adam613 Offline Buy and Sell: On
|
Do you enjoy or hate the attention? | |
I do the sort of photography that generally attracts attention. When I take NYC skyline shots, I generally have to go to places where there are a lot of tourists with point-and-shoots (or D40x/XTi-class cameras with kit lenses). They don't bother me usually...a lot just stare at me with my tripod and white lens (a 70-200 f/4). Some ask me to take their picture...I don't mind, but I doubt my pics come out any better than theirs What's fun is when someone who has a DSLR wants to talk shop...I've picked up more than a few tricks from those conversations, and I've taught a few people how to do HDRs. Mostly harmless.
Aviation photography attracts much less harmless attention. The cops don't mind us; most of them have seen us and know that we're an extra set of eyes who will call them the second we see something untoward, and I (or my lawyer) can always talk my way out of it with the ones who don't like us. The problem are the passersby who threaten to call the cops, the FBI, the DHS, the TSA, etc. You really want to infuriate someone? When they threaten to call the cops, respond "Please do!"
Speaking of safety, a couple of weeks ago I was carrying my camera bag and a tripod, and some jerk on the subway was getting off the train threatened punch me in the face if I didn't stop crowding him with my bag. I ignored him. After he got off the train, some woman says, "I'm impressed that you ignored him." I said, "He wasn't going to do anything, and nothing I said could have helped." Some other guy says, "And you could have used that tripod to defend yourself anyway." Amusing in hindsight, not so much at the time...
(A note on my appearance: I'm medium height, very white, and you'd never know from looking at me that I lift weights 3-4 times per week...)
|