Did you feel self-conscious at all when starting out?

Gnaser...(and others)...when I was younger, I was more self-conscious, and often avoided situations where my photography would call attention to me. Fortunately, I grew out of that. I have no idea how old you are, but the only way you're ever going to become comfortable using your equipment is to use it. And to heck with what others might think. Who cares!

That said...I still am cautious about taking photos of strangers without their permission. That's the limit of my "comfort zone." Others will be comfortable in the same situation. We're all different.
 
I should add, that I hate using a tripod with a vengeance, because it makes me so much less dynamic, I can run, jump, climb, abseil, wade and so on with the camera alone, once I attach the tripod, I'm not going do all of that.

As a result the tripod is only ever used for Time lapse sequences (which I do all the time TBF) and "special applications" like HDR, Pano Stiching or Time Exposures.
 
I'm generally more worried someone will see expensive equipment and try to nick it ;) Self-consciousness in public with gadgets and gear isn't really something I've suffered from although I do try hard to not look like a complete tit!

When you do something daft and people are watching, that's the worst. Getting home and finding out you got a cracking image really makes up for it though.
 
Well... thanks Gnaser for starting this thread :clap: and I thought it was just me :bang: I even hate just carrying my camera in public as it really gets some strange looks :cuckoo: but over the last couple of months I realised why? and it's that most people just don't understand togging and that they probably haven't seen the equipment before, so now when I'm out I just get on with it and ignore the funny looks :lol:
 
I to feel this way and it's kinda reassuring to know that I am not alone in feeling a bit weird about using a tripod in public.

It probably is a case of not wanting to appear as if you don't know what your doing by nervously fumbling around in public but as with any kind of public appearance the more you do it the more confident you are.

Funnily enough last night was the first time I used the tripod away from home, over on the playing fields not to far from where I live, to take some shots of a wonderful sunset. Whilst in the middle of shooting some dog walkers came and had a friendly chat about the sunset and the photography. I think they believed that I knew what I was doing, more fool them :lol:
 
i'm self conciuos too to some degree, i have used the tripod in public, never on my own though. 2 factors for me is that because you take up space, i dont want to be in peoples way to cause conflict, and 2 because i dont want people to moan at me for possibly taking a picture of them.

Yes its a free country etc, but conflict is not my game :)
 
I spent five minutes hunched over some nice fungus at Dovedale yesterday, next to a busy path, and felt pretty daft. Some rather odd looks came my way.
 
Never really bothered me, equally I've never been bothered by ramming a 50mm in someones face on the street to snap them :lol:
 
i used to feel very odd about it.
but as me n her shoot weddings on a weekly basis, i realy dont give a whatsit anymore.
and yes, if your out among the great unwashed, they do tend to assume your a pro and move out of shot or "duck" under your lens as they go past. always makes me smile. works at gigs too , to an extent.big dslr etc.
her indoors has got me a baseball cap and a tshirt with the company name and logo on em. and my name (real ego boost that was:D) .
tends to work too. people do actualy smile or pose at you too. very funny sometimes.
same as most things, the more you do it, the less self concious you are.
 
I took the tripod out twice this week and had a really mixed reception. First time I was at a roadside in the middle of an industrial area, getting all kinds of funny looks off passing white van men. Second time, a picturesque little bay, where the most interest I aroused resulted in a friendly chat with a fisherman.
I've actually not yet recieved any hassle for using a tripod. There's still time, but mostly it's just people interested in what I'm doing, if anything at all.
 
For me, its not the use just the use of a tripod.

I feel emmbarrased as I am still learing, getting out a DSLR with a couple of lenses etc makes me feel uneasy and unconfident. The reason, I am worried about looking like a tit who is pretending he knows what he is doing. I don't know what I am doing yet, and I have a lot to improve onand a lot to learn. Yet, there almost seems to be an expectance that if you have a DSLR and a couple of lenses you know what your doing. Thats the thought that runs through my head anyway, I then ended up worrying and paranoid that I llok like a tit, or someone who knows what they are doing will regard me as an idiot and a fake.

I am sure in time I'll get over it though.
 
