Controversial Topic: What irks you about other photographers?

- The bigger your watermark, chances are the less likely anyone would want to use your picture in the first place.
- nikon vs canon is a monumentally boring conversation. When it's being had deeply ironically and sarcastically, usually by bored snappers waiting for someone famous but boring to do something, please don't interject with any actual serious comment.
- anyone who uses the phrase 'latent image' when trying to explain why they shoot film
- anyone who tries to make that they shoot film the sole unique factor about their work.
- 'iphoneography'
- how do you know if someone shoots Leica? They tell you. Incessantly.
- workshophotographers. Especially the wedding BS ones. Those who can't.... teach! ;) (some even go to the next level and flog their own 'reccommended' or 'signature' stupidly marked up pieces of equipment to their gullible following)
- pretty much every 'photography blog'.
- anyone who mentions THAT BLOODY EPISODE OF HOUSE when talking about why slrs are good to shoot video on.
- 'oh someone'll trip up and break that there' when I put my camera on the floor, out of the way. Yeah but, on the floor, IT CAN'T FALL OFF THE BLOODY TABLE CAN IT. don't care how dirty the floor is - far safer there.
- people who abuse 'work experience' or 'interns' as unpaid bag carriers/assistants/fluffers on shoots. Absolutely unacceptable, and massively disrespectful, especially if you're a decently paid fashion advertising photographer, shooting for a major brand in a £1k a day studio. I've called people out on it before and will continue to do so.


Doesn't irk me, but when I shoot events there's (for some reason) often someone from the PR firm or events company or something wielding an SLR and very clearly having no idea what they're really doing with it. I am always rather worried that those pictures will for some reason end up on social media or something, especially if (worst of all!) there's a possibility that someone will think that they're mine.

Inevitably at some point, usually when I'm using a big lens, said photographer will come up to me because they can't restrain themselves from passing comment on a 200 f2. Always amusing, and sure, I'll let you have a quick play with it at a quiet moment - but if I see a picture, don't be offended if I snatch it back off you!


*deep breath*
 
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itsdavedotnet said:
- people who abuse 'work experience' or 'interns' as unpaid bag carriers/assistants/fluffers on shoots. Absolutely unacceptable, and massively disrespectful, especially if you're a decently paid fashion advertising photographer, shooting for a major brand in a £1k a day studio. I've called people out on it before and will continue to do so.
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Work experience is generally unpaid. It's work experience... not work. When I used to accept students on work experience, I didn;t pay them. I'm doing them a favour. You've got no idea what you're talking about.

Interns? Different matter, but work experience is unpaid.. I'M doing THEM a favour.

You've never run your own business have you? :)

Fluffers? LOL.. that's an entirely different industry you're talking about now :)
 
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Pookeyhead said:
Work experience is generally unpaid. It's work experience... not work. When I used to accept students on work experience, I didn;t pay them. I'm doing them a favour. You've got no idea what you're talking about.

Interns? Different matter, but work experience is unpaid.. I'M doing THEM a favour.

You've never run your own business have you? :)

Fluffers? LOL.. that's an entirely different industry you're talking about now :)
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I think the point that that post is making is not that they're unpaid, more that they are just using the w/e student to carry their equipment, hence they're not learning anything?

Anyway, a strange irk of mine is to see people in broad daylight and short lenses wielding tripods - and it's obvious from how long they leave them in one place that they're not doing long exposures.

Similarly, people who have to take every single piece of equipment they own everywhere.
 
Hazza said:
I think the point that that post is making is not that they're unpaid, more that they are just using the w/e student to carry their equipment,
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Fair point, but, as an assistant, that's what you spend a great deal of time doing. You learn as an assistant by assisting... not shooting. You're still there, you're still in the studio helping to set up lights, meter, deal with clients, and you still get a chance to network and show your book to the same clients as the photographer themselves.

People have an unrealistic expectation of assisting. You're there to assist as well as learn, and as an assistant, you'll be expected to carry bags.. and make tea/coffee.... and go get lunch.

Any way.. that's enough thread derail :)

Carry on.
 
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Pookeyhead said:
Fair point, but, as an assistant, that's what you spend a great deal of time doing. You learn as an assistant by assisting... not shooting. You're still there, you're still in the studio helping to set up lights, meter, deal with clients, and you still get a chance to network and show your book to the same clients as the photographer themselves.

People have an unrealistic expectation of assisting. You're there to assist as well as learn, and as an assistant, you'll be expected to carry bags.. and make tea/coffee.... and go get lunch.
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You are indeed correct in correcting me re:work experience. There is a legal exception in NMW laws for work experience as part of a bona fide educational course, and completely fair enough and a great way for students to get some experience on a pro shoot.

