When out & about, how do y'all respond to gear small talk?

[Valvebounce]

Hi guys.
If asked about gear, I don't pass up the opportunity to learn, they are probably a better photog than I, they may not be but invariably there is something to learn even if it's only, the view is much better from over there or hey buddy I would watch out this is not the best place to be with expensive gear!
If there is nothing for me to learn then perhaps I can add to the other persons knowledge, one of my sayings is
"there is no such thing as a stupid question, just one you don't know he answer to."
A theif would probably grab and yank or cut the strap as they pass rather than striking up a face to face conversation and risk being identified. Though I bet there are exceptions!

Cheers Graham.

 

[motorhead]

I'm happy to chat, about anything! So chat about gear does not bother me one jot.

Why would it? I don't feel defensive about my own choices even if they are not others first choice.

Eg: I tend to shoot longer focal lengths than others, because I think in those terms. Others might want extreme wide angle lenses, but I see no reason to be defensive about it. I don't attack them and receive the same courtesy from them.

 

[paul13walnut5]

I remember one occasion, 18 or so years ago, I was visiting my Gran, she wasn't at home so i correctly assumed she was walking her dog in the nearby park. I caught up with her and she was talking to a dog walker friend.

"Paul does some photographry" she said.
"Oh aye?, what kind of camera are you using"
"An EOS 1000"
"Hahaha, thats not a camera thats a toy"

Being a less than confident 18 year old, and a novice I didn't answer back. I would love there to be some poetic ending like years later I bumped into him and he was in the gutter / had cateracts / was working taking photos on the tourist bus for £2 a time etc.. but there's not. An old gear snob was quite nasty, and a young skint wannabe photographer was quite hurt. I hope he got gored shooting the bull-run or fell into an adders nest. But he probably didn't. He'll still be there, telling folk that their EOS 1100D is a toy..

I had similar experiences at a local camera club. Lots of fat old people using expensive gear to take crap pictures. Asked a few times what kit I used (Had an EOS 3 by then, not that it matters) but never asked to show any of my work. Never went back.

Found another club where they had 3 speakers each club night, one would be an expert in a given field (the night I was there it was butterflies and funghi, not interested in the subject matter at all, but the guy was a great speaker, went through how he plans a shoot, how he picks his kit, how he builds a hide, top tips.. it was a really interesting presentation even if the technically accomplished pictures didn't excite me.

The next speaker was a novice using a bridge camera, and was very nervous, but folk asked him the right questions to bring out where he was and where he wanted to be, his photos were pretty poor but it was an interesting discussion and the guy left with lots of pointers all given in positive friendly terms.

Lastly the club chairman went through his pick of members photographs, 2 or 3 each, and asked folk to speak a little about their work and fielded questions. Again, very positive, very friendly, some critiques, some praise, nobody had the chance to speak forever in the loudest voice, and whether you shot on a holga or shot on a hasselblad everybody had the chance to participate.

I didn't drive at this point in my life, or that would have been my camera club of choice. There was a canon camp, a nikon camp, a small minolta camp with gentle ribbing each way, but folk weren't bogged down by numbers.

So whenever I am asked about my kit I try and steer it around to my photography, and importantly, their photography.. what kind of work they like to do, their influences, what they are doing with their photography etc. When it comes to photography I am an amateur, this has several interpretations, but I prefer it's translated
interpretation from the french. I do it for the love of it.

If I'm on a video shoot, I tell folk to 'ferk off I'm busy', because usually I am, and I'm recording sound too, so shut up. Or if it's security guards trying to tell me they have juristiction over the queens highway I'm usually more robust than that.

 

[Zv]

@Paul13walnut - where abouts in Scotland you from? You ever kick about in Glasgow? Security guards are annoying but even more annoying is folk who call the police on ye! I was out n about one day in Glasgow and testing out a camera phone's ummm camera since I worked at O2. Figured I should at least try out our products before advising customers. Anyway, one time a security guy says "you need permission to photograph this building" (this is the building where I worked - I even showed him ID!) and another time I was on a high street taking pictures when some folk across in a pub called the police on me because they thought I was a terrorist. Cops pulled me up and asked me if I had a camera. I said no, just a phone. They didn't seem to enquire further so I didn't mention it was a camera phone (this is a while ago before smartphones). Top notch police work and great neighbourhood watching from the erm pub!

I wonder are folk still para? Been 5yrs since I was back there.

 

[paul13walnut5]

Live just outside Glasgow now, from Burns country originally.

Cops are fine 99.9% of the time. They have handcuffs and are usually quite hardy, so I'm usually nice to them, I know my rights and the law in regard to public filming, I don't push it, and they are usually responding to a public complaint, or because I'm near a 'sensitive' building like a train station etc.

I tell them who I am, what I'm doing, for whom. Show them ID if required. They are almost always absolutely fine 'they just have to ask'. Fine by me. A lot of togs see this as invasion of their liberty and their rights and get a bit arsey about it. I repeat: They have handcuffs and are usually quite hardy, so I'm usually nice to them, and we can both quickly get on with our lawful business.

