Why professionals dislke some amateurs

[Ysarex]

12 guage loaded with rock salt -- I just keep seeing a target.

Joe

 

[480sparky]

I remember the time I was shooting a high school graduation, and was tasked to get a shot of every student receiving their diploma. I set up a platform so I could be 'above' the rest of the crowd (way back before MWAC was common), but of course every parent wanted to take their own shot. I got all but one student.... his dad decided to hold his camera up in the air: right in my line of sight.

Oh well, missing one isn't that big of a deal.

Three weeks later, I get a call from him. His shot didn't come out, and wondered if he could buy the one I took. Sure, I said. I charged him $25 and sent him a nice 5x7 glossy of the back of his hand holding his camera.

 

[Stevepwns]

OK, so Im going to play devils advocate on this one. NOT to be a dick but maybe to show the other side of the coin...

I am as amateur as it gets, but why do pro's have the right of way. What makes you superior to anyone on the street. Just because you get paid to do it, doesn't mean you have a right to control the 50 feet of space in front of you, where eve you just so happen to be. Now I am not defending anyone that goes into areas closed off to public use, because that's just ignorant in and of itself. But i was at a child's soft ball game, my nieces to be exact. and the photographer that was hired to shoot for the league would demand everyone only get up when he said so. He spent 4 games dictating where people could go and sit, he believed he could have control of the entire field. Now controlled environment.... weddings, religious events like baptisms and what have you, I get it.

My girlfriend and I were at a water fall, I spent 20 minutes getting everything where I wanted and almost like clock work, as soon as I hit my shutter. A woman with a pro camera on a mono pod walked her clients and her 3 kids right in from of me. Not only did she start taking pictures, but she had the kids change clothes right there like 4 times. About 5 minutes after walking right in front of me and everyone else there trying to take pictures, she turns to me and says "oh were you taking pictures? I didnt see you." 45 minutes I waited for her to finish. By the time she was done, the light was horrible and my shot was worthless. I drove 3 hours to go to that waterfall. Got up at 4 in the morning on a Saturday so I could catch the right light. By the time I got home I spent 8 hours of my day and never got to do what what I set up, planned on, and was literally doing when ruined by an arrogant pro that thought she had the right to screw up everyone else's pictures, because apparently ours don't madder because we are just amateurs.

 

[runnah]

OK, so Im going to play devils advocate on this one.

The difference is the professionals are being paid to cover an event. If you block their way and they miss a shot you are hurting their business. When I am on a photo or video shoot at an event I will be a lion and get the shot regardless because it is MY job to get the shot or the interview. If I don't get what I need I get yelled at and it affects my job. If I am at some place for fun and happen to be taking photos I will be respectful of others and make sure I am not in the way.

 

[Stevepwns]

I will be respectful of others and make sure I am not in the way.

Do you just pull over for Taxi's when they are on the road you are on, or do continue as if they aren't there? Why do photographers deserve this respect when no one else gets it. Traffic in the morning makes me late to work sometimes, when I am late my boss gets pissed. If I am late to many times I might lose my job. Should everybody on the road that's not on their way to work get out of the way of the people trying to get to work. When I am late I don't get paid for that 15 to 20 minutes or more, which effects my paycheck. If I am late to many times I might not be able to feed my kids. If I wasn't on my way to work I would be respectful and get out of the way of everyone that is on their way to work so they aren't late. See the connection here? Your job doesn't make your time or plans any more important than anyone else there. I use to deliver auto parts when I was 18, would it have been arrogant of me to expect everyone else on the road to get out of my way "because its my job" to get these parts to that gas station? This goes both ways. The excuse "its my job" doesnt matter when you are out in public. If anything its an event that will inevitably happen in your career that you just have to learn to live with, because it will never stop and you cant do anything about it.

 

[Overread]

So the general conciousness is to just generally be nice and respect each other and if we're shooting photography take mind of our surroundings and not get tunnel view into just seeing our shot at the event.




I don't really see where pro, amateur or any other fancy "titling" has any baring on this at all

 

[jwbryson1]

You should have dunked his camera into the water...

 

[Devinhullphoto]

I remember the time I was shooting a high school graduation, and was tasked to get a shot of every student receiving their diploma. I set up a platform so I could be 'above' the rest of the crowd (way back before MWAC was common), but of course every parent wanted to take their own shot. I got all but one student.... his dad decided to hold his camera up in the air: right in my line of sight.

Oh well, missing one isn't that big of a deal.