When you're assisting... you're mostly there to assist ;) And that's what you get PAID to do.

Anyone in any job learns some stuff, it's just a nice side factor. Assistants with experience (and why the hell would you trust anyone without any on a shoot with a client?) should be paid, it's that simple - and also, if they are 'doing work' as per HMRC's definition, should be being paid at least national minimum wage.

You've never run your own business have you? :)
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oddly enough, I have and do (and indeed use freelance assistants myself).... I also do do a fair bit of freelance assisting for advertising photographers, so, yanno... ;)

(And no, as an assistant, you do not show your book to the clients. Christ on a bike. THAT, to return the thread to its original purpose with apologies, would irk the hell out of me.)
 
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itsdavedotnet said:
Anyone in any job learns some stuff, it's just a nice side factor. Assistants with experience (and why the hell would you trust anyone without any on a shoot with a client?) should be paid, it's that simple
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I never suggested otherwise. Just not for work experience.
 
Hazza said:
Anyway, a strange irk of mine is to see people in broad daylight and short lenses wielding tripods - and it's obvious from how long they leave them in one place that they're not doing long exposures.
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I shoot all my landscapes and architectural stuff off a tripod, regardless of light. It slows you down, allows you to perfect the composition, gives you accuracy on things like polariser angles and grad transitions and lets you shoot at base ISO (for me 25) for optimum quality.
 
One thing that's niggled a few times is when I'm setting up a shot on the tripod at the zoo someone will come over to see what I'm doing and then lean over as close as they can get away with to take a picture of what I'm doing with their phone
Not had anyone do that with a "proper" camera though
 
One thing thats niggled me is when people use tripods at the zoo and just get in the way ;0)
 
Starters of threads like this and DG.
 
MWHCVT said:
To be honest I don't see how that matters, by the same token surely if they say your photo is wonderful you want to see there photos to know if that have the ability to know a good photo?
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That's actually a good point :) They never want to see your work if you praise theirs... they'll accept that one at face value. However, say something negative, and they want you list your qualifications and post every single image you've ever taken :)

People are funny.
 
markmullen said:
I shoot all my landscapes and architectural stuff off a tripod, regardless of light. It slows you down, allows you to perfect the composition, gives you accuracy on things like polariser angles and grad transitions and lets you shoot at base ISO (for me 25) for optimum quality.
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:plusone:

A tripod enables many things. Long exposures is just one of them.
 
Further to my post on page 4 of the thread, I've just come across another irksome thing. That age old one of Full Frame vs Crop, neither is better than the other, they are both perfect for their own job. IMO a crop is better for wildlife and birds, a lot of macro shots and a lot of sports while FF is better for landscape, portrait, small DOF shots and others. I've got a 5D3 and a 70D and use the right body for the job I'm doing, but you can shoot everything on both and get great shots on both. Full frame isn't the Holy Grail of photography that some people seem to say in their posts, it's horses for courses.
 
modchild said:
Further to my post on page 4 of the thread, I've just come across another irksome thing. That age old one of Full Frame vs Crop, neither is better than the other, they are both perfect for their own job. IMO a crop is better for wildlife and birds, a lot of macro shots and a lot of sports while FF is better for landscape, portrait, small DOF shots and others. I've got a 5D3 and a 70D and use the right body for the job I'm doing, but you can shoot everything on both and get great shots on both. Full frame isn't the Holy Grail of photography that some people seem to say in their posts, it's horses for courses.
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FF isn't even that big, bigger formats are even nicer.
 
markmullen said:
FF isn't even that big, bigger formats are even nicer.
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:D I know there's always something bigger and better. I just haven't got room in my camera case or the money in my bank account to go there.
 
1. Secretive Photographers who won't share any of there locations knowledge or techniques, and have no interest in helping other togs progress in there hobby!
after all they could become competition for them :bat:

2. And so called pros that do talks on the camera club circuits.

"If you want to know anything or where it was taken you will have to Pay and come on one of my expensive workshops "

FGS It s a hobby or pastime for most of us.
 
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ghoti said:
People who stick in an extraneous apostrophe when pluralising "photo" like this: photo's.
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Nothing to do with photography, but a few years ago I saw a Cafe sign offering the usual breakfast items of Egg's Sauasage's and Bean's but also managed to include Toas't.

And a sign outside a house showing items for sale included a Ga's Fire!


Steve.
 
