"Your camera takes great photos" and other peeves

Menace

New Zealand
Apr 5, 2012
1,368
0
New Zealand
I get confused when i get handed a P&S camera by some total stranger to take their photo - but not as puzzled as them when I ask if they'd mind turning off the automatic flash for me as I don't know how! Thats when they look hard at my 1D III or 5D III gripped with a 70-200 hanging around my neck and wonder what is wrong with this bloke!
 
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dr croubie

Too many photos, too little time.
Jun 1, 2011
1,383
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Menace said:
I get confused when i get handed a P&S camera by some total stranger to take their photo - but not as puzzled as them when I ask if they'd mind turning off the automatic flash for me as I don't know how!

I actually get mildly offended when they feel the need to point "this one is the shutter button". OK, I may also have trouble turning off their flash depending on what menu it's hidden under, but I think I can work out where the shutter is...
 
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Just fixed my kitchen sink.
Now its ok.
Must have nice tools.

Despite all the intelligent sentences you here showing up in public with bit bigger gear: sometimes its nice when they grant you the best place only showing a grown up body with a white one attached.
Or a monopod. its like the sign of "he knows what he is doing".

Silly phrases: yes, I hear them. Most of the time causes me a grin.
 
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Rienzphotoz

Peace unto all ye Canon, Nikon & Sony shooters
Aug 22, 2012
3,303
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iron-t said:
I want to hear from everyone on the most annoying things people commonly say to them about their cameras, lenses, other gear, images and photography in general. My personal favorite is "wow, your camera takes great pictures," or, while looking at my images, "you have a great camera."

I used to launch into an explanation of how much time and energy I have invested in improving my technique and artistic vision, but found the results dissatisfying (common response: "well sure you have to know how to use it"). So I just accede, "yes, it's easier to get good pictures with a good camera."
It is annoying at times, but I've learned that it actually works in my favor ... I do quite a bit of video for my company and I constantly get comments like "your camera takes good pictures/ video" etc ... although irritating at first (that they are taking away my "glory time") I've used it to "sell" my camera gear much before I decide to sell it ... I now have over 9 colleagues who regularly buy my used cameras / lenses in the office, because my "camera takes great pictures" ;D ... but I also provide 1 hour free workshops every month for all my "customers-in-the-office", sharing whatever little I know about photography ... in the last 5 years I've sold Canon 400D, 450D, 500D, 60D, 7D, EF 17-40, 50 f/1.8(2 of them), 100-400 L, EF-S 17-55, 430EX II, Sigma 10-22, 17-50, 18-250, 50-500, 150mm, 500DG Super (2 of them), Tamron 17-50, 90mm, 28-300, Tokina 11-16, Nikon D70, D90, D7000, 10-24, 18-300, SB 600 (2 of them), Marumi ring light flash, Slick Tripod, Velbon Tripods (2 of them), Monopod, LowePro camera bags (3 of them), Yongnuo YN 560 flash (2 of them), flash triggers etc to my colleagues (6 of them are repeat customers, other 3 left the company) ... if I do decide to sell some of my current gear, I'm pretty sure I have at least a few potential customers without having to put out adverts in local websites or going to ebay etc ... plus the customers trust and value the gear I'm selling and I don't have to deal with some "difficult" people ... I've seen some really rude and nasty people who've tried to buy my used camera gear, so I much rather sell it it people I know than some wackjobs I've encountered over the years. Another advantage of selling it to people who I work with is that I can borrow their lens or camera once in a while and I in turn lend some of my camera gear ... so I now look forward to people in the office saying good things about my camera gear. :)

neuroanatomist said:
;D Good one!
 
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sdsr said:
The only comment I really dislike is actually meant as a compliment - someone or some group will see me wandering through a park etc. with a FF Canon and biggish lens of some sort, say something like "you must be a good photographer; could you take my/our photo?" and hand me a smartphone or point-and-shoot which I haven't a clue how to use, which makes me feel like an idiot; the resulting photo is probably dreadful, but luckily I don't get to see it....

