How many of you would be cheeky enough to.

welshwizard645

welshwizard645

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Peter
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ask someone if they have the means to capture a photo you crave but you are ill equipped?

Situation - in Tsingy de Bemeraha in Madagascar you have to travel light - no big bags and only one DSLR and 1 lens - it's a landscape situation so I have D7100 plus 16-35

Being unfit I had to give up going on the walk and return to the car park while others in the group continue..

On the way I come across a group of photographers who've come across a beautiful pygmy kingfisher - I have just a wideangle - there are two others with Nikon kit - a young lady with a D700 and 80-400 on a tripod.

I could only achieve a small reddish blob with my kit so I kindly asked the young lady if I could attach my D7100 to her lens to take a few shots of the bird - she agreed :) - a bit of faffing around the camera (I have a grip which makes attaching to tripod awkward) got a few shots and profusely thanked her.

My group were surprised I had the audacity to ask. Would you have done the same especially on a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I regret not asking her name and contact details, but she will forever be thanked.
 
Never asked but have a few people attach my 80-400 or 70-200 to their cameras.
Never been a problem for me, just glad to help others out (y)
 
I'm not sure I'd have asked, but I probably wouldn't have minded being asked.
 
I think you need audacity to do something cheeky or naughty. But if someone was happy to oblige, then it's not audacity.

Shyness might be a reason not to want to ask. But you can overcome that with practice and technique. Which is what I do.

I've done a few "photo scavenger hunts" in the city with the camera club. Where you have 2 hours to get a picture of each listed challenge. Which forces you to enlist the help of strangers. After 2 hours, the shyer ones are really getting the hang of it.
 
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I've had somebody ask me to take the shot but with their memory card in my camera / kit :)
 
mrgubby said:
I've had somebody ask me to take the shot but with their memory card in my camera / kit :)
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lol - that is cheeky :D

Back to the OP - if it was something I REALLY wanted a shot of, then damn right I'd ask to borrow a lens from a stranger

On my trips I also make it clear my gear is for use by others too if they wish :)

Dave
 
I quite regularly lend my kit to people for a few minutes to a lot longer, and on TP meets I've let people use my kit or used other members kit to try it out it's fairly friendly like that on meets in my experience, would I ask if I could use a strangers lens I guess that would depend on the situation and I'd only do it after striking up a bit of a chat to gauge the likelihood that such a request would be favourable received or not
 
16-35 aint that wide on a crop sensor camera.
 
mrgubby said:
I've had somebody ask me to take the shot but with their memory card in my camera / kit :)
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tricky - D700 is CF and D7100 is SD

f/2.8 said:
16-35 aint that wide on a crop sensor camera.
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But if it's something tiny 15-20 metres away then it's just a small smudge on the image....the D3 was left at home as I have just got the D500, turns out 16mm on DX was just wide enough.
 
UaeExile said:
I'm not sure I'd have asked, but I probably wouldn't have minded being asked.
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Agree with this. I would probably never ask someone, but I would also never mind if someone asks me..

Unless they come across as a good sprinter and wears a hoody :whistle:
 
Sometimes you don't even need to ask. When I started out taking photos in the mid 1980s I was lucky enough to get pitch-side passes to shoot Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United games alongside the top pros from the national papers. I had an Olympus OM-10 with a slow consumer zoom and one roll of 24 shots for each half, they all had top of the range Canons and Nikons with fast primes. Then one day a new guy turned up who also shot Olympus. At half time he turned to me an offered his 300mm/f2.8 saying he knew he had shots in the bag from the first half so he was going for wide-angles in the second half. So for 45minutes I got to mistime and misfocus shots with much better kit due to his generosity. So I am always happy to help out.
 
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Although I have the cheek I would have engaged in a conversation about the subject and then ask if I could view her pics and give plenty of compliments. I would then say I would give my right testicle for shots like hers but I have brought the wrong lens,.Then wait for the offer of a loan. If that did not work having broke the ice ask directly in a friendly way.:)
 
One horse event I officiate at, a young girl who was a competitor in a previous event was stood by me trying to get pictures of the
final big event of the day and struggling.
I lent my 70-200 2.8 to her, and did some quick tuition, she was chuffed to bits to get some help and a decent pictures :)
To me is I can help someone, that's what it is all about
 
Gremlin said:
One horse event I officiate at, a young girl who was a competitor in a previous event was stood by me trying to get pictures of the
final big event of the day and struggling.
I lent my 70-200 2.8 to her, and did some quick tuition, she was chuffed to bits to get some help and a decent pictures :)
To me is I can help someone, that's what it is all about
Click to expand...

Excellent and commendable attitude that's what it should be about..I remember totally missing a sun set as I was too busy helping a young lad with his camera that his dad had treated him to, was a very pleasing thing to be able to do, well worth missing a sunset for if it help that young lad get more out of his new hobby
 
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