Security guards are the worst. I get hassle from these guys everytime I'm shooting outside. As they have no legal powers at all in Scotland on public land I just tell them to phuck oph. I have no interest at all in trying to negotiate with a zombie. 'I'll need to radio this in to the control room' 'you still here? I thought I told you to phuk oph?' 'You can't speak to me that way' '(high pitched whine) "ooh can peakame ja way"

To be fair when I'm filming with an ENG camera and tripod I'm fairly conspicuous, so I'm an easy target. I sometimes ask if they have a mobile phone, and do they not think that if I was wanting covert footage I'd use something like that instead.

I was a sentance away from fisticuffs with a mall guard who took exception to the tripod over my back when I was buying a sandwich.
'Are you taking photos'
'No'
'But thats a camera stand'
'Aye, but I'd need a camera'
'You can't take photos here'
'I'm not'
'But thats a camera stand'
'Boring me now'
etc etc.
Meanwhile everybody else is filming it, on their iphones....

 

[Zv]

Don't get me wrong I wasn't annoyed with the cops, they were actually nice about it. And they could clearly tell it was a waste of their time. Just bummed about the people who called it in.

I know that security guard type. Malls seem to be the worst. Is there something even worth photographing there? What the duece are they worried about? That we might capture hard evidence of superdrugs pricing strategy? Or the 2 for 1 deal on at poundstretchers?

Well anyways, always nice to meet another Scottish, possible Glasweigan, photographer!

 

[Hobby Shooter]

Live just outside Glasgow now, from Burns country originally.

Cops are fine 99.9% of the time. They have handcuffs and are usually quite hardy, so I'm usually nice to them, I know my rights and the law in regard to public filming, I don't push it, and they are usually responding to a public complaint, or because I'm near a 'sensitive' building like a train station etc.

I tell them who I am, what I'm doing, for whom. Show them ID if required. They are almost always absolutely fine 'they just have to ask'. Fine by me. A lot of togs see this as invasion of their liberty and their rights and get a bit arsey about it. I repeat: They have handcuffs and are usually quite hardy, so I'm usually nice to them, and we can both quickly get on with our lawful business.

Security guards are the worst. I get hassle from these guys everytime I'm shooting outside. As they have no legal powers at all in Scotland on public land I just tell them to phuck oph. I have no interest at all in trying to negotiate with a zombie. 'I'll need to radio this in to the control room' 'you still here? I thought I told you to phuk oph?' 'You can't speak to me that way' '(high pitched whine) "ooh can peakame ja way"

To be fair when I'm filming with an ENG camera and tripod I'm fairly conspicuous, so I'm an easy target. I sometimes ask if they have a mobile phone, and do they not think that if I was wanting covert footage I'd use something like that instead.

I was a sentance away from fisticuffs with a mall guard who took exception to the tripod over my back when I was buying a sandwich.
'Are you taking photos'
'No'
'But thats a camera stand'
'Aye, but I'd need a camera'
'You can't take photos here'
'I'm not'
'But thats a camera stand'
'Boring me now'
etc etc.
Meanwhile everybody else is filming it, on their iphones....

Finally figured out my summer fun. I'm gonna walk about Stockholm shooting security guards. Sweden is possibly the most open country in the world, but the security guys think they're Secret Service with all the authority in the world. My wife will (as always) think I'm childish, but we've known each other for more than 20 years now so she should have gotten used to it by now.

 

[bholliman]

I enjoy discussing photography and gear when the opportunity arises. During a vacation to the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce National Parks last summer, I ran into quite a few serious landscape photographers, many from Europe or Asia. I had a number of very pleasant discussions about photography techniques, locations and equipment in all three parks.

Closer to home comments are typically "nice camera", "that sure is a big lens", "I bet that equipment get heavy" etc. I normally give a quick reply unless they seem to be really interested.

Last month I ran into a woman carrying a 5D3 with a 200 2.0L lens at a junior high golf match. I had my 6D with 135L mounted. I started a conversation about photography and types of shots she was taking. Turns out she really didn't know much about photography beyond using the "green square" (dummy) mode and firing away. She said she just took lots of pictures of everything and sorted out the good ones. I ask if she shot RAW or JPEG and she had never heard of either and didn't care.

She said her husband had bought her the camera and several "big" lenses for Christmas, but she didn't like the weight and size - and was often disappointed by the pictures. She probably would have been far happier with a good quality P&S camera. I gave her my name and phone number in case she ever wanted to liquidate her heavy equipment for something lighter...

 

[Zv]

I enjoy discussing photography and gear when the opportunity arises. During a vacation to the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce National Parks last summer, I ran into quite a few serious landscape photographers, many from Europe or Asia. I had a number of very pleasant discussions about photography techniques, locations and equipment in all three parks.

Closer to home comments are typically "nice camera", "that sure is a big lens", "I bet that equipment get heavy" etc. I normally give a quick reply unless they seem to be really interested.

