p.15 #1 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
"Take me you giant bullstud, I'm yours" DANG! I've only heard that twice before, but neither of them were while I was out photographing. How did you get get so lucky Walter? What were you photographing?, and more important, what lens were you using? And was it white?
This has been the funniest ever. Thats for some great laughs!
p.15 #2 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
wow, I finally got to the end of this thread. Is there a prize for longevity readers or something...
but one of the common themes seems to be meeting members of the opposite gender over camera gear... which I have experienced myself on numerous occasions both in the US and overseas.... something about big cameras and the girls come looking to see what your doing....
p.15 #3 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Woolburr wrote:
While shooting trains at a popular grade crossing with a 70-200 2.8...
You too, eh?
A friend and I have had the discussion a few times regarding what we'd say, and I actually used it once. Back in the fall, we were shooting behind a 'Biker' bar in Maiden Rock, WI. A woman with a few friends stopped as they passed by and asked:
Q: "What are you taking pictures for?"
A: Sports Illustrated, for the swimsuit issue.
The reaction was pretty interesting as she and her friends tried to process two middle aged guys, with tripod mounted cameras, no models, and the BNSF double main line ten feet away...
p.15 #4 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
When out with my 500 f/4 I often get asked...."how far can you shoot with that thing?" I always reply 250,000 miles! They look completely amazed and I follow up with....I took a photo of the moon the other night. They usually realize their silliness and slink away.
p.15 #5 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Back on page 15, SimonBl wrote:
I also found at an airshow recently, with my 70-200, that people would wait for me to finish taking a shot before walking in front of me. Quite embarressing at times, as I might have been just composing the shot etc, but I appreciate the thought.
I found this recently since getting the 70-200, too. I'll be there, hunched down on the ground, aiming my 200mm's worth of lens at someone in the distance, finger poised, waiting for them to turn round ... then they won't do what I want them to do, they'll walk off in the other direction, I'll abandon the idea, take my eye away from the camera - and there'll be 10 people all politely waiting so they don't walk in front of me.
Very sweet of them but yes, it is quite embarrasing. Reminds me of the time that I held up 300+ people without realising it. My company had flown me business class somewhere long-haul - Miami from the UK, if memory serves. I'm very much of the opinion that there's no point rushing off the plane, as you just wait in line at some other queue with everyone else in 10 minutes anyway, so you might as well take your time and relax. There I am, jeans and a t-shirt, quietly and slowly gathering my stuff together, collecting all my crud, putting my shoes on ... then I turn round to see the stewardess holding back the entire Economy section. Turns out there's a separate bus on the tarmac for Business folk; that goes, then another bus rocks up for Economy. The looks I got from some of those people, I tell you, I never want to see those eyes again...
p.15 #6 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
The worst I ever got was (over a loud speaker) "Stop where you are, put your hands behind your head!"
I lived in Manassas, VA during the DC Sniper shootings (one of the fatalities was at a gas station in Manassas, two blocks from my house). I was taking some shots of train cars sitting on the tracks behind a manufacturing facility about 100 feet off the road. I had not noticed the police car that drove off the road and down the tracks and stopped 50 feet behind me. Not long after I was confronted, a police helicopter swept in just above the trees and hovered over me, and three more squad cars stopped traffic in both directions on the road.
It took a few minutes to sort things out, but they asked me to get off the railroad tracks and go home.
p.15 #7 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Wow JD, that's crazy. I have some similar stories.
It was really foggy outside on my college campus one evening which made for a fantastic photo op. I grab my gear and set up my tripod on the corner of an intersection doing long exposures of cars driving through the fog. A cop drives by, turns around, and pulls over next to me. He starts questioning me on what I was doing. I explain and offer to show him some of my photos as samples. He points across the intersection and points out that the building on the other side of the street has all sorts of ties with government sponsored research (not that it's a secret to anyone here) and mentions that I look like a possible terrorist. I'm pretty dumbfounded because since it's so foggy, I can't even see across the street at this point, much less the buildings in the distance. It turns out the officer was new on the force and was eventually told to not be so quick on assuming that students are terrorists.
A similar situation was when I wanted to do some evening shots of the highway. It was light out so I started watching a movie to pass the time. When the movie ended, it was already getting dark out so I quickly grabbed my gear and took off running across campus to make it in time. Again, a police cruiser rolls up alongside me. I'm looking pretty shady at this point running in Atlanta wearing a black jacket and unshaven, but I talk to the officer, flash my camera, and tell him what I'm up to. He asks me to get into the car. Surprised, I ask him why and he offers to give me a ride since I was in a rush. Not only that, but he gives me some excellent suggestions on great places to shoot from that I hadn't even considered. That was a very welcomed twist.
p.15 #9 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Shooting with my 5D, 24-70mm and 580EX I had a "Why are you still using such an old camera when they are much smaller now?". I told her that it once belonged to my grandfather and I was sentimental. Her comment......."Oh well you should switch to digital".
p.15 #10 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
I was shooting pictures of my daughter the other day with my 24-70mm f/2.8 L and some guy walked by, made a stupid face and said "HEY! CANDID CAMERA!".
p.15 #12 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Funny stuff. I think the color of the lens may make a difference but this is definitely a "Size matters" thing!
