So, I am out shooting yesterday and this guy approache me...

pbelarge · Feb 28, 2010

I walked down to the river yesterday to take some shots. I could not drive the snow cleanup is still in progress and there is no place to park. (3 hours of walking there and back)

I am trying to shoot the river, my glasses are all screwed up because they are transition type and the lighting was very difficult for me to figure out. See all the fun we have???

This guy approachs me, my tripod set up and my telephoto lens.
He asks me if I am a pro, and I tell him no.
Then he asks me if I would put a disk together of my shots and send it to him.
I was sort of shocked and a little pissed off.

Have any of you guys experienced this?

iflynething · Feb 28, 2010

Ha ha that's pretty funny actually.

I'd be....well not pissed but a little.well yeah pissed because how could someone do that?

Did you get his information? He might not have mentioned if he would pay you but I'm sure he wouldn't want to since you weren't "pro"

~Michael~

Bitter Jeweler · Feb 28, 2010

Did you ask him why?

gsgary · Feb 28, 2010

I was shooting some horse racing about 18 months ago, i was layed on the ground very close to a jump a chap stood next to me with his camera was laughing "what sort of shot are you going to get down there" well this is what i got http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Sports/Sports-Portfolio/Image00025/261042722_fCiJz-L.jpg his reaction was bloody hell thats my horse (nearest one) he put £40 in my hand and asked me to email it to him but he didn't give me his email luckily he spotted me later on

PhotoXopher · Feb 28, 2010

I'd be a few things, but pissed isn't one of them.

pbelarge · Feb 28, 2010

Bitter Jeweler said:
Did you ask him why?

He told me he was not good at taking pictures and would like to get some from me for making prints. He offered no money, saying he has young children at home - that is what really irked me.

pbelarge · Feb 28, 2010

gsgary said:
I was shooting some horse racing about 18 months ago, i was layed on the ground very close to a jump a chap stood next to me with his camera was laughing "what sort of shot are you going to get down there" well this is what i got http://gsgary.smugmug.com/Sports/Sports-Portfolio/Image00025/261042722_fCiJz-L.jpg his reaction was bloody hell thats my horse (nearest one) he put £40 in my hand and asked me to email it to him but he didn't give me his email luckily he spotted me later on

See what lying around can get you...nice shot by the way.

Olympus E300 · Feb 28, 2010

I was shooting the Austin Manitoba Thresherman's Reunion last fall and after the parade I decided to stroll into the Corn & Barley Bar for a refreshment. I sat down at a picknick table with my beverage and set my camera on the table in front of me. A few moments later, three guys and a gal (carrying some very expensive looking video equipement) came and sat down with me. They thought that I was perhaps a professional freelance photographer and wanted to chat a little about it. I chuckled a little and brushed it off as a wonderfull compliment. I might suck at this hobby but damn it, I look good doing it! As it turns out, they were a crew from the CBC doing a story on one of the ladies involved with the reunion.

I see it as a compliment to be mistaken for a pro. Why? I dunno...Perhaps its a self esteem builder...? But to ask a stranger to send you a disk full of pictures?!? WTF is that all about? I don't know if I would be pissed at them...I'd be more inclined to think that they were trying to pick me up. LoL...

My $.02!
- Dan

R6_Dude · Feb 28, 2010

I don't understand why you would be pissed.

Darkhunter139 · Feb 28, 2010

If he lived in the area and wanted some photo's to make prints of I don't see why that would piss you off? If it were me id send them to the guy, I would be glad for the opportunity to share my work.

PhotoXopher · Feb 28, 2010

The cook at the cafeteria at work saw me out shooting pictures of a really beautiful winter morning, trees (everything really) was covered in frost.

A few weeks later he asked if I could put some photos on a memory card so he could bring them to Wal Mart to be printed.

Later that afternoon I handed him one of my 4GB SanDisk cards with about 20 photos on it.

He thanked me and asked me to sign them.

I'm just glad someone is enjoying my work, but what really makes me glad I decided to do it as that it turns out his wife really wanted to have a picture of that morning to have on her wall. Found out later she is on year 10 of being given 7-10 years after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Natural_Disaster · Feb 28, 2010

Did he even see any of your photos before asking you this?
I'm a total noob, and i go out walking with my tripod every once in a while...so if some stranger came up and ask me for a disc of my photos so he could make some prints, not knowing what kind of photos i had,..he would be really surprised when i sent him a bunch of crap.
If that was truly his motive, i would have suggested he swap emails or phone numbers so the two of you could get together and he could see some of your work and then decide if he wanted a few for prints...and then work out a deal with him. But my guess is, he was just hoping you would send him some really really good ones so he could print them and make money off them....

Mulewings~ · Feb 28, 2010

Yes I have and the person asking was collecting photos for the Tour Guide booklet that is published each year. I asked around and the person was legit. So I gave him a limited amount of photos and I had photos published for 3 yrs in the Tour Guide.
...with a nice thank you and my name printed on the photo.

No $, but in a small community I got a lot of 'nice job!' comments from the locals.

pbelarge · Feb 28, 2010

Natural_Disaster said:
Did he even see any of your photos before asking you this?
I'm a total noob, and i go out walking with my tripod every once in a while...so if some stranger came up and ask me for a disc of my photos so he could make some prints, not knowing what kind of photos i had,..he would be really surprised when i sent him a bunch of crap.

This is what he would see from mine as well. I got a good laugh reading the bold portion, thanks :mrgreen:

Natural_Disaster · Feb 28, 2010

I went out yesterday and took 32 shots of a waterfall and got 0 i was happy with...

I just think it odd for his only explination to be that he wanted prints for his wall. I could understand if he wanted to make a tour guide, or it was of his property, or something like that, but wanting a disc so he can make some prints not knowing what kind of photos you have or how good they are...Something wrong there...