Beginner's Embarrassment?

[doziergraphic]

no one cares as long as its not too creepy (taking pics with a zoom lens pointed towards a girls butt ...)

Oh ... so that would be inappropriate? No WONDER I get those looks

My biggest concern is on private property. Not completely trespassing, like walking a mile into someone's land, but just a barn, or some sort of building off the road where I don't know if I'm taking pics of someone's marijuana greenhouse. (or maybe a church on the Mexican side of the river used for drug running???) and they'd come running out with a shotgun!

 

[sean7488]

no one cares as long as its not too creepy (taking pics with a zoom lens pointed towards a girls butt ...)

Oh ... so that would be inappropriate? No WONDER I get those looks

My biggest concern is on private property. Not completely trespassing, like walking a mile into someone's land, but just a barn, or some sort of building off the road where I don't know if I'm taking pics of someone's marijuana greenhouse. (or maybe a church on the Mexican side of the river used for drug running???) and they'd come running out with a shotgun!

Well if you have doubts/concerns about a place than don't take pictures there and move on to the next spot.

 

[Greasy]

I went through the same thing. I went to school in rural Ohio, so there was a lot of nice scenery, but I never wanted to get a farmer angry about me taking pictures on his property.

Just make sure that you don't look like you are snooping. I'm sure 99.9% of people would be fine with you taking pictures on their property, they just want to make sure you aren't trying to break in or anything.

 

[IlSan]

They just might think you are a pro and try to hire ya!

Funny you should mention that - got one of my very first gigs that way.
Was out and about in the countryside, passing by a lake (loads of people swiming) and I decided that I liked a certain rock formation on the far side of the lake.
Got out the tripod, starting mucking about with the camera, sure, got a load of weird looks, took some pictures, and hey, by the time I was done had some people around me looking at the results, wanting to see what I had shot.

Some guy approached me and asked, if I'd be free to take some pics of the event that was happening by the lake later on in that week, I said of course, and....my very first event opportunity

Agree with all of the above - why should it bother you, what other people think?
I must admit - at the beginning I was also quite reluctant to do so...but then, saw other photographers doing it, and at some point I just stood next to them, snapped away, and since then - don't really have a problem with it anymore

 

[Jcampbelll]

no one cares as long as its not too creepy (taking pics with a zoom lens pointed towards a girls butt ...)

What about doing some macro shots towards a girls butt? :blush2:

 

[Naphtali14]

Who cares what others think of you? We like to think that everyone is staring us down critiquing us but the truth is most people don't care.

 

[JClishe]

I'm glad you posted this. I've had the same thoughts and have thought about starting a thread on this.

I don't really have any embarassment or hesitation about shooting outside, but it seems to flare up when I'm inside, like in an airport or hotel or something. I travel a lot and I like to take photos of where I've been, even if it's something as mundane as an airport terminal. I know it's probably not a picture that I'll ever display or show to anyone, but it's cool to have a travel collection for my own reference to remind me of where I've been. Anyway, my point is that I don't have as many of those photos as I'd like to have because I've been self conscience about pulling the camera out and drawing attention to myself.

 

[pbelarge]

Entering private property is not the same as pulling over to the side of the road and shooting. If you enter private property without permission, that could be big trouble. Years ago, when I was younger, I took that kind of chance way too often. These days, being older has not made me smarter, I just have more to loose if I get caught.


One day, we are all going to be dead. Take the photo and be happy you did, you and they will get over it very quickly.

 

[Jacki]

I'm a painfully shy person, and I used to pass up really nice outdoor shots because of the fear of someone saying something. Then I saw a heron, which is rarely seen in my area, on someone's property, and I got out of my car, and spent almost an hour walking up and down the road snapping away at this beautiful heron and the beautiful scenery. No one stopped, no one said anything.

I'm still on the fence of taking pictures in buildings or of people, but I did get out of my comfort zone and took some pictures of a homeless dude feeding pizza he dug out of the dumpster to the seagulls. Know what he did? He asked me for a cig, offered me some pizza, and tried to get the birds to go wild for me.

 

[burgo]

Happens to me all the time. I love going out for a drive down dirt roads and into strange little rural towns. The locals always have a good look at what you are doing. They sometimes even come up for a chat. That's life when you are a photographer, so get over it.

 

[DirtyDFeckers]

If see something that might make a nice shot, take it... who cares what other people think?

 

[arcooke]

I'm the same way.. I just don't like drawing attention to myself. I think it's more a stage fright thing than anything else. I'm slowly but surely getting over that.. but my big hangup is being "the tourist". Going anywhere where tourists typically go, camera stays in the bag, bag stays in the car. I don't know why it's like that for me but it is. Not sure if it's that I'm embarrassed to look like a tourist, or if it's the fact that I know locals hate tourists, or what. I'm sure one of these days I'll get over it.. but for the time being that's how it is for me.

I took a vacation in Alaska recently. Got zero pictures in Anchorage.. I waited until we got flown out to our cabin to pull my camera out.

 

[CapturemeSmiling]

The first couple times, it is kinda weird,, You should see oncoming traffic, when Im pointing my camera out the window for a nice treetops against the sky shot.. !!!!

 

[NCAFLeo88]

The first couple times, it is kinda weird,, You should see oncoming traffic, when Im pointing my camera out the window for a nice treetops against the sky shot.. !!!!

LOL!! As long as ur not in the same lane as said "oncoming traffic" you're all good.

 

[invisible]

My biggest concern is on private property. Not completely trespassing, like walking a mile into someone's land, but just a barn, or some sort of building off the road where I don't know if I'm taking pics of someone's marijuana greenhouse. (or maybe a church on the Mexican side of the river used for drug running???) and they'd come running out with a shotgun!

Your tripod is your best friend, then. When non-photographers see a tripod, they immediately think "professional". Paparazzi and guys-with-cameras-who-snoop-on-marijuana-greenhouses don't shoot with a tripod.

You should also familiarize yourself with the trespassing laws in your state or province. I shoot almost exclusively abandoned places, and knowing the laws has saved my butt more than once.