People who think they are far superior on here & talk down to you. :mad:
 
Other photographers. I hate you all equally! ;)

But seriously:
1. people too obsessed with equipment
- canon v nikon debate
- pc v mac debate
2. guest photographers who flash the bejesus out of a crucial scene at a wedding
3. guest/second photographers at weedings who follow you everywhere and take exactly the same shots/people/locations as you. All day. Is this a trust issue by the way? Had one who told me off for shooting against the sun because her camera didn't expose properly...
 
People who think that writing a long and mulisylable explanation of why their shot is art , makes it a better shot - sorry but you can't polish a turd

People who ask for crit then do the above if anyone suggests their shot is less than perfect

People who ask for crit and then throw their teddies if they don't like what they are told

People who think the rule of thirds (and other such conventions) are an inviolate rule not a guideline - but equally people who post a poor shot then make excuses about how they are pushing the boundaries ... no actually you arent anyone can take a crap shot by accident, you have to understand the 'guidelines of composition before you can decide to break them .. if your horizon is on the wonk by five degres its not because you are the next HCB , its because you can't get your camera level

people who think that B&W automatically makes a shot fine art - a crap shot converted to B&W is just B&W crap

People who use the term shoot as in "What's the best way to shoot a fast moving car ?" With an Uzi mate, but you'll get arrested, why not just take a picture of it instead

People who use the term lomography without irony

People who think that film is 'like really filmic man'

People who shoot jpeg but claim they get it right in camera and don't use any post processing

lens , nuff said
 
Ed Sutton said:
People who think horizon's must always be horizontal and verticals vertical.
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Definitely - i don't mind a tilted horizon for genuinly artistic/ compositional effect - its the ammount of [PLEASE DON'T TRY TO BYPASS THE SWEAR FILTER] talked to justify what is obviously a mistake on some peoples pictures that i object to.
 
big soft moose said:
Definitely - i don't mind a tilted horizon for genuinly artistic/ compositional effect - its the ammount of [PLEASE DON'T TRY TO BYPASS THE SWEAR FILTER] talked to justify what is obviously a mistake on some peoples pictures that i object to.
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That hacks me off big time.

To put time and effort into critique to a shot that has a clear mistake and instead of getting "you're right, didn't see that before!" You get some explanation as to why it was shot that way on purpose.

Yeah...right.
 
Phil Young said:
That hacks me off big time.

To put time and effort into critique to a shot that has a clear mistake and instead of getting "you're right, didn't see that before!" You get some explanation as to why it was shot that way on purpose.

Yeah...right.
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Or maybe they just liked it that way? I remember posting a picture up here that got roundly panned for my choice of dof but I liked it then and still like it now. I think people need to remember critique is just an opinion there is no right or wrong in photography.

The fact this thread even exists sums up what irks me about people we seem not to have the ability to live and let live and we all find it so easy to be negative as indicated by the length of this thread yet when someone started a positive version it disappears from page one in a day.

I know a lot of this thread is tongue in cheek but it is still a little saddening.
 
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a1ex2001 said:
Or maybe they just liked it that way? I remember posting a picture up here that got roundly panned for my choice of dof but I liked it then and still like it now. I think people need to remember critique is just an opinion there is no right or wrong in photography.

The fact this thread even exists sums up what irks me about people we seem not to have the ability to live and let live and we all find it so easy to be negative as indicated by the length of this thread yet when someone started a positive version it disappears from page one in a day.

I know a lot of this thread is tongue in cheek but it is still a little saddening.
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And still you felt the urge to read and comment, helping keep it alive ;)
 
ChrisHeathcote said:
And still you felt the urge to read and comment, helping keep it alive ;)
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I know sad isn't it, I did try and resist but like most people I broke in the end! I wonder if this shiny new forum has a block threads option so you can hide threads you want to ignore like you can people?
 
a1ex2001 said:
Or maybe they just liked it that way? I remember posting a picture up here that got roundly panned for my choice of dof but I liked it then and still like it now. I think people need to remember critique is just an opinion there is no right or wrong in photography.
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No, I'm talking about a clear error. For example, framing a portrait and missing half a hand out of the frame or sokething like that and the original poster making reasons or excuses as to why it was shot like that.
 
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But if there are indeed no rights and wrongs, it's impossible for anything to be a "clear error" - by definition, there's no such thing because everything is right and this doesn't depend on a particular case: - it's always true. I don't believe this; but Alex apparently does.
 
