I need to get out more...

G

GfK

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...and there are reasons why I don't.

I'm very wary of taking photos in public places - not so much if I'm on holiday and thats what everybody else is doing - but generally, it unnerves me in these modern times of "PC-ness".

Anyhow. The other reason - I see all you guys going out on your photo shoots, with lenses and filters dangling out of every available orifice.

And then there's me. Fuji S5100, a pocket full of spare batteries, couple of filters, and a tripod if I can be bothered to carry it/use it. That's the extent of my camera gear.

I don't look or feel like I know what I'm doing. If I stop to take a photo of anything, I make it a quick snap before anybody notices I'm doing it, and I'm rarely happy with the pictures I take. If my camera had a 6ft lens sellotaped to the front of it then maybe at least people would think I was half-serious about what I was doing.

Dunno... just random thoughts. Maybe I'm worrying too much about what everybody else thinks.
 
Stuff what kit you use - it's the images that you produce that's important.

Sometimes it's better to appear 'amateurish' - attracts less hostility than a professional in some situations.
In the days of film, I would sometimes leave all the Nikon gear in the hotel and just go out with the Leica - appear like a tourist and you get treated like one - in some places the Press became targets in their own right...
 
I know exactly what you mean... I have the same setup except I have the S5500.... it just doesn't seem right does it!?
 
I know what you mean, particularly about the self conscious bit and I've got a fairly comprehensive dSLR set up. In fact it's that which makes me MORE self conscious.

Would it surprise you to know that the shots in the thread I put up the other day were all taken from the haven of the car?
 
Mate, what I did was take an afternoon off work and followed a route I had planned to get some shots of certain things.

I found that if you go to a certain place with a certain shot in mind you have already got yourself into photoman mode by the time you have got there.

A plus of doing a weekday is that there are less people around who might see you as an amature.

Try it.
:)
 
Wandering around, just 'hoping' to get an image is the wrong way to go about it.

Have the shot already in your head before you venture out. Then you'll be halfway there...
 
The self conscious bit is something we all suffer from - we're not the paparazzi and we tend to consider people's feelings and how we'd react to the same situation, so we're feeling conspicious before we start.That's assuming you're talking about photographing people.

A bigger 'pro' looking camera will often attract more suspicion and mistrust from people than if you're using a less imposing looking compact, so getting a 'better' camera wont help that situation.

It really is daft though how people wont kneel down or otherwise change their position to get a better shot, because they feel like a tit doing it, and it's very common. Something you really need to overcome though. ;)
 
Unfortunately the only way to overcome this is to get out there and do it. No magic pill I'm afraid. :(

I think the trick is to try to control the situation as much as possible by doing it on your terms and planning as much as possible what you are going to do. Nothing worse that milling around thinking how crap you are being.
 
weve all seen on various forums, you get someone come in and say 'im getting into photography and ive spent £$$$$ on kit and heres some of my pics' and they turn out to be very poor, so kit means nothing!
 
I used to feel the same, when I had my G3. I always felt I was the kid at school with the knock off trainers, just wanting to be with the in crowd, so to speak.

It sounds very silly though. Sometimes I had no problems with the size of the kit I was using, but quite alot of the time, I did feel self conscious, and as though I was more of an outsider as I didn't have a proper SLR.
Occasionally though the ****-it factor took over and I didn't give a stuff.

When I got my 350D I felt 'proper' so to speak. I actually had a proper mirror and shutter clunk, instead of a tiny beep or a click. I know it's quite vein to worry about stuff like that, but to me it did matter. Not sure why though.

Imagine how proud I was when I went on my first proper 'outing' with other photographers a month later, when I met up with some from TPF at Chester Zoo.
Then they all pulled out 20D's (and 1DsII) with grips and L glass.
I'm sure I felt something shrink...lol But I'm over that now :D

Anyway, I can fully understand your apprehension about appearing to be taking shots for 'photography' reasons, rather than feeling guilty and hoping no one thinks you're a perv or plannig on robbing a shop.
I used to feel that at least having an SLR with a bit of kit dangling off me would at least give it an air of officialness about it, so to speak.

