Things Not To Say To a Photographer, #1

[Particular]

Airport security finds Linhof Technika:
"Professional?......Video?"

On street with Technika on tripod, man approaches:
"Hey...You...who are you surveying for?"
Me: "It's a camera"
Man: "Who do you work for?"
Me: "Nobody, I'm a student"
Man: "I don't believe you. Who do you work for?"

 

[nikon_sam]

Has anyone heard this ???

"Those are really nice cameras...you must be good..."

 

[Nando]

When using my MP and 50 Summilux ASPH at a local event, a person next to me said "Geez, the phone in my camera must take better pictures than that thing." And yes, she said "phone in my camera" and not "camera in my phone".

"Why aren't you using digital?" bothers me the most.

I get a lot of "Can I see your pictures?" from people assuming that my camera is digital.

This one from a colleague when after I stated that there are no longer any good camera store in my small town. "What do you mean there isn't any good camera stores? Most of the cameras at the Futureshop are over $400!"

I must say that most of the negative and annoying comments are from adults. I work with kids and many of them love film, think that mechanical cameras are cool and a few even worship the red dot. What is troubling to me is many who are pursuing photography are unaware of the work of past masters or any notable present photographer for that matter. Imagine members of a rock n' roll band not being aware of, say, Led Zeppelin.

I don't like "Henri Cartier who?" "Who is Walker Evans?" "What so good about Robert Frank?" "Helen Levitt? I can take photos like that!" type of comments.

 

[Particular]

Plain clothes anti-terrorist police officer:
"You have been spotted on the security cameras acting suspiciously."
Me: "I'm a student....This is my project....I'm in a public place."
Officer: "Don't come back. Don't do this again!"

 

[Particular]

Has anyone heard this ???

"Those are really nice cameras...you must be good..."

No, but I have heard:
"Well, you look like you know what you are doing."

Gee thanks, I wasn't so sure myself.

 

[rya]

I can't go home with a camera/prints out without being asked "and why is that art?" followed by where I should go because there are deer. Sometimes I think my father is convinced my camera is a legal weapon during deer season.

I'm thinking of giving him a loaded manual camera and developing his results for him just to see what happens. Is it possible to teach photo appreciation?

 

[capitalK]

"Take a picture of me!" - Yes, because I really want to waste my time and film.

Even better is people coming up to me saying "I don't want you to take my picture" when I have absolutely no intention of doing so in the first place.

"Don't flatter yourself" is what I WANT to say. 😛

 

[coelacanth]

Me buying polaroid 600 films at a local drag store. I'm excited to find some of the last batch unexpectedly.

A guy behind me in the cashier line: "haven't you heard of digital camera?"

He genuinely looked pitying me.

 

[mark-b]

The most recent for me was: "That's too low, all you're going to get is the ground!"
Reference this photo, and see the last entry in the thread:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark-beltran-is-great/3978825582/

 

[Mephiloco]

I must be lucky. I never get told stupid things when I have a camera with me, nothing other than 'that's an old one!' or someting to that effect. I've had girls give me their phone numbers after identifying my M2, and just this weekend at the film festival, a DP struck up a conversation with me after a panel upon seeing my M2. Ended up going to lunch with the DP, director, writer, and a couple of the producers and ended up scoring some future work for when they shoot their next project.

I have had people take a while to figure out how to focus after I explain, due to turning the aperture instead of the focus ring.

Edit: The DP laughed when I told him his next film is financing my Summilux.

 

[Rogier]

In New York just after I had just bought my used Leica, the totally out of it homeless guy lying on the subway bench besides me wakes up and says, without sitting up, "nice M-3, single stroke?". Not that he shouldn't have said it, but it alerted me to how in New York, nothing and no one is really anonymous.

Regarding tops of biscuit tins, that tends to be the sort of thing my eye goes to these days, but cats not yet thankfully.

Must have been a professional photographer who dropped his prices a bit to much...

 

[Ronald_H]

Have a few other ones:

Last year at a festival I had my M2 with me. Someone's insufferable girlfriend really looked at me if I was a moron because I still used film. Others were impressed by the sheer weight of the M2, and seemed impressed by it.

People also asked me "Don't you need flash?". Err no, not with Neopan 1600 and an f2 lens.

It so looked if I knew what I was doing, but I totally scr*wed developing that roll 😀:bang:

People do often ask me if I can still get film.... even if they still sell it just about anywhere...

 

[robbert]

Most people automatically assume that digital cameras are in every way superior and that you're using old film cameras because they are cheap and you can't afford a digital camera.

And all film cameras are the same to them, cheap SLR's and top of the line rangefinders are all old cameras...

My Zeiss 25/28 viewfinder costs more than most people's P&S camera. But I don't brag about it and just stay quiet and keep on taking photographs.

By the way, people contemplating of buying the Zeiss 25/28 VF; It's great! I've compared it to an old SLOOZ and the price is definitely worth it.

 

[totifoto]

I often get this. "Did you see the sunset last night? You could have gotten some great pics if you had"

Yesterday I got the question that I have been waiting for for a long time. I had my M6 as always and this guy at school was talking to me about old filmcameras. He was checking my M6 out and said. " Doesnt it take great pictures?" and I said of course: "No, I take great pictures" 😉


On an Icelandic photography webforum this morning I was reading a chat where this guy was thinking about the M8. here in Iceland most amateur photographers dont understand rangefinder and all wanna have Canon EOS 1D ore some big cameras like that with a 70-200 on it. One guy actually said: "Leica is for posers not real photographers" I dont know If I should be angry or laugh :bang:😀

 

[oldoc]

Large combo

Large combo

When toting my other fling, the Canon 1D2N w/24-70mm f/2.8L (which is a rather large combo) people often recoil in horror...

"Now that's a camera!"
"That's some camera..."
"Are you a professional?"
"You could shoot ____ with that thing!"
"Whoa."

Yeah, I REALLY got that when I was shooting my old Mamiya 645AFD...until I fell with the kit, and had to have knee surgery...

 

[BobPS]

Have a few other ones:
People also asked me "Don't you need flash?". Err no, not with Neopan 1600 and an f2 lens.

LOL. I got that question about flash too, when I don't use flash and when I use flash.
When I use a flash in broad daylight, people sometimes told me "your flash fired, you will over expose that shot" ... like I forgot that there's a big flash gun mounted on my camera. I usually just smile.

Bob

 

[Vince Lupo]

Them: 'Wow, you must be a really good photographer with all that equipment!'

Me: 'No, I'm just really good at spending money!'