jtm6
Well-known
Flashes work great in stadiums when you are trying to freeze the action a hundred yards away with a wide angle lens.
whited3
Well-known
Only when I am using my SLR (and I'm not a pro). I love/hate that thing:
+ extremely versatile
+ 45 point AI servo seems to be the only way to keep my kid in focus
+ Niagara Falls; Guatemalan rainforest mud; wash with a hose - no problem
- seems to weigh as much as a small child after a day of shooting
- "Can you take a picture of us?" X 1000
- forget discreet street shooting (or discreet anything)
Oh thought of another plus
+ it's an honest to goodness weapon
+ extremely versatile
+ 45 point AI servo seems to be the only way to keep my kid in focus
+ Niagara Falls; Guatemalan rainforest mud; wash with a hose - no problem
- seems to weigh as much as a small child after a day of shooting
- "Can you take a picture of us?" X 1000
- forget discreet street shooting (or discreet anything)
Oh thought of another plus
+ it's an honest to goodness weapon
Also, how's this relevant? I use flash in the daytime all the time to bring down the background and wrap my subject in saturated color, or to fill harsh shadows.
Archiver
Veteran
I've mentioned a few instances before, but it's always fun to recount them again.
- Years ago, I happened upon a street demonstration and pulled out my little black Canon S70 to shoot. Those were the days when the S series had an optical viewfinder, so I must have looked pretty intent on what I was doing. A woman nearby asked me if I was a pro; which I was not at the time.
- Carrying a Canon DSLR that is larger than entry level gets comments and photo requests. A rangefinder is more likely to have people ask you about the 'old camera'.
- A few years ago, I was on a photo walk with a couple of friends. One was a pretty experienced enthusiast with a Canon 40D and 21/2.8 lens. The other was a novice, but he was using a Canon 40D and bigass white 70-200 f2.8 IS L from work. Meanwhile, I had my black, taped up M9 and 50 Summicron. Friend with massive Canon lens gets all the questions and attention. Friend with 40D gets a few questions as well. Meanwhile, I'm in the background, taking photos of them both.
The bigger the gear, the more 'professional' is assumed by the general public. It's a two edged sword on jobs sometimes, because I like to use small, unobtrusive equipment, and a few clients believe that camera size is directly proportional to skill and quality of image. Kind of true, but not really.
- Years ago, I happened upon a street demonstration and pulled out my little black Canon S70 to shoot. Those were the days when the S series had an optical viewfinder, so I must have looked pretty intent on what I was doing. A woman nearby asked me if I was a pro; which I was not at the time.
- Carrying a Canon DSLR that is larger than entry level gets comments and photo requests. A rangefinder is more likely to have people ask you about the 'old camera'.
- A few years ago, I was on a photo walk with a couple of friends. One was a pretty experienced enthusiast with a Canon 40D and 21/2.8 lens. The other was a novice, but he was using a Canon 40D and bigass white 70-200 f2.8 IS L from work. Meanwhile, I had my black, taped up M9 and 50 Summicron. Friend with massive Canon lens gets all the questions and attention. Friend with 40D gets a few questions as well. Meanwhile, I'm in the background, taking photos of them both.
The bigger the gear, the more 'professional' is assumed by the general public. It's a two edged sword on jobs sometimes, because I like to use small, unobtrusive equipment, and a few clients believe that camera size is directly proportional to skill and quality of image. Kind of true, but not really.
Takkun
Ian M.
When I shot with two D3s in-house for a large hospital? I was often assumed I was some weirdo visitor, on the street a tourist, and at political events I was actually covering in journalism school, just another yokel with a DSLR.
Shooting with the Leica or Fuji? All the time. I don't get it.
Not long ago I was snapping a few photos (mostly artistic in nature; I was intrigued by the color and form of the dozens of firehoses) of a three-alarm fire up the street from me. The battalion chief came up and started spouting off everything they knew about the incident. "Oh." I said.
"You're from TheWeekly, right?" he asked. When I replied in the negative, I was quickly sent behind the police line set up after I arrived...
More interesting, and sad, perhaps, is that I live in an immigrant-heavy neighborhood, and raising a camera to my eye more often than not causes people to duck, turn away, cower, etc.
What archiver said about it being a double-edged sword is especially true when it comes to events and the like. You don't get taken seriously, which is disappointing.
Shooting with the Leica or Fuji? All the time. I don't get it.
Not long ago I was snapping a few photos (mostly artistic in nature; I was intrigued by the color and form of the dozens of firehoses) of a three-alarm fire up the street from me. The battalion chief came up and started spouting off everything they knew about the incident. "Oh." I said.
"You're from TheWeekly, right?" he asked. When I replied in the negative, I was quickly sent behind the police line set up after I arrived...
More interesting, and sad, perhaps, is that I live in an immigrant-heavy neighborhood, and raising a camera to my eye more often than not causes people to duck, turn away, cower, etc.
What archiver said about it being a double-edged sword is especially true when it comes to events and the like. You don't get taken seriously, which is disappointing.
