p.3 #1 · Another photographer "advised" me on assignment
Earplugs make you look smart. It's the people who aren't wearing them that aren't. How many musicians do you know who can't hear a damned thing anymore from stage noise. Took a db meter to the Whiskey A Go Go one night when my gf was playing there in a large band. The (obviously deaf) soundman had them rocking to an average of 118 dba. That was too loud even with plugs. I have a friend who has film the Electric Daisy fest and he wears cans on top of plugs, but you can't get away from the subfrequency vibrations. For years, trade shows like the NAMM show in Anaheim have provided free earplugs at the door and have decibel police roaming the grounds for those exceeding the federal 85 dba workplace limit. Kinda hard to keep it under that in the drum booths.
p.3 #2 · Another photographer "advised" me on assignment
You'd be surprised at the amount of people that walk into costco, buy a basic dslr kit (nothing wrong with that) and consider themselves a pro photog now that they have a "big" camera.
p.3 #4 · Another photographer "advised" me on assignment
If you want interference stories...
I was shooting a broadcast video series as senior DoP, and one of the other freelancers decided to come up and adjust my focus to "help" during a live shot...!
Suffice it to say he never worked on my team again.
Mind, I've had assistants try to advise me on how to move my own lights, (apparently I wasn't "doing it" correctly ,I've had art directors tell me that I don't need lights - "because everyone knows you can light it in post" and we did have a student offer to help with our shoot - only to discover he meant he wanted to replace our director for the day.
Sometimes it would be nice to get through a day without so much "help."
p.3 #6 · Another photographer "advised" me on assignment
No, it was a different person. I think people just like to talk to each other around these parts - they are friendly. It might be different parts of the country, people behave differently. Midwesterners are chatty.
p.3 #7 · Another photographer "advised" me on assignment
Peggy:
Based on the image you posted I think you already know the answer to your questions =)
As far as the ergonomics and size of gear...I have tried plenty of different bodies even mirrorless. I prefer the gripped full frame DSLR just because it suits my hand size and I am just comfortable with button placement etc. I can honestly say I never look at someone else's gear and judge. I have seen guys hefting around D5's and 400mm 2.8's and I can tell you they are always the first to come over and show me the shots they are getting...as I am shooting an event.
p.3 #8 · Another photographer "advised" me on assignment
Desmolicious wrote:
I've always wondered what the point was to playing music so loud you needed earplugs.
Do people do that in their homes or driving to work?
Some people like it LOUD.
Then again, the sound has to carry to the back of the room/stadium/area and I have to be up front to be able to get a shot.
To be able to get a shot with all the band in view and in focus at a crowded pub gig for instance that puts me about six inches in front of some very large speaker stacks sometimes and in those cases, earplugs are still sometimes not enough.
Often, I wont be directly in front of them but will still be fairly close.
On the other hand for rare times I might not like the gig I am shooting, I can always be listening to something else while shooting (not that I have done that but have seriously thought about it once or twice a few years ago) but that would be more a chore than fun and I only do this for fun.
p.3 #9 · Another photographer "advised" me on assignment
Nickyb21 wrote:
You'd be surprised at the amount of people that walk into costco, buy a basic dslr kit (nothing wrong with that) and consider themselves a pro photog now that they have a "big" camera.
I had someone come to my one day "Introduction to Digital Cameras" workshop back when DSLRs were beginning to take of (think 5D classic time frame).
She had just bought a Rebel. She also rented storefront space and had marketing materials already printed. When she got to class, she barely knew which end of the camera to look through. PASM was a complete mystery. Gotta love MWACS/GWACS.
p.3 #10 · Another photographer "advised" me on assignment
I also strongly endorse ear plugs. I didn't use them and now have enough hearing loss that I have to have aural enhancement devices (aka hearing aids). I also think anyone that would walk up, see Fuji's and say "are those Nikons," is not a serious photographer. Finally hand size, I have large hands and have used many brands, going back many years, Canon, Nikon, Olympus (film), Pentax, and now Sony A7 series. I find the ergonomics mainly a matter of getting used to a camera. Besides the Fuji's are actually larger than my current A7rII.
p.3 #11 · Another photographer "advised" me on assignment
Yes, wear earplugs. Losing the quality of one's hearing is not a joke. If you walk out of a gig with ringing ears, even if the ringing goes away, you have permanently damaged your hearing. Some people seem to think that not wearing hearing protection is a macho thing, as if the ear is a muscle. It's not. The nerve endings that are closer to the outside of the ear are those that sense high frequencies and are the most easily damaged.
I won't bother ranting here about sound levels, other than to say that they are ridiculous.
Every musician I know has severe hearing loss and/or tinnitus.
I've had several people walk up to me when I was shooting music shows and say, "oh, you must be a professional". And I usually respond, "why, because of the long lens?" And they usually say, "no, because you're wearing earplugs."
