p.16 #1 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Borrowing my buddy's 500, I got:
"Can I look through that?"
"How many 'times' zoom is it?"
"Is that heavy?"
My personal fav was:
"That must have cost three to four hundred bucks right?"
...yeah for the lens shade
Those were all from non-camera folks.
Now, I was using the 500 around some people with decent gear. 100-400L, 70-200L, 300L, etc and I caught so many snide remarks I couldn't even believe it.
p.16 #3 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
My wife and I were visiting our community park with my 70-200 on a sunny day last year. There was a wedding going on which blocked the main road. So we had to get around it by passing through the lawn behind it. We could oversee the wedding while we were passing through and I didn’t take any picture of the wedding. A guy jumped out afterward and threatened to "confiscate” my camera if we walked through the lawn again. My wife told him that we had the right to pass through the lawn because they blocked the main road. Had I been alone, I would have asked him who gave him the right to “confiscate” my camera.
p.16 #4 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
People have such crazy reactions to unfamiliar things. I've definitely been harassed and kicked out of places where others with smaller cameras were taking pictures but because 'professional photography' was against the rules I had to go. Moms with young children get all freaked out and leave when I'm sitting in the park with a 70-200 f2.8. Security guards have fits when they see my crazy homebrew external battery pack for my 420EX. It does look a bit like a bomb. That stuff's annoying.
More fun are the dumb statements like "Digital has ruined photography" from the old (and by old I mean of mind, not of body) dude last week, where being an ex-engineer pays off. You can always give them the "you're right in some ways, but with a modern DSLR with a linear response 12 bit sensor and a lossless compression algorithm..." ending five minutes later with a "..so what do you think?"
They're usually PERFECTLY HAPPY to get away from me. I guess it's just a variation on "I don't speak english." Jargon is powerful mojo. I urge everyone to have a technology based tirade prepared for such situations.
Last week was great though. I was trespassing at an abandoned state psychiatric prison, immediately across the street from an active prison and next door to another psych hospital, so I figured it was possible I'd wind up in trouble. Pretty soon a blue suburban with radio antennas and state logos on it drives up and the guy asks me if I saw the no trespassing signs. I said I hadn't and told him I'd leave. As I was walking away he shouted "I love taking pictures of this stuff, too. Sorry, man." I turned around and we wound up having a good conversation about all the great abandoned buildings in Detroit. Not everyone in an authority position is a jerk.
p.16 #5 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Well, I have other "Red ringed" lenses, but they seem not to attract too much attention, now the other day I just received my 70-200 2.8L from a trade made here on the B&S forum and as soon as I got it out of the box, my mother-in-law looked at me and said that I got ripped off in the deal... and I asked her why she thought so, she said "look at it, all of the paint has chipped off already"!!! She obviously has no clue when it comes to photography, so I told her it might be old but it takes great photos still!
I can't wait until I get that baby out in public to see what people say to me there!!
p.16 #8 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Shooting in Yosemite last weekend with my 1DmkII and 70-200is a guy told
me "I wanted to buy one of those, but bought a car insted." I told him he made a big mistake.
p.16 #9 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
WAYCOOL wrote:
Shooting in Yosemite last weekend with my 1DmkII and 70-200is a guy told
me "I wanted to buy one of those, but bought a car insted." I told him he made a big mistake.
Sure, the car will be worth nothing in ten years, but L lenses are always L lenses. Don't know about the dSLR body though...
p.16 #10 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Thanks WayCool, I'm getting my 1dII at the end of the month. Even though my 70-200 isn't the IS model, my wife still read your post and asked why I didn't get a car or fix the truck instead. :-p
p.16 #11 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
I was in Melbourne for the Australian Open tennis 2 weeks ago. My first night there, I sat next to a middle-aged couple. For some strange reason, the wife seemed a bit annoyed at seeing my 350D + 70-200 f4L. She glared over at me and whispered to her husband often, especially after I let loose a burst of shots . On the other hand, her husband (who was sitting right next to me) kept looking at my camera in the "Cool! I want one too!" way hehe.. Later he'd say "nice shot" when he saw my LCD when reviewing a shot.
Another day, a young guy sitting in front of me who was shooting with an old-ish Canon film SLR (with kit lens), turned around and asked if I was shooting for a newspaper.