Three weeks later, I get a call from him. His shot didn't come out, and wondered if he could buy the one I took. Sure, I said. I charged him $25 and sent him a nice 5x7 glossy of the back of his hand holding his camera.

Ha that's great.

 

[DarkShadow]

Here is where a strong rubber band and paper clip would have came in handy and with such a large ass for a target, I am sure you would have hit your mark.

 

[snerd]

So I was trying to get a good shot of the beginning of a race, and these azzwipes behind me kept making loud, obnoxious noises. Every time I turned around they were making stupid faces at me and flailing their arms about wildly! Man! They just let "anybody" into these races anymore!!

 

[Gavjenks]

I will be respectful of others and make sure I am not in the way.

Do you just pull over for Taxi's when they are on the road you are on, or do continue as if they aren't there? Why do photographers deserve this respect when no one else gets it. Traffic in the morning makes me late to work sometimes, when I am late my boss gets pissed. If I am late to many times I might lose my job. Should everybody on the road that's not on their way to work get out of the way of the people trying to get to work. When I am late I don't get paid for that 15 to 20 minutes or more, which effects my paycheck. If I am late to many times I might not be able to feed my kids. If I wasn't on my way to work I would be respectful and get out of the way of everyone that is on their way to work so they aren't late. See the connection here? Your job doesn't make your time or plans any more important than anyone else there. I use to deliver auto parts when I was 18, would it have been arrogant of me to expect everyone else on the road to get out of my way "because its my job" to get these parts to that gas station? This goes both ways. The excuse "its my job" doesnt matter when you are out in public. If anything its an event that will inevitably happen in your career that you just have to learn to live with, because it will never stop and you cant do anything about it.

That's fine logic, except that the guy in the OP hopped a security fence to get into that shot. It's not like he was in the crowd with everybody else and the pro photographer is pissed off just because he can't get to the front of the crowd. The dude is actually trespassing into the race without having registered or whatever.

It's the equivalent of somebody driving up onto the sidewalk to get around you and cut you off.

 

[runnah]

The excuse "its my job" doesnt matter when you are out in public.

So by your logic anyone who has a career that involves being out public deserves no respect or consideration? I find that to be very rude as you would not like people coming into your place of work and making your job more difficult.

 

[480sparky]

OK, so Im going to play devils advocate on this one. NOT to be a dick but maybe to show the other side of the coin...

I am as amateur as it gets, but why do pro's have the right of way. What makes you superior to anyone on the street. Just because you get paid to do it, doesn't mean you have a right to control the 50 feet of space in front of you, where eve you just so happen to be. Now I am not defending anyone that goes into areas closed off to public use, because that's just ignorant in and of itself. But i was at a child's soft ball game, my nieces to be exact. and the photographer that was hired to shoot for the league would demand everyone only get up when he said so. He spent 4 games dictating where people could go and sit, he believed he could have control of the entire field. Now controlled environment.... weddings, religious events like baptisms and what have you, I get it.

My girlfriend and I were at a water fall, I spent 20 minutes getting everything where I wanted and almost like clock work, as soon as I hit my shutter. A woman with a pro camera on a mono pod walked her clients and her 3 kids right in from of me. Not only did she start taking pictures, but she had the kids change clothes right there like 4 times. About 5 minutes after walking right in front of me and everyone else there trying to take pictures, she turns to me and says "oh were you taking pictures? I didnt see you." 45 minutes I waited for her to finish. By the time she was done, the light was horrible and my shot was worthless. I drove 3 hours to go to that waterfall. Got up at 4 in the morning on a Saturday so I could catch the right light. By the time I got home I spent 8 hours of my day and never got to do what what I set up, planned on, and was literally doing when ruined by an arrogant pro that thought she had the right to screw up everyone else's pictures, because apparently ours don't madder because we are just amateurs.

I gotta ask: So in 45 minutes (and 4 wardrobe changes), you never bothered to say anything?

 

[DarkShadow]

When I recently went to a museum a couple of guys where setting a pro video came in a art exhibit.The first thing I did was ask if I should go around the back of them and they replied that are not live yet and thanked me for being considerate and thats all it was,just being considerate, no more no less.

 

[480sparky]

When I recently went to a museum a couple of guys where setting a pro video came in a art exhibit.The first thing I did was ask if I should go around the back of them and they replied that are not live let and thanked me for being considerate and thats all it was,just being considerate, no more no less.

I have that happen a lot. I'm setting up a tripod and all of a sudden everyone starts veering behind me. I usually have to interact with half a dozen people telling them they're OK as I'm not ready to shoot yet.