Did she SERIOUSLY say that?

iflynething · Feb 21, 2009

I went to a "Portrait Studio" or so I thought, in a certain mall in a certain "Queen" City in North Carolina.

Well, I had my D300 on my as usual and just thought I'd see what they shot with in the studio. Went up, looked, Nikon.....GREAT!!

They were using some wireless remote for the flash so I'm like is that a PocketWizard or what? They didn't hear me..."Is that a PocketWizard?"

The girl looks at me blankly and says "I don't know, I just know it's for the lighting!"

How could she? Why do people get hired to work in a studio and don't even know what they're shooting with. They at least knew it was a D80....

I also noticed they were shooting with an 18-55......

Just thought I'd share

~Michael~

PS I put in an application to the studio...

Big Mike · Feb 21, 2009

The typical situation in those studios is that they pay very little and hire people who don't know much about photography. The lights & camera are usually preset and the 'photographer' is more of an operator and public service representative.

dxqcanada · Feb 21, 2009

I must admit ... I had a job in a "Portrait Studio" once.

Yes, there is no need to know the equipment.
The Camera, Lens and Lighting are preset.

The clients sit/stand in a specific area, so there is no need to make adjustments.

The staff just have to press the button.

The real job of the staff is getting the clients posed ... and to sell them the photographs.

craig · Feb 21, 2009

Seriously... Why are you so concerned with what other people do?

The 18-55 is an amazing lens.

Love & Bass

Gomes · Feb 21, 2009

eh, she is getting paid to do it so she is doing something right

JerryPH · Feb 21, 2009

craig said:
Seriously... Why are you so concerned with what other people do?

Spot on, IMHO. Spending more time on yourself is a lot more important than wasting time critisizing someone else who is not even here to defend themselves. Besides, her job doesn not require her to know so she is doing her job, for all intents and purpoes... properly.

That time wasted harping on useless chatter is time that could have been spent improving!

Iron Flatline · Feb 22, 2009

I don't usually chime in once everything has been said... but I need to agree here. Who gives a rat's a** what brand they shoot with? Or which kind of lens?

What are the portraits like? Is it creative? Do the people look good?

Put down the gear pr0n mags, and go out and shoot.

THORHAMMER · Mar 2, 2009

Iron Flatline said:
I don't usually chime in once everything has been said... but I need to agree here. Who gives a rat's a** what brand they shoot with? Or which kind of lens?

What are the portraits like? Is it creative? Do the people look good?

Put down the gear pr0n mags, and go out and shoot.

Hey, you took down your fancy Leica badge from your signature.
Great timing for this comment. :lol:

eyeye · Mar 2, 2009

I have never found that any of the chain studio people have any idea about photography. I am sure a few do, but not from working there.

epp_b · Mar 2, 2009

Because the camera operator is just that: the operator. They're just there to pose you and hit the button, not be creative.

iflynething · Mar 5, 2009

I'm back. For some reason, I haven't been getting an e-mail that there were responses.

I'm not sure what lens was being used. I didn't care what camera make, model or lens was being used, but it just aggravated me that she didn't know what she was shooting with.

This wasn't a Sear's type portrait studio where you can only move the camera up and down. They are actually able to move around and get creative. I was not talking about that, just asking her and how she responded. They do make minimum wage, but it was just how she answered.

~Michael~

Parkerman · Mar 5, 2009

I work for a nation wide studio that does school portraits.. and also has studios in target and such..

For us.. the computer pretty much does everything. We are currently doing spring portraits which is what I was trained for. Before the season they go in and calibrate every set of equipment.. It all is pretty much ran by a lap top.. You run a quick calibration setup with a calibration board.. and it sets everything just like it needs it to get the same picture it got yesterday.

Im dead positive if you ask one of my co workers what type of camera/lens they are shooting with.. They would have no clue. [D2xs w/ 18-70mm].. But, they don't need to know these things honestly... They just need to know how to pose correctly, frame it up.. and get a good appealing picture.

Chiller · Mar 5, 2009

I came across a protest downtown last year, and pulled out a camera and started shooting. With a few minutes a little man came up to me and asked me which newspaper I was from. :er: I said....."none". Then he asked if I was a professional, and I said..."hell no"
He told me where he was from, and I looked at his camera. I asked if it was his, and he said..."no, the newspaper provides us with the cameras" He was using a Canon XT with an 18-55 kit lens.
I felt bad for him. From our vantage point, I could only imagine how limited he was.

.........o.k...back to my crypt. :greenpbl:

Josh66 · Mar 5, 2009

As long as the results are good, I don't really care what gear they have.

Last summer we went and got some of those "Old West" portraits at a studio in the Stockyards (Fort Worth). Of course, I was checking out the gear they were using...
350D (maybe 400D, didn't get close enough to tell) with kit lens.

The 8x10s look great though - I was very happy with it. They even had a costume for my daughter, who was about 6 months old at the time.

JohnMF · Mar 5, 2009

Chiller said:
I came across a protest downtown last year, and pulled out a camera and started shooting. With a few minutes a little man came up to me and asked me which newspaper I was from. :er: I said....."none". Then he asked if I was a professional, and I said..."hell no"
He told me where he was from, and I looked at his camera. I asked if it was his, and he said..."no, the newspaper provides us with the cameras" He was using a Canon XT with an 18-55 kit lens.
I felt bad for him. From our vantage point, I could only imagine how limited he was.

.........o.k...back to my crypt. :greenpbl:

a lot of newspapers are doing this nowadays. They wont employ a person specialising in journalism, or a photographer and/or a video editor, they get one person to do all three things, so you end up with a jack of all, master of none situation. It's all about saving money