The main stadiums have a policy of no lenses longer than 200mm allowed. Security came 3 times to ask how long my lens was (70-200 f4L), twice by the same security dude (different days though). One of the times, the security guy came and asked, "How strong is that lens?"... I said "its a 70-200". He said "Really?" with a bit of a surprised look, stared at the lens for a few seconds, and went "Ok, no worries mate.." I thought they would have been used to seeing 70-200mm white lenses at the Open... I saw another spectator with a 70-200f4L, and another one with a 70-200f2.8IS just a few seats away.
While walking by the docks in Melbourne, two young chefs came out the back of a restaurant, saw me walking with my 10-22mm + hood, and said "Hey, take a picture of us!"... then paused a while and said.. "on second thought, maybe not.." They were hauling two big garbage bins :P
p.16 #13 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
I was shooting a fashion show with only primes one time. Every other photographer was carrying way more gear than they really needed (IMO unless he was wanting armpit detail or something). I guess because I was official (got to stand up front in the pit with all the other magazine folks) and had the least intimidating gear lots of guys with photographer fantasies came up to me when the show was over. I'm talking lots. All of them were asking me gear questions and what it's like being a photographer. Never asked any of the other photographers. I guess with my "little" 24 and 85 I looked approachable and easier to talk to....
p.16 #14 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
Poindexter wrote:
What do you all say to P&Ser's who are inquiring about your zoom while you have a prime on?
I had a 85 f1.8 on the one day and this guy was like how many X is that? I said it is not a zoom and he was so freakin confused. I just left it at that.
p.16 #15 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
I have tons, but off the top of my head first thing this morning are:
1. I was shooting an NHL game the one night and was using a 200 2.8 (small black one) and an 85 1.8... A guy said wow those lenses are huge. I said, no these are actually my smallest lenses, I have bigger ones at home but thanks. He then said, well that is dumb not to shoot a pro hockey game with a small lens. I just left it at that and continued to shoot.
2. I was shooting a wedding back in July with a 1D mkII with a 24-70 f2.8 on it and we were about to do formals at the alter and the bride said stop, arent you going to use a wider lens. I do not was you all the way zoomed in and only get our faces. HAHAHA I just reminded her that she hired me as the pro for her wedding and to let me do what I do best and she should not worry what lens I was using and her pictures would come out great. WHen I went to her house 2 months later to show her the prints, she was like wow, can you teach me how to use a really long zoom like you had to get good portraits like this.
Needless to say she was blonde.
3. Last one for this morning, I was talking with a guy about cameras and he asked when I was using Canon gear, how many megapixels was I using. I said I was using 8 (1DmkII) He knew what the camera was atleast. He said O cool. I use a 10megapixel that I got from Best buy for $250. I bet I can blow up my pictures larger than you. .... Then he asked me, when you switched to Nikon, how many megapixels do you have now? I bet it is way more than when you shot with Canon. I said nope. Less. I said I use 4, 5.7 and 6. He looked at me and said wow I know I can get better pictures out of my $250 camera than you can with the $15,000 plus you just spent on your Nikon gear you switched to.
I then proposed a challenge to him (he is a guy I work with thats why I was able to be a dick with him) I said do this. You take your 10 megapixel camera and go shoot something that you feel is an awesome picture. Better yet, go take a picture of the city from up Mt. Washington (place in Pittsburgh) and blow it up as big as you think it can go and still look good. I said I will take my 4 megapixel, 5.7 and 6 and blow each of mine up as big as I feel they can go and we will compair.
A week later we came in to work and he was all proud that he had an 11x14 with his 10 megapixel camera. Not a bad picture but it was a bit soft, a bit pixelated colors were horrible. I will stop at that. O I forgot to add, this guy is an awesome photographer. He is a film guy and just does not understand digital. He is older, almost 80. but his film work is great so he does understand photography. I then showed him my 4 megapixel shot taken of the city blown up to 30"x40". He was amazed and said stop you dont need to show me you 5 and 6. Too bad because my 6 was taken of the cityat night blown up to 3'x5'
p.16 #16 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
O yea one other one that I just remembered after reading more of these. I was shooting my little brothers hockey game (he is 13) and I just came from shooting a Pittsburgh Steeler game ad still had on my sideline clothes. I think I even had on my vest that had press on it. I was shooting with my 200 1.8 and a 1DmkII and I also had on his teams hat to support them. Some lady walked up to me andsaid, O could you get a picture of # whatever from St Clair (the team my brother was playing) and put it int he paper. (HAHA she thought I was working for the press for the 13 year old game- the next thing is so freakin funny I wish I had a picture of her face) I said no sorry I cant do that I am only shooting #82 on the other team. She then got all red and said, " All you press people are such f'n a'holes and are all the same. So stuck up and think you are god with you big camera and big lens and think that you can do what you want anywhere you want." -Wait it gets better- I then looked at her and said, I am here to get pictures of my little brother who is #82 so he can have something to remember of his hockey days when he gets older and it just turns out that big brother works for the press and has the pro gear and skills to get good shots of him. She then started to shed a tear and appologize and say how nice that was. Needless to say, I felt her pain of not having a nice shot of he kid so I snagged one and the next time we played then I gave it to her and she was the happiest lady I had ever seen.