Ditto most comments in here, i don't have a tripod yet but just getting the SLR out in public makes me self-conscious. To be fair most people i know just say "Look at the size of that!" which helps break the ice :)

I also find that after people finish sniggering about me pointing a large black box with a protruding erection (ooo-eerr) at what seems like random objects, when they see the shot they say "Oh that's nice". Which builds my confidence a bit.


Still far too nervous to do street stuff though :baby:
 
had the same problem when I bought my first white L lens (70-200 f4IS). Hardly used it as I felt self concious.

then I bought a 100-400 for the Farnborough Air Show. Went up onto our office car park as it overlooks the airfield and many planes fly over us on turns. Quite a few people out watching. My 100-400 sat in my backpack unused - I just couldn't bring myself to get it out. Even more frustratingly, a co-worker had a 100-400 with camo jacket on taking shots without a care.

:bonk::bang:
 
I always take my tripod on walks! I have been sat around tripod really low knees in damp undergrowth and people walking by and really confused looks on their faces!

I was taking pictures of flowers that were only a foot off the ground and i didnt want to get a birds eye view of them either!

I dont mind taking the tripod out anymore. Took it on holiday, everyone taking pics their p&s (not thats a problem) I come along tripod, spirit level, cable release filters etc... Everyone just stepped aside, Got the shot, whislt packing up someone asked to see the shot and i showed him and he seemed impressed.
 
I can gladly say I'm over my tripod phobia and am now planning on an upgrade to a nicer model after a bit of research. After that i'll be looking for a 18-200 zoom so i don't have to keep switching lenses so much.

I have discovered something new which bothers me though and it's been mentioned by others on here. I'm really quite nervous of taking photos if other people are in shot, especially children. Basically don't want people to think I'm some kind of groomer but I don't even like taking a picture of someone's dog.

Like the tripod thing though it's going to be aversion therapy for me I guess and forcing myself to get out there with a nifty and get in people's faces. It's the only way forwards!
 
Claire said:
Also, not just because of the tripod, but even if you've just got an SLR on show, people (tourists) will ask you to take their photo.
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Same here. On holiday in France this summer, I had the camera plonked on the tripod to take a photo of the bunkers at Pointe Du Hoc. I was waiting patiently for a gap in the stream of tourists to get a piccy and a French guy wandered over and asked me to take a picture of him and his family infront of the bunker. The stream of tourists never let up - he got his shot, I never got mine. :lol:

Funnily enough, I wasn't bothered about getting the tripod out while on holiday. I guess it's a 'touristy area' and people expect others to be taking pictures. I was quite relaxed about it. Back home is a different matter. I'll happily set the tripod up but find myself rushing the shot. As a newbie I have to think very carefully and try to remember all the basic things that need doing. I usually rush, forget something and spoil the shot.
 
What a really good thread.

I started out just.......2 weeks ago when I took delivery of my new camera. This thought never entered my head but I can see where people are coming from.

I bought my camera because I wanted results, I wanted to take good pictures and I am prepared to do what it takes to get a good end result. As for being self conscious about carrying my gear, not at all, not that there is much of it anyway, very minimalist me! The picture I took on Sunday (see My First Trip in the landscape section) was crying out for a tripod and if I had one I would have used it. Probably my military background has something to do with it, but I dont give a tinkers cuss what anyone thinks.

I am not one who feels he has to go out and buy every bit of kit available so I dont really drag much hardware about with me, but what I do carry I am happy to use anywhere. I also wouldn't feel embarrassed to ask a passer by to help in some way. Nine times out of ten they will be happy to get involved.

Another hobby I have is watercolour painting and I do ask people how they think I am getting on. Most are happy to offer a point of view, even Chavs.
 
This is a like an alcoholics anonymous thread but for people who can't use a tripod in public, lol!

The only time I felt a little weird was the first time. But after that I had no problems. It turned out to be a nice ice breaker too as most people stop to look and as I smile at them they somehow start to engage in conversation. And the people with (d)slr's or point and shoot come up and take a quick snap of what ever I'm taking a picture of.

