough, they didn't get into the right position, they didn't know how to approach / handle the subject, couldn't find the subject in the viewfinder, didn't know how to use the cameras features effectively, didn't have proper technique for the shutter speeds they were using, and on and on.
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