p.16 #17 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
convergent wrote:
WOW... this thread doubled in a day!
Another one I just thought of... Several times now I've been shooting a sporting event and someone will come up to me and say... "you must go through a lot of film, you take so many pictures." .
I know I just posted a few stories but you reminded me of one wedding I did. ...Told you all I have a lot of stories..... I was shooting a wedding and the bride said you know during the entire cerimony all I kept hearing was click, click click. You musthave taken so many pictures. How many rolls of film did you take. I said just 1(meaning I filled 1 2 gig card) She said I wanted more than just 24 pictures of the cerimony why do you think I paid you over $3000 to shoot my wedding. She was getting all bent out of shape. Then I said hold on I took over 100 pictures. She said no way they dont make rolls of film that big. I said I shoot digital. Then things hit the fan. She started yelling I do not want digital pictures they suck. I shoot with a digital camera that I paid $500 for at walmart and the pictures all come out dark, blurred and you can never see anyones face. f I wanted crappy pictures I would have done it myself. I just laughed and said calm down, enjoy the rest of the day and trust me your pictures will be great.
She yelled again and said no they wont digital sucks and my pictures and day is ruined. Luckily her husband noticed I was shooting with a 1DmkII and a 1Ds. He said hey bud finish up the job and then please leave so my wife is not upset and can enjoy her day and forget about the pictures. I said sure (knowing I was only contracted for another 20 minutes - it was towards the end of the reception when this all happened - He then came up to me when I was leaving and appologized and said he was sorry but he just wanted to act like the tough husband and make her feel good. I said I know, I seen you looking at my gear and your eyes light up. You know I took greats pictures of your day. Then his wife comes up and said leave you ruined enough. I said ok, and another thing, if you do not like these photos you can have a full refund. She said, o you better bet I will be getting a refund. She said all this before ever seeing any pictures.
I was now on a mission. and went home and started to work. I got her wedding done faster than any other wedding I ever did. They came home from their honey moon 2 weeks later and I had the proof book ready to go a month in advance just to proove a point to her. I showed up to her house and said I was done. She said to her husband, told you he sucked he is done with the crappy pictures in 2 weeks. Probably had them printed at Walmart. I laughed and handed her the book and walked away.
2 days later I hear a knock at my door and there is a delivery guy with a basket of goodies. Inside the basket was a letter hand written from her saying how sorry she was and did not realize that they made digital cameras like pro film cameras and she could not be happier with her proofs.
People that do not know anything just need to stay put. Do not say a word and just go with the flow.
p.16 #18 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
paparazzinick wrote:
*story of bride who is saved from the clutches of film-photography*
Great story! Like a harlequin (sp?) novel, except about something that actually matters. That made me feel all smiley and fluffy and shit. *ZING!* at her! Another convert to the digital side of the force!
Edited by Westerberg on Feb 02, 2006 at 02:58 PM GMT
p.16 #19 · What Are Some Reactions You've Gotten When Shooting With A White Lens?
bradleyphillip wrote:
Great posts, everyone. A number of people have commented on how they hate being asked about cost.
I know we can just check B&H, or see what other folks paid on the FM review board. As for me, if they're nice folks and not interrupting my work, I just tell them.
Out of curiosity, why to so many folks hate it when people ask how much their gear costs?
I hate when people ask me because if I am carrying $10,000 or more worth of gear I do not want someone stealing it from me. I just say it cost enough or I paid $10 for it.
She obviously has no clue when it comes to photography, so I told her it might be old but it takes great photos still!
. On the other hand, her husband (who was sitting right next to me) kept looking at my camera in the "Cool! I want one too!" way