Last month I ran into a woman carrying a 5D3 with a 200 2.0L lens at a junior high golf match. I had my 6D with 135L mounted. I started a conversation about photography and types of shots she was taking. Turns out she really didn't know much about photography beyond using the "green square" (dummy) mode and firing away. She said she just took lots of pictures of everything and sorted out the good ones. I ask if she shot RAW or JPEG and she had never heard of either and didn't care.

She said her husband had bought her the camera and several "big" lenses for Christmas, but she didn't like the weight and size - and was often disappointed by the pictures. She probably would have been far happier with a good quality P&S camera. I gave her my name and phone number in case she ever wanted to liquidate her heavy equipment for something lighter...

This kinda thing makes me very sad. Really? C'mon I mean a flippin 200 f/2L? What's that like $6000 or more? They shouldn't even sell a big white without some training IMO. I'll put my hand up and say - I have no business even touching a lens like that! I prob wouldn't know how to use it.

A nice EOS-M or SL1 woulda been nice. Inconsiderate kcirp.

 

[BumpyMunky]

As others have said, I typically get the "Nice camera!" comments, to which I respond "Thanks". Usually that only happens when I have a white lens on. If a shooter shows a genuine interest and I have the time, I have no trouble talking the why's and wherefore's of my kit. I usually get some insight on their choices as well.

I had a memorable moment at a music festival I shoot. I saw a photog toting a DSLR with a large black tele (think 300mm 2.8 esque) through the crowd. I was shooting with my wide angle at the time, so I mentioned "Brought the cannon out, hey?", doing my part in small talk. His response, which I doubt I'll ever forget was, "It's not a Canon, it's a Nikon!". Took me a second to see my unintended pun, and I'm not sure he took it as such and was clarifying, or just thinking he was one-upping me. I wasn't interested in starting a gear debate, so left it at that. I thought it was pretty funny nonetheless.

If I see someone I'd like to chat with, I make sure they're in an idle mode before I approach them, out of respect.

 

[Chuck Alaimo]

I see a lot of people who take pictures with their hoods reversed. I've been tempted to ask them what that's all about but I've resisted and just went about my business with my lens hood the right way on hoping they'll take the hint.

I get asked the basic small talk like "what kind of camera is that?" Etc. I think I'm going to start making up bullshit to see if they clock on.

Question I like answering are ones about technique or specific to what I'm doing. Then it feels like I'm helping them rather then them just filling an awkward silence.

I have been guilty of shooting with my hood reversed...lol...sometimes indoors when i know i just want a quick few shots with it, i leave it resersed cause its easier...same for outdoors..if i know i am just gonna snap a few then go back to another lens, I don't bother putting the hood in the proper position...lol if i am on an actual shoot though different story!

 

[Chuck Alaimo]

I dunno...just struck me as quite odd to hear so many seem to actually almost take offense at someone bothering to speak to them in public at all. I know in the NE of the US, that people aren't quite as friendly as we are in general in the southern US, but I just figured it was mostly up there, but sounds like this is prevalent in much of the world?

I know exactly where you're coming from.

I should add, regarding my zoo memory, I did engage in small chit-chat with the folks at the lion pit. I'm always happy to "talk" gear, as I truly feel passionate about it, and about the prospect of potentially learning something new. Unless I feel that I'm in immediate danger of being mugged, I'm always happy to discuss my gear when approached.

I live in an area (Buffalo, NY region) that has a pretty heavy photographer population. I've experienced firsthand and observed folks being rebuffed by "pros" and the (please forgive me) "hipsters with cameras" when they were approached to talk about their gear. That goes back to me mentioning some carry a "holier than thou" attitude. Of course, different situations call for different reactions, and my good experiences far outweigh the bad.

Now before I put my foot in my mouth, I am speaking solely of experiences in my region. It honestly seems like people are more approachable elsewhere...must be that "New York Minute" mentality, huh?

Nice to meet a fellow buffalonian on CR! ---West side here, born and bred!!!

I can concur on most of the comments here. Oddly enough, for event work I use the 16-35...and even with that lens I get people saying - you must get some great range from that! I kindly correct them, then snap a shot and show them.

On the theft level though, buffalo does have some sketchy areas. I had a buddy that was shooting in the abandoned buildings around the central terminal. He got held up at gun point (luckily his camera was mounted to tripod in another room for a long exposure).

What i find real interesting though, doing events, how many times do ya'll get the...wow, your taking all these pictures, let me snap one of you? I am nice so generally i will first put the strap around their neck, then watch to see what they do. Most will assume it works like a P&S and stare at the blank screen wondering whats wrong...i show them...no you look through here...then they can't find the buttons, then when they are ready...they mash the button down and i here a rapid succession of 6 clicks...lol

 

[tron]

I have met some nice guys and exchanged names and phone numbers. Unfortunately I have also met disgusting professionals!

Now, please professionals DO NOT TAKE ME WRONG. I am not making generalizations in any way. I am just stating the fact (It's a long story...)

Same, previous year I met other people (from different countries) and had exchanged names, contacts and we even went out together that day.