That you receive when you walk around with your DSLR and your big lens. I'll admit that I get kind of bothered when I stop to take a shot, and a whole crowd of people just freeze and stare at me. (like I'm some type of alien). Bothered enough to get rid of my kit? Definitely not, but how do you guys feel about it?

Rarely happens even when I have the 300 f/2.8 or 500 f/4, but then again I try and avoid people and crowds as much as possible. In the city I rarely get any attention even when I have the 1D II + 70-200 f/2.8. A few times at the beach while taking surfing shots with the big guns, people have asked for a look through the VF and been impressed.

Mee tooo - this is one of reasons why all my lens are prime in black and shorter than 200.

Hate it. Showing up with the 1Ds3 and 85L in the playground is the best recipe for this kind of attention, but you gotta do it...

Both

Hate the attention from ordinary folks - people stopping to ask who you work for? can you take my picture and will it be in a magazine? etc. Usually happens at big events like marathons, shows, etc.

However, the flip side can also be kind of nice. Sometimes, carrying all of my gear I can get around the crouds and into the press areas without a second look. Last two Iditarods I was able to get behind the press lines, even stood right next to security and Anchorage Police without any questions. I've even been approached by security asking "what are you doing out here" as he opens the barricade to usher me in. Those white lenses are as good as any pass!

I'm normally focused on what I'm doing and try to project that I don't wish to be disturbed, which normally works.
I try to be polite to people who want to chit-chat, but I break it off as soon as practical. Most folks are polite and get the message without being offended. I never talk camera gear nor technique with some strolling or curious gear head.

I find it rather amusing. I try and size 'em up and guess what kind of comment or question is coming.
Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised but more often than not it's the " how far, how much,
who do you shoot for " variety. Over the years I've come up with some great replies...
just last weekend out with the 1DmkII 300 2.8 on a BushHawk guy asks how much ya got
in that rig? I told him I just stole it this morning, ya wanna buy it

Pixel Perfect wrote:
Rarely happens even when I have the 300 f/2.8 or 500 f/4, but then again I try and avoid people and crowds as much as possible. In the city I rarely get any attention even when I have the 1D II + 70-200 f/2.8. A few times at the beach while taking surfing shots with the big guns, people have asked for a look through the VF and been impressed.

This would be me. When I see that big 500 I just cant resist a quick peek.

I love that one!


trenchmonkey wrote:

Over the years I've come up with some great replies...
just last weekend out with the 1DmkII 300 2.8 on a BushHawk guy asks how much ya got
in that rig? I told him I just stole it this morning, ya wanna buy it

From a "not attracting attention from a personal safety point of view", especially when traveling, I particularly like using my 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO. While it has its limitations, its very compact, light and certainly doesn't attract much attention.

I just glare at 'em and they go away never to bother me again. Something I learned in the military when I made Master Sergeant.

Hate it. It's just annoying to be walking around at a baseball game and getting 50-100 people looking at me and commenting on my lens.

I hate public attention, in general, so a White 400 2.8 probably doesn't help, huh?

I wear yellow Bermuda shorts, a Hawaian shirt, a large floppy hat and mutter to myself in German. No one seems to bother me

Alan Kefauver wrote:
I wear yellow Bermuda shorts, a Hawaian shirt, a large floppy hat and mutter to myself in German. No one seems to bother me

lol!

Gary Petersen wrote:
I just glare at 'em and they go away never to bother me again.

Yeah, I do that too.

EB

Gary Petersen wrote:
I just glare at 'em and they go away never to bother me again. Something I learned in the military when I made Master Sergeant.



LMFAF

How about the safety side of things? Have you ever feel threatened?

I think subconsciously, people who say they don't like the extra attention, really enjoy it. It's probably the same people who line their gear up and take photos of it. Me, I just go out and shoot photos and if someone stops to chat a little, so what, I enjoy the conversation. No biggy.

wkhc168 wrote:
How about the safety side of things? Have you ever feel threatened?

I'm over 6 foot and around 300 pounds. I fired expert with the U.S. Air Force and Army. Also with the German army, Turkish army and the South Korean Air Force. I don't "do" threatened.

haha, im 6'3 i have three facial piercings and tattoos all down my arms. most people don't bother me.

I meant in general, do people feel threatened being alone with thousands of $ of gears?
Once I was in San Fran. taking this picture late at night all by myself. It was almost pitch dark and no one's around. It got very scary when all of a sudden I heard someone came up behind me on a bike. It turned out to be a cop on bike. He was just checkup on me and commented that it has great color that night and there was another photog further down by the water. I was lucky it was a cop cause it could have been much much worse.

Everywhere I go I seem to get all the attention.
I am 4 foot 10 and carry a Canon 1000mm F5.6 L USM lens attached to 1Ds Mk3 on a huge tripod all the time.

The question I found hard to answer is : Are they looking at me or the lens and the camera or both?

That is one awesome portrait.

Gary Petersen wrote:
I just glare at 'em and they go away never to bother me again. Something I learned in the military when I made Master Sergeant.

Venus wrote:
Everywhere I go I seem to get all the attention.
I am 4 foot 10 and carry a Canon 1000mm F5.6 L USM lens attached to 1Ds Mk3 on a huge tripod all the time.

The question I found hard to answer is : Are they looking at me or the lens and the camera or both?

1000/5.6

1000mm f/5.6? Good lord. You are toting around quite a rig.

Venus wrote:
Everywhere I go I seem to get all the attention.
I am 4 foot 10 and carry a Canon 1000mm F5.6 L USM lens attached to 1Ds Mk3 on a huge tripod all the time.

The question I found hard to answer is : Are they looking at me or the lens and the camera or both?