I've gotten all sorts of comments and questions (and a few quips) shooting with my Bigma (and sometimes my 70-200 2.8). People can't seem to not look at the Bigma. I'd say the most common questions is "Who are you with?". Last time I was shooting at the Long Beach Grand Prix I was constantly hit with questions. One lady even pulled me aside and asked me to talk to her son about a career in photography! I've gotten some interesting looks in the mountains too when I was walking around shooting birds on a lake.
Shorter lenses with additional gear gets attention too. Even the 17-85 IS (with hood) mounted on a 20D with grip and flash generates notice. Usually it's not a problem and as other people mentioned, it can sometimes help.
I can see getting questions at Glacier Point. Try setting up a 10" SCT telescope there and see what questions and comments you get!
p.15 #13 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
The most asked question I get is "Are you with a newspaper or magazine"? When shooting with the 400mm f2.8 and TC a lady came up and asked if that was a mini Hubble.
One interesting thing that happened this year. I was at a motorcycle event and a photographer was photographing several models on some Choppers for a magazine using a Sony DSC-F828 and they were letting everyone else photograph them too. Most everyone else there was using P&S cameras but I had my MkII and 70-200mm IS and most of the models kept trying to look at me rather than the photographer for the magazine so they asked me to please back away until they finished the shoot. I think that the models must know something about the cameras and Lens too.
p.15 #14 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
About two years ago I was shooting "landscapes," or general layout shots of Smith College (all girls school) in Northampton, MA with a 14mm prime. I was there with a friend.
About 20 minutes into the thing, a female cop pulls up with her lights flashing, and motions for me. She angrily approaches me and tells me that she's had reports of some pervert looking through binoculars at Smith girls changing in their rooms in the upper floors.
Me: Officer, I couldn't see a girl in her room with this thing if I tried.
Officer: That thing is huge, how much zoom do those binoculars have?
Me: Look, [shows her the images on the LCD of a pond, environmental art installation shots in which there are buildings in the background].
The officer looks a little puzzled. Then I point the camera at a window that is perhaps 35 feet away, tell her to look through the camera-- her response: "Oh, I see. Uh, well, have fun, bye."
She goes back to her vehicle, lights go off, she drives off quickly.
Man, some people are really paranoid-- not every guy with photographic equipment is trying to take nudie pictures of you (get over yourself!)-- and let me tell ya, if I was trying to take nudie pictures of girls (which I wouldn't because it's a sleazy thing to do), Smith would NOT be the place.
p.15 #16 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Funny thread!! I've heard a lot of these...though have to say I have not noticed guys flocking to me when I am shooting my 400 f/5.6 like it seems the chicks do to you guys...damn, seems I'm missing out!!! Maybe they are intimidated by a chick with a bigger lens than theirs
The funniest I have recieved was this guy at a nature presurve who was shooting a MarkII with a consumer lens (maybe 70-300) and I was shooting my 10D with my 400 f/5.6 and he says "Dang I wish I could afford a set-up like that!" I could only conclude that then MarkII must have been a gift or something? I should have offered to trade him bodies!
I also like the people who think they know it all and start talking to a friend telling them all about my camera, only they obviously don't REALLY know what they are talking about so are giving all wrong info (like saying that my 70-200 2.8 IS is a GREAT wide angle lens and they wish they had one).
I also laugh at people who say "what are you taking a picture of?" when there is a bull elk like 50 feet away.
p.15 #17 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
I've had 3 people come up to me seriously and ask if I'm interested in a job just because I've been out with some of my equipment. I also am asked the what paper are you with question so much I don't even notice it...I probably get that at least 10 times a day when I'm shooting a sporting event...
I still can't top the guy who asked me if my 300 f4L IS was a 1200mm lens...
p.15 #18 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
I was at a car show last night. I had my hands full with my Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS mounted on my 20D, BG-E2 Battery Grip, Speedlite 430EX and camera bag with assorted lenses. Granted, it was not the big white, but i needed a wide angle to shoot in tight areas. I had one guy ask if I was with the local tv station (daaaa), is it going to be on tv. I thought to myself, "does this looking like a TV camera"! The next question out of his mouth - Is it going to be in the news paper tomorrow? I politely said no and kept on shooting. Another guy asked if I was taking pictures while my eyeball was stuck in the view finder!!!!! I rolled my eyesballs on that question as I continued to shoot. A funny observation after I was done crawling around on the floor looking for different angles, people with P&S cameras started kneeling, sitting, crawling, anything to get the angle I had. People were more than happy to stand and watch while I clicked away. I even picked up a photo op to shoot a custom mustang at a later date. It's amazing how much attention you get when you have a pro setup. They even let me in the car show for free.
p.15 #19 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
I was out walking with a 300/2.8L yesterday and noticed lots of people looking, but no one commented on it directly. I suppose it is a bit big for a walk-around though!
p.15 #20 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
When out with the 5D and 300 2.8 about a month ago...
1. Now THAT'S a lens!
2. You must be able to see down the street with that!
3. Guy looked at me, looked at his fuji P&S, looked down and says "I have lens envy"
One of the funniest moments i've seen when shooting at the zoo was when I was with a friend.. both casually walking, looking at the rhino, this guy comes up, and practically SHOVES my friend out the way to get a good shot of his wife standing at the rhino enclosure...