Happened to me last month while I was taking lots of photos of the Golden Gate bridge in SF with my 5D3 and 70-200Lii with some other lenses in my bag. Beautiful day and lots of people there. A group of 5 or 6 young adults came up to me and said "you must be a good photographer; could you take our photo?" and handed me a smartphone. I've never owned or used a smartphone so I had to ask them how to focus it and where is the shutter? Then they wanted me to shoot the photo when they jumped in the air together in front of the bridge in the background. I knew that there is some lag with smartphones, so I said 1,2,3 jump as I tried to time the shot. They all looked at the result and one girl said disappointingly "my feet are still on the ground". So I tried several more times with the same result. They said thanks and left. Later, I thought I could have nailed it with my 5D3 or 7D and continuous fast shutter bursts.
 
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Rienzphotoz

Peace unto all ye Canon, Nikon & Sony shooters
Aug 22, 2012
3,303
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serendipidy said:
sdsr said:
The only comment I really dislike is actually meant as a compliment - someone or some group will see me wandering through a park etc. with a FF Canon and biggish lens of some sort, say something like "you must be a good photographer; could you take my/our photo?" and hand me a smartphone or point-and-shoot which I haven't a clue how to use, which makes me feel like an idiot; the resulting photo is probably dreadful, but luckily I don't get to see it....

Happened to me last month while I was taking lots of photos of the Golden Gate bridge in SF with my 5D3 and 70-200Lii with some other lenses in my bag. Beautiful day and lots of people there. A group of 5 or 6 young adults came up to me and said "you must be a good photographer; could you take our photo?" and handed me a smartphone. I've never owned or used a smartphone so I had to ask them how to focus it and where is the shutter? Then they wanted me to shoot the photo when they jumped in the air together in front of the bridge in the background. I knew that there is some lag with smartphones, so I said 1,2,3 jump as I tried to time the shot. They all looked at the result and one girl said disappointingly "my feet are still on the ground". So I tried several more times with the same result. They said thanks and left. Later, I thought I could have nailed it with my 5D3 or 7D and continuous fast shutter bursts.
How true ... just because we carry a "fancy" camera, people automatically assume that we will be able to take a good image with a point and shoot or a smartphone ... people don't realize that knowing the camera controls/limitations and editing the photo are also very important for a good image.
 
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Well, I actually felt somewhat embarrassed and flattered in past few years when someone commented my old and battered 400D as a "good camera". Mostly when I tried to shoot pictures of booths and equipment at some printing exhibitions.

400D was small and outdated comparing to what someone else in the crowd may carry on neckstrap, it had no big white lens attached. It looked like the commenter is either kidding, or used such camera in the past himself (and remembers it as "good"), or 580EX and relatively big blend in front of 10-22 did the trick (made it appear more "good" and "professional")...
 
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Valvebounce

CR Pro
Apr 3, 2013
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Isle of Wight
Hi Paul.
I always offer too, but when someone offers to take group pics using my camera, I often look at them and wonder if they have good or bad intentions towards it, like running with it especially if they are taking their pics with a phone. I know others have had the same thoughts towards me although why they think I would run at all confuses me! :eek:
Reasons to run, think natural disaster, life in peril! ;D

Cheers Graham.

paul13walnut5 said:
I ALWAYS offer to take pictures for a couple or family or group. I'm not suggesting that I'm all that good, just that it's nice for a group to all be in the pic. It may be a crap pic in crap light, on a crap camera, They may not even know my camera isn't full-frame, they may even know, but rightly consider "full frame of what?, where does that leave medium or large format users?" But it's nice to be nice.
 
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Valvebounce

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Apr 3, 2013
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Hi Paul.
ROTFL LMAO
You forgot the boob tube with the muffin top over the jeans.