Takkun
Ian M.
The weapon bit--yes. I've threatened someone with my rig once.
Anywho, I think he means the amusement of people in stadiums snapping away with the pop-up-flash on and a kit zoom.
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
I've been asked if i was a cop, but that's because I drive a Crown Victoria (for our non-USA RFFers, the Ford Crown Victoria is a big sedan that is often used as a police car).
peterm1
Veteran
Me too. I have been asked if I was a cop. But in my case it was because I was wearing a suit and sitting around in a cafe drinking coffee in the middle of the day with a camera on the table beside me. Some old codger - an ex cop himself swore I was a detective surveilling someone or something. He seemd to believe that there was some criminal activity in the area and "we" were onto it. He was obviously not a photogrpaher himself as I was using a Leica M. He did not appreciate that these are not standard police issue.
In reality of course, I was sitting around in a suit in the middle of the day because I was skivving off. He still did not believe me when I tried to deny it.
Oh well. There is most likely some lucky crim out there somewhere still telling stories about the lucky day he almost got photographed by a detective with a camera.
ChrisN
Striving
I was wandering around a local car show with Hasselblad, 50 Distagon and Pro-Shade lens hood. That's a hefty and imposing outfit. People were falling over themselves to get out of my way when I lined up a photo. Car owners stood to attention!
Here's the shot.
Here's the shot.
batey_1020
Well-known
Can't remember any instances where I've been mistaken but what I do get very often when I'm
Shooting architecture and street scales from interesting angles is people pulling out the smart phone and camera or what ever and wait until I've moved on and shoot the same shot.
I'm not sure what it is but possibly using an old film camera people assume your creative I guess.
Shooting architecture and street scales from interesting angles is people pulling out the smart phone and camera or what ever and wait until I've moved on and shoot the same shot.
I'm not sure what it is but possibly using an old film camera people assume your creative I guess.
jimrohrer
Member
A couple of years ago my M2 was mistaken for "one of the new Fujis" twice at the same event.
OddE
Recovering GAS addict.
-Same thing has happened to me a couple of times when I've been carrying my M4 - I got a good chuckle once when a guy came over, complimented on my camera and observed that Fuji really had started something with the release of that retro-looking X100.
Gary B
Established
I used to be mistaken for an amateur when I was on some photo jobs because I was using 5-10 year old equipment. Some others around me were using equipment that had to be less than a week old and were carrying their manuals with big bags of equipment they did not know how to use.
Rodchenko
Olympian
Who's David Bailey? 
MrFujicaman
Well-known
Just once. I was taking pictures of the tigers at the Secret Garden behind the Mirage not long after Roy (of Sigfreid & Roy) got mauled by one of the tigers.
I'm shooting with my Tamron 200-500 zoom and a black motorized camera on a Majestic tripod and one of the local TV station was interviewing the head of entertainment for the Mirage about 20 feet away. He sees me and asks the Secret Garden staff.."Who's that guy shooting for?" I think he was disappointed when he found out I wasn't a pro.
I'm shooting with my Tamron 200-500 zoom and a black motorized camera on a Majestic tripod and one of the local TV station was interviewing the head of entertainment for the Mirage about 20 feet away. He sees me and asks the Secret Garden staff.."Who's that guy shooting for?" I think he was disappointed when he found out I wasn't a pro.
rbsinto
Well-known
I am often asked if I am a pro or the name of the organization I work for, likely because I always wear a vest, and carry three and sometimes four cameras when I'm on the street.
Depending on my mood, I'll sometimes reply that I work for "The Canadian Jewish News-Sports Section", which almost always gets a laugh.
As for those who start posing stupidly and ask me to take their picture with my camera, I usually decline by saying "I would, but I don't have my ugly filter with me." Another laugh and I'm on my way.
Of course, the type of gear I schlepp, Nikon S3 & SP rangefinders, and/or motorized Nikon F, F2, FA, FM manual focus film bodies are always conversation starters, especially with older folks (almost invariably men) who used similar gear many years ago, and appreciate the old stuff.
And no, I don't pretend that my gear somehow elevates my status in relation to other photographers who are using equipment different from mine.
It is not now, nor has it ever been about what you have, but rather only what you do with it. The name of the game ain't schmaltz. It's results.
Depending on my mood, I'll sometimes reply that I work for "The Canadian Jewish News-Sports Section", which almost always gets a laugh.
As for those who start posing stupidly and ask me to take their picture with my camera, I usually decline by saying "I would, but I don't have my ugly filter with me." Another laugh and I'm on my way.
Of course, the type of gear I schlepp, Nikon S3 & SP rangefinders, and/or motorized Nikon F, F2, FA, FM manual focus film bodies are always conversation starters, especially with older folks (almost invariably men) who used similar gear many years ago, and appreciate the old stuff.
And no, I don't pretend that my gear somehow elevates my status in relation to other photographers who are using equipment different from mine.
It is not now, nor has it ever been about what you have, but rather only what you do with it. The name of the game ain't schmaltz. It's results.