My biggest annoyance is when people who have no photography experience go out and buy a high end camera, take a couple terrible snaps of their friends (or their freinds cars) using auto mode, start a Facebook page (which then gets hundreds of likes and "omg your (sic) so good you should be a pro!" comments, due to said persons popularity, not their skill) and then decide to list their job as "professional photographer". I see it all the time on FB!

I must admit to partaking in brand/model banter occasionally... I have no ill feelings towards [insert non-Canon brand here] users at all (because it's just the brand of a frigging tool used to take photos, not sides in a war!), but I find it amusing to joke about them. I also shoot with a 5DII and my friend shoots with a 7D, and we're often exchanging insults comments about the 5DII having a lower fps or the smaller sensor of the 7D. As long as it's two-way and not serious, I see no issue really.

Oh, another thing that winds me up is when I shoot in RAW and then do a little processing on it in LR/PS. Then my non-photography friends say something like "it's not photography if you have to edit it!". They soon shut up when I explain that the sharpening/white balance etc is minimal, and their camera's are doing the same thing when they shoot in JPEG
 
There were a pair of tabard wearing photographers at Oulton Park who were deliberately getting in the sight line of those trying to catch a few shots of superbikes coming out of Druids from the other side of the wire. They weren't taking photos themselves or even watching the action. They were simply spoiling other people's enjoyment and would not move even when asked. A fellow enthusiast knew the two in question and said they do it all the time..

Same thing happened to me at Cholmondley Pageant of Power last year. I explained to the guy that I had nowhere else to go having already moved about 50 yards along the fence line to avoid him in the first place. I just asked him to move another few yards towards me so I could shoot around him or go a few yards back to where he was. If I could have been on the other side of the wire, I would have stayed where he was initially, much better angle than I had anyway.

So, while recognising that pros have a job to do, I think they should also be a little more considerate and not abuse their position.
 
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Carl Hall said:
My biggest annoyance is when people who have no photography experience go out and buy a high end camera, take a couple terrible snaps of their friends (or their freinds cars) using auto mode, start a Facebook page (which then gets hundreds of likes and "omg your (sic) so good you should be a pro!" comments, due to said persons popularity, not their skill) and then decide to list their job as "professional photographer". I see it all the time on FB!
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That doesn't actually bother me at all.

If they are listing themselves as a photographer but not actually persuing it as a career, who cares?

If they are trying to make money out of it, their skill and the market will dictate if they are successful or not.


Steve.
 
StephenM said:
But if there are indeed no rights and wrongs, it's impossible for anything to be a "clear error" - by definition, there's no such thing because everything is right and this doesn't depend on a particular case: - it's always true. I don't believe this; but Alex apparently does.
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I'm happy to be proved wrong, I don't know of any thing in photography that is always wrong and never right.
 
a1ex2001 said:
I'm happy to be proved wrong, I don't know of any thing in photography that is always wrong and never right.
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Ah, that's a different topic entirely. My point was that Phil's reply to you was meaningless, given that you did not believe that there was any such thing as a "clear error". As to whether my photographic opinion that there are clear wrongs in photography is itself wrong, I leave up to you. Either it is (in which case you admit that there is at least one thing that is wrong) or I'm right, in which case the point is conceded. :D

I'm happy to discuss it - but not in this thread as it's off topic. Unless this is a clear example of something that irks you!
 
modchild said:
Further to my post on page 4 of the thread, I've just come across another irksome thing. That age old one of Full Frame vs Crop, neither is better than the other, they are both perfect for their own job. IMO a crop is better for wildlife and birds, a lot of macro shots and a lot of sports while FF is better for landscape, portrait, small DOF shots and others. I've got a 5D3 and a 70D and use the right body for the job I'm doing, but you can shoot everything on both and get great shots on both. Full frame isn't the Holy Grail of photography that some people seem to say in their posts, it's horses for courses.
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FF is better than apsc, it irks me that you don't think so!:D
 
StephenM said:
Ah, that's a different topic entirely. My point was that Phil's reply to you was meaningless, given that you did not believe that there was any such thing as a "clear error". As to whether my photographic opinion that there are clear wrongs in photography is itself wrong, I leave up to you. Either it is (in which case you admit that there is at least one thing that is wrong) or I'm right, in which case the point is conceded. :D

I'm happy to discuss it - but not in this thread as it's off topic. Unless this is a clear example of something that irks you!
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That's the joy of opinion we can just agree to disagree and go about our business :)
 
a1ex2001 said:
Or maybe they just liked it that way? I remember posting a picture up here that got roundly panned for my choice of dof but I liked it then and still like it now. .
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if you were already sure that your picture was brilliant why did you post it for critique ?
 
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