Cheers Graham.

paul13walnut5 said:
At the risk of being incredibly sexist, the brazillian ladies who take part in miss bumbum may have big assess, but they also have big chests and small waists, and pretty faces.

I'm talking about the kind of fat asses that look like somebody stuffed a waterbed into a pair of denims.
© OTIS LEE CRENSHAW / RICH HALL
 
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K

Kwanon

Guest
Why does this subject have to be so controversial??

All the confusion seem to come from either low income or poor skill. There is an EASY answer with common sense..

The photographer points the camera sets the settings and presses the shutter and makes ALL the decisions artistically.
The camera records the image..

So the better the photographer is the better the image is artistically..
and the better the camera is the higher quality photos you are able to record....

Why is this so hard to grasp?
 
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P

paul13walnut5

Guest
Policar said:
A good camera is harder to use well, but more powerful when used properly, so of course you will get both the best and the worst from it.
But let's be honest for a second... taking a good (as in substantially better than most snapshooters) photograph is REALLY easy.

I disagree on both counts i'm afraid.

You can use a 1d series and change virtually every essential setting with the camera at your eye. On the lower canons theres much more up and down up and down and mussed shots.

Things like focus limiters and ai servo tracking behaviours make life massively easier,

In ghe video realm my ENG cameras look very complex to novices, but I know where every switch and setting is. I barely have to go into the menus. Lots of external controls, in a consistent place, be it dony, panasonic, jvc, grass valley, ikegami make ENG cameras far easier to use than say an XHA1, which I'd need half an hour with before being confident its set up properly, or an EX3, which is totally different again, both much more menu driven.

The difference is experience. A novice would find a 1dx as frustrating as I find my sx230.

It might be easy to take an in focus image, correctly exposed, and with an accurate colour temperature, but thats only 'good' technically.
 
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Feb 1, 2013
2,169
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iron-t said:
I want to hear from everyone on the most annoying things people commonly say to them about their cameras, lenses, other gear, images and photography in general. My personal favorite is "wow, your camera takes great pictures," or, while looking at my images, "you have a great camera."

I used to launch into an explanation of how much time and energy I have invested in improving my technique and artistic vision, but found the results dissatisfying (common response: "well sure you have to know how to use it"). So I just accede, "yes, it's easier to get good pictures with a good camera."

I agree with you. A lot of people saw my work at an exhibit recently, and they were either speechless, or would tell me I had a very artistic eye, or that it was very impressive (most of this was not done with fantastic cameras, either...mostly my 50D and little Sigma DP2, which I've sold a while back). The "your camera takes good pitchers" has been thrown my way a lot in the past, usually when it's shots of those specific people, or their family. But people don't inspire me as a photographer, and nature does. I kind of feel guilty about that, but it just feels right for me. I am not much of a portrait photographer, but sometimes I can do ok. However, it's really hard to become a successful or well-known nature photographer these days, and in my opinion easier to make money (and make a name for yourself) shooting people.

One of the ladies who looked at my work at the exhibit, said she would mention my work to her husband, because he liked landscapes. Then she said he owned and was exhibiting two original Ansel Adams prints...thankfully in another museum 45 minutes away!
 
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cid

"light is defining shape"
Nov 27, 2012
401
1
500px.com
Kwanon said:
Why does this subject have to be so controversial??

All the confusion seem to come from either low income or poor skill. There is an EASY answer with common sense..

The photographer points the camera sets the settings and presses the shutter and makes ALL the decisions artistically.
The camera records the image..

So the better the photographer is the better the image is artistically..
and the better the camera is the higher quality photos you are able to record....

Why is this so hard to grasp?

Well because people are used to think that money are answer for everything.

You have expensive camera and even more expensive lens? Well it HAS TO do great shots, they simply think you are paying for convenience. I am already used to situation where people do not understand why I always carry DSLR when their shots done with compacts are (sometimes) very similar and compacts are much smaller much lighter and of course easier to use. They also don't understand why ALL the shots are not superb and why I always do a selection before uploading them, so they can download them. Of course I'm still learning how to use camera well in lot of situations and of course even the best camera sometimes misses focus.