Maybe one day someone will look over my shoulder and offer to hire me for something :)

Best advice to get over it? Just do it! Or even better, do it with a friend! Nothing like a two- or threesome doing it at the same time in public! ;)
 
inaneredstripe said:
i used to feel very odd about it.
but as me n her shoot weddings on a weekly basis, i realy dont give a whatsit anymore.
and yes, if your out among the great unwashed, they do tend to assume your a pro and move out of shot or "duck" under your lens as they go past. always makes me smile. works at gigs too , to an extent.big dslr etc.
her indoors has got me a baseball cap and a tshirt with the company name and logo on em. and my name (real ego boost that was:D) .
tends to work too. people do actualy smile or pose at you too. very funny sometimes.
same as most things, the more you do it, the less self concious you are.
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Never felt odd but must admit that having the camera makes people think twice.
I was out to photograph some fountains at the weekend only to discover a dozen finalists from Miss England were attending along with a young lady called Imogen Thomas(I've never watched Big Brother so didn't know who she was). So at the end I had all these beauty queens posing for a group shot and Imogen Thomas letting me shoot her on her own as well.:)
 
I'm too busy thinking my gear will get stolen to worry about being self-conscious.


Gnaser said:
I find it incredibly difficult to use a tripod because I feel like a bit of a tit so often carry it round with me when I'm out shooting but never get it out of the bag.

I think the reason I don't like to is because I'm still very much a novice and don't want to seem like someone who looks like he thinks he knows what he's doing when in fact he hasn't got a clue. Err, or something.

Even when I'm in a rather remote location I feel a bit funny if someone appears and sees me using my tripod. Anyone else ever felt the same about using one, and how long before the feeling ****ed off and let me get on with it because I know I'm really missing out by having to use it handheld.

Strange thing is, I think nothing of hanging upside down out of a tree or lying prone in a puddle of crap to take a good shot if I have to. Just feel weird with a tripod.
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I must admit with being new to this that I do feel a bit strange sometimes. I've set about only buying budget stuff to start with (pretty sure that's the norm) At the moment in Blackpool the lights are on. When I do go down to the prom I find there's plenty of Tog's out and about, some in groups of 2-3. It is a bit intimidating sometimes but I tend to think that they would be saying between them selves something along the lines of 'I remember..' you see where I'm coming from?

I'm just happy if I get my shot really, it may not be as good as somebody elses with a lot of kit but if I'm happy with it and my little knowledge then that's great :thumbs:
 
i was ok but then one day when i went for a walk in town around some old buildings and stuff i was getting so much abuse from people saying how sad i was they were mainly teenagers and it has put me off i just normally go in the country side or places were most of the people there have cameras dont get me wrong im not ashamed of doing it as i love it but i just carnt be arsed with little mindless chavs hurling abuse but sometimes i think its because im young and people dont expect me to be doing it they must think that i should be out getting trollied in the middle of the day lol and not taking photos but im sure ill pluck up the courage one day
 
A lot of people seem to have the same feelings on this, which is re-assuring to know!

Me? - I just do a 'Red Rum' and totally blank out any passers-by, and concentrate on getting the angles and settings right for the shot, and move on to the next place....

I've found, like a lot of people on this thread, that Joe Public - who doesn't know jack about togging - will just give the odd glance at me doing my thing, with a .....'He looks like he knows what he's doing...' kinda look, as he passes by....and any toggers that do happen by, know what you're up to anyway, so it's really starting to bother me less and less lately :shrug:
 
I feel really self-conscious when I'm out with the camera and the bag. I'm worried about being questioned as to my motives (e.g. there might be a child nearby) or even worried that I'm treading on the toes of other photographers who are nearby. I don't have the world's top camera (I have a Nikon D70 and an assortment of lenses) nor a lens that started out life as the prototype for Hubble and I can't afford to upgrade at this moment in time either. So I did wonder if people were looking at me at the weekend and wondering what on earth I thought I was going to achieve with a 50-500mm lens and Nikon D70.
 
im finding the tripod thing a bit of an issue too.... most of my use of mine is at sunset along the coastline...so its not too bad for public scrutiny...

my fear of being mugged for my camera kit is something of an issue though, its not like i can afford to replace it, its took some saving to get what limited stuff i have.

