Quit askin stupid questions [Rant]

christopher walrath · May 7, 2008

(sniffle) no one asks about my minolta

craig · May 7, 2008

Bummer for you. What made you think that lens would not get comments? Recently had a shoot in LaJolla (a beach in San Diego, CA). Of course there was a wedding photog there. She laughed at me and my reflectors and kit lens and I laughed at her 14" of glass.

Certainly nothing like your sad tale, but the point is to stay positive. Stupid or not people are curious and just trying to be friendly. I would have photographed that kid in a second. People ranting about their photography experience or asking stupid questions is no worse then the rant you just posted. Spread love. Stay positive. It is that simple

)'(

astrostu · May 7, 2008

I dunno which is worse, photographer or astronomer. I was at a coin club meeting and I hadn't been to the last few because I was finishing up my MS, and someone asked what I did. Said I was an astronomer. He then starts in on a 5-minute conversation about all those comets out there and there's this guy who has a website that tracks them all and gives their brightnesses ...

Next time I'll say I'm a physicist. Most people don't know enough about physics to think they're having an intelligent conversation.

usayit · May 7, 2008

A can of Fart spray does wonders for this problem.....

Clears out the crowds in your shot too....

RyanLilly · May 7, 2008

Hell even when I'm out shooting my 20D and a 50mm, I get, "so your a photographer? how much would you charge for a wedding?" Usually I can come up with some thing like, "Oh about $7000 usually, or $9500 with albums and prints. Usually they won't push the conversation after that! :lol:

LaFoto · May 7, 2008

All I ever get asked is "May I ask what it is you're doing there?"
One might think that when you take a photo it is obvious, but the question actually implies that MY taking a photo of THEIR magnolia bush is quite, quite suspicious!
Or MY photo of the shadows of THEIR flowers on the white wall behind those flowers.

In some things, most would never have begun to see a possible motif, so they wonder.

And the most open reply/explanation of why people are so suspicious of other people taking photos around here (this is about photos which include their property or parts of their property): they fear I might be from the authorities, getting proof of the fact that they have added a building to their property which is nowhere in any official documents or papers.

(Why, if you don't have to fear anything at all since you haven't built something you were not supposed to build, would you STILL need to be sooo suspicious of a middle-aged lady taking photos?)

A funny reaction I got in the town where my husband's been working of late: "Hey, are you a photographer? From the newspaper? Will I get into the paper???" (<- this spoken with some hopeful glee, mind you).

I had to disappoint him. Awww.

Antithesis · May 8, 2008

I was in Costa Rica with a D40, and I was taking pictures of a Volcano with a budget tripod and this woman standing on the deck near me kept saying to her friend "Oh, he's definetely a professional". I was using the most unprofessional camera possible and got quite a laugh from it.

Senor Hound · May 8, 2008

astrostu said:
Next time I'll say I'm a physicist. Most people don't know enough about physics to think they're having an intelligent conversation.

Just as you say this, some guy starts in on Uncertainty Principle... Its Murphy's law, dude...

Pick something that anyone can be, and it will eliminate the awe factor. Tell them you're a trash collector or if that's a little too much, just say you're a salesman for janitorial supplies. Pick something that makes them glad they have the job they have, and they'll leave you alone.

LaFoto · May 8, 2008

Ah - but I must tell you that also I myself have once been among "the stupid crowd". It was when we were on holidays in Sweden in 2002 and I saw a photographer set up his large format camera on a big, sturdy tripod, two steps into a torrential river. I watched him handle his plates from afar for a while and then could no longer contain my curiosity but went over and asked what was his reason to do large formats. And that to me it just looked sooo interesting. And he explained he wanted his photos to be big. As in BIG.

Other than that, he just carried on doing his thing and I would have loved to watch some more from afar, but the family had other thoughts and wanted to "go on at last!". (As always ............)

Garbz · May 8, 2008

Senor Hound said:
Just as you say this, some guy starts in on Uncertainty Principle... Its Murphy's law, dude...

Pick something that anyone can be, and it will eliminate the awe factor. Tell them you're a trash collector or if that's a little too much, just say you're a salesman for janitorial supplies. Pick something that makes them glad they have the job they have, and they'll leave you alone.

Then mention you're a string theorist, even professional physicists will leave you alone.

astrostu · May 8, 2008

Garbz said:
Then mention you're a string theorist, even professional physicists will leave you alone.

I was thinking that originally, but that's something that's in the popular culture thanks to Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe," and other stuff. Now, saying that I study "M Theory" instead ... maybe they'd have no idea. :wink:

shorty6049 · May 8, 2008

well... in all fairness a 400mm lens is a HUGE thing to just be carrying around town with you. especially with the hood on, it looks like a big white telescope. I'd probably say the same thing to you if i was ignorant and one of the chatty types... luckily i'm not

Tiberius47 · May 8, 2008

Just do what Prfessor Farnsworth did, and say you study the mathematics of quantum neutrino fields. If you're lucky, you'll get someone like Fry who thinks you said one ton burrito meals.

Battou · May 10, 2008

craig said:
Bummer for you. What made you think that lens would not get comments?

Well...The shere fact two in prior trips of 2 or more hours, I got one dumb comment...and it was intended to be dumb (You don't ask if some one was looking at a mermaid in a river with out expecting to look foolish).

craig said:
Certainly nothing like your sad tale, but the point is to stay positive. Stupid or not people are curious and just trying to be friendly. I would have photographed that kid in a second. People ranting about their photography experience or asking stupid questions is no worse then the rant you just posted. Spread love. Stay positive. It is that simple

)'(

It was my lack of sleep and the consentration of them that day that made it really get to me...either that or the fact I had a woman three times my age trying to pick up guys with photography experiance...wile I stood there with a camera on my shoulder.....Shudder

shorty6049 said:
well... in all fairness a 400mm lens is a HUGE thing to just be carrying around town with you. especially with the hood on, it looks like a big white telescope. I'd probably say the same thing to you if i was ignorant and one of the chatty types... luckily i'm not

I'm on an older format...So this one is big and black with a built in hood, but it does not take away from your point

Payt · May 12, 2008

LaFoto said:
All I ever get asked is "May I ask what it is you're doing there?"
One might think that when you take a photo it is obvious, but the question actually implies that MY taking a photo of THEIR magnolia bush is quite, quite suspicious!
Or MY photo of the shadows of THEIR flowers on the white wall behind those flowers.

In some things, most would never have begun to see a possible motif, so they wonder.

And the most open reply/explanation of why people are so suspicious of other people taking photos around here (this is about photos which include their property or parts of their property): they fear I might be from the authorities, getting proof of the fact that they have added a building to their property which is nowhere in any official documents or papers.

(Why, if you don't have to fear anything at all since you haven't built something you were not supposed to build, would you STILL need to be sooo suspicious of a middle-aged lady taking photos?)

What I try to do in these cases is always have a couple business cards ready in my wallet. And I'm not a pro by any means, I had the idea after hanging some up at a small exhibition. But anyways, if they pester you with these kinds of questions, offering them a card is usually a good way to mellow them down and show that you're just interested for art's sake (not to mention a potential opportunity for future business!).

A funny reaction I got in the town where my husband's been working of late: "Hey, are you a photographer? From the newspaper? Will I get into the paper???" (<- this spoken with some hopeful glee, mind you).

I had to disappoint him. Awww.

That happened to me the last time I was at a local festival taking photos.

Have these people never seen a real camera before?!