Once I was on a trip and friend of mine was very interested in my camera ... well until the moment she discovered that with that lens she cannot zoom at all. "What is it good for when you cannot zoom?" I tried to explain and then shook her head because she couldn't understand the cost and size of this lens when it can't do what she wants.

Even more they shook their heads when I tell them, that every photo needs to be postprocessed (let's say only exported to jpg), they are used to do things conveniently. (And I'm not even mentioning panorama stitching or portrait retouching and time spent on this)
 
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Roo

CR Pro
Sep 12, 2013
1,003
338
Melbourne
My pet peeve at the moment is the use of the word 'photographer'. Last week a good friend updated her fb info to state that she was a 'photographer'. She likes taking a photo but more often models in them with a friend shooting for her. Some of the shots she actually takes are good but she has never taken the camera (a 60d) out of full auto. She only posts her shots on fb and has never sold one or been contracted for a shoot. A couple of months ago I even offered to show her the different functions of her camera but she never took me up on the offer and has never even taken a workshop or viewed youtube clips and yet she considers herself a photographer.

At the same time another person has posted on the work social media site 'I am a great photographer!' along with an iphone photo of computer monitors in a poorly lit room that had been used in a work web article.

Do you think either deserve to call themselves photographers??
 
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cid

"light is defining shape"
Nov 27, 2012
401
1
500px.com
Roo said:
My pet peeve at the moment is the use of the word 'photographer'. Last week a good friend updated her fb info to state that she was a 'photographer'. She likes taking a photo but more often models in them with a friend shooting for her. Some of the shots she actually takes are good but she has never taken the camera (a 60d) out of full auto. She only posts her shots on fb and has never sold one or been contracted for a shoot. A couple of months ago I even offered to show her the different functions of her camera but she never took me up on the offer and has never even taken a workshop or viewed youtube clips and yet she considers herself a photographer.

At the same time another person has posted on the work social media site 'I am a great photographer!' along with an iphone photo of computer monitors in a poorly lit room that had been used in a work web article.

Do you think either deserve to call themselves photographers??

[quote author=wikipedia]A photographer (from Greek φωτός (photos), meaning "light", and γράφω (graphos), meaning "written") is a person who takes photographs. A professional photographer uses photography to earn money; amateur photographers take photographs for pleasure and to record an event, emotion, place, or person.
[/quote]
According to this definition is photographer anyone who presses the shutter. Nowadays this definition is bit benevolent especially because cameras are integrated in almost every electronic (from watches to mobile phones).

Yes they are photographers, but what kind of?

EDIT: Even being professional photographer doesn't mean being a good one, I learned that on my friends' wedding where the results from "the pro" were mediocre at best
 
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Roo said:
My pet peeve at the moment is the use of the word 'photographer'. Last week a good friend updated her fb info to state that she was a 'photographer'. She likes taking a photo but more often models in them with a friend shooting for her. Some of the shots she actually takes are good but she has never taken the camera (a 60d) out of full auto. She only posts her shots on fb and has never sold one or been contracted for a shoot. A couple of months ago I even offered to show her the different functions of her camera but she never took me up on the offer and has never even taken a workshop or viewed youtube clips and yet she considers herself a photographer.

At the same time another person has posted on the work social media site 'I am a great photographer!' along with an iphone photo of computer monitors in a poorly lit room that had been used in a work web article.

Do you think either deserve to call themselves photographers??

By this definition -

I have a laptop and blog = I'm a programmer and web designer

I have a kitchen = I'm an Italian master chef (pasta is my speciality!) :p

I have a car = I'm a NASCAR driver

I own a pair of Adidas trainers = I'm an olympic athlete.

I make bad financial decisions = I'm an investment banker

I have a 60D and shoot on full auto = I'm a twat (cos some things never change!)
 
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