Like has been said, it's something that is actually quite common, but the only way round it is to keep letting the ****-it factor take over.
Who cares what others think? Ask yourself...are you likely to EVER see them again? ;)

Also, it really IS true that the equipment doesn't make the shot, it's the photographer. I've seen some truly stunning work taken with the exact camera I bought (bought it off Steve), yet I struggled to get more than a limp donkey out of it at first. :D

Regards
 
GfK said:
Anyhow. The other reason - I see all you guys going out on your photo shoots, with lenses and filters dangling out of every available orifice.

And then there's me. Fuji S5100, a pocket full of spare batteries, couple of filters, and a tripod if I can be bothered to carry it/use it. That's the extent of my camera gear.
Click to expand...

Ever heard the saying 'it's not what you've got, it's what you do with it'? Well, it applies to lots of things ;) You could have the best kit in the world and still take crappy pictures. It's all down to technique!

I know what you are trying to say though as I have the same problems, added to the fact that I'm also female (yep...it's true!!), and often feel quite vulnerable out and about on my own. It's not quite so intimidating if there are two or more of you - I used to make my brother come out for the day with me as I didn't feel such a tit then. It's something you just have to get over - get out there with your camera...so what if others think you are a weirdo :snap2:
 
"often feel quite vulnerable out and about on my own. It's not quite so intimidating if there are two or more of you - I used to make my brother come out for the day with me as I didn't feel such a tit then"



I feel the same minimeeze. I'm always bugging my sister to come out with me. It is a one man sport, not like she can really help me out or anything. Especially at night too being female I don't want this expensive gear around my neck,lol. I"m afraid of being jumped for my gear. I doubt that would ever happen though, guess I'm just being too paranoid eh? I should just get out there and learn. Who cares!! Good to know I"m not alone in my thoughts tho,lol.

Jewel.
 
It's getting like that here as well, and it's not only women it happens to. I heard a particularly galling story today of what a gang of teenagers did to some bloke in Reading. Not going to repeat for general viewing cos it's too gross...
 
All I can say is that I can relate to everything your saying Gfk, and its probably one of only two things that stop me going out with a camera as much as I would like. I think its just a matter of getting comfortable with it, no easy or quick solution - just persistance, determination, concentrating on using the camera I find works best (takes your mind off it so you begin to not notice those around you).
 
Good read here on overcoming shyness for Street Photography. You'll also notice the Photographer prefers the Leica that looks like a small compact so as not to draw attention to himself :)
 
DJW said:
Good read here on overcoming shyness for Street Photography. You'll also notice the Photographer prefers the Leica that looks like a small compact so as not to draw attention to himself :)
Click to expand...

Arkady will soon knock the shyness out of you on his street photography sessions!!
 
He certainly will...

And don't worry Northern Monkeys, I'll be doing the Arkady Road show if it all goes well... (from the shandy-drinking southern poof)
 
Arkady said:
He certainly will...

And don't worry Northern Monkeys, I'll be doing the Arkady Road show if it all goes well... (from the shandy-drinking southern poof)
Click to expand...

Ahem...Northern Monkeys??? tut, tut :shock: :grinshake
 
Arkady said:
He certainly will...

And don't worry Northern Monkeys, I'll be doing the Arkady Road show if it all goes well... (from the shandy-drinking southern poof)
Click to expand...

Have a banana:banana:
 
I used to 'do' everything photography in my heady days of youth and film and manual focus and stuff ! Eventually graduated to Nikon ... wow !

Last November, after many years away from photography I made the leap to digiSLR. And being an old Nikonian I just had to have another Nikon, and this month another (one too many now !).

Why do I recall all this here ? Well maybe I do have a branded dSLR camera ! Does this make me a good photographer ? Nope ... it makes me someone who can afford a branded dSLR ... albeit with aspirations