i really want to take some pictures of the liverpool skyline at night from the wirral side...the best place for for the pictures is in an area i would prefer not to be alone in during daylight hours with my kit ...let alone in the evening :(

Suppose i need to take a mate with me, but then i feel self concious about taking the shots in the first place
 
if you think tripods are bad what about tall grass! i was trying to get insects shots in a middle of this tall grass field! There is a path that cuts through a field and people where looking at me point at odd things. a few fingers were pointed by kids and im sure asking parents waht that guy is doing in the middle of a field.
 
jabber said:
im finding the tripod thing a bit of an issue too.... most of my use of mine is at sunset along the coastline...so its not too bad for public scrutiny...

my fear of being mugged for my camera kit is something of an issue though, its not like i can afford to replace it, its took some saving to get what limited stuff i have.

i really want to take some pictures of the liverpool skyline at night from the wirral side...the best place for for the pictures is in an area i would prefer not to be alone in during daylight hours with my kit ...let alone in the evening :(

Suppose i need to take a mate with me, but then i feel self concious about taking the shots in the first place
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I've noticed that there are a lot of togs on here from the Wirral and Liverpool, why don't you try and organise a meet with some of them. Not only safety in numbers but a good place to pick up new ideas and tips. :thumbs:

Andy
 
Another self-conscious thing, not sure if it's been mentioned already. If i'm in a public place taking a shot and another serious tog is about i worry that they might be thinking "what is he doing, that's not the right angle for that" etc etc
I hate to look stupid, but i guess most people are tolerant of learners :help:
 
you never know he might lend a helping hand! they are not evel beings you know!
 
Like a few here I feela bit self conscious just having more than a compact - people seem to think you must be a pro when I'm only just starting out! Not used one in a busy place yet so I must still be a bit chicken.
 
when i started i did feel abit weird carrying and using a tripod, one year on i dont really care lol, just use it when its needed

same with taking pics actually. on say pit walks at motor events i would just take pics, now its a case of i need to be at the front to get a "decent" shot with people actually looking at me as appose to them looking near me lol
 
whitey said:
when i started i did feel abit weird carrying and using a tripod, one year on i dont really care lol, just use it when its needed

same with taking pics actually. on say pit walks at motor events i would just take pics, now its a case of i need to be at the front to get a "decent" shot with people actually looking at me as appose to them looking near me lol
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Same here. And if I see another tog (even one with a bigger/better camera/lens or even a Canon ;)) I'll often pass a comment and check what they're doing. Its often led to interesting conversations and I've picked up loads of good advice too.

Andy
 
i've not really spoken to other togs when out and about, apart from other halfs dad who kind f got me into the whole thing and his mate, its a good laugh though and great days out
 
Being fairly new and not having an awful lot of money kicking around, I tend to feel embarrassed that somebody with much better kit than mine will look at my tripod and think "fancy using that piece of crap".....:'(:'(:'(:'(:'(
 
everyone started somewhere.

not saying your kit is crap btw as i havent looked at it.

and it doesnt matter what you have, its what you do with it that counts :lol:
 
Suzanne said:
I don't have the world's top camera (I have a Nikon D70 and an assortment of lenses) nor a lens that started out life as the prototype for Hubble and I can't afford to upgrade at this moment in time either.
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:D I have a D70 too, but most people who come up to me don't know anything about togging, so they like, "Whoah!" and think it's some amazing top-of-the-range thing. :lol: Someone at the weekend said, "So how many pixels does that thing do? I bet it's 10 or something!" LOL. And there's me squinting to see the screen on the back!
 
I think I did when I first got my camera, but even though I haven't been out in the public with it as much as I would've liked, I feel I've grew a lot as a person since then, increasing my self confidence significantly.

I would however feel a little self-conscious doing street photography. I've never attempted it. I go to a university in Glasgow - I think it would a fun and different thing to do.
 
Markk said:
And the people with (d)slr's or point and shoot come up and take a quick snap of what ever I'm taking a picture of.
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What is up with that? It's like being a magnet for point and shooters! This is my view, go get yer own! :cuckoo: :D

33L said:
you never know he might lend a helping hand! they are not evel beings you know!
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Very true. I'd be happy to help out a beginner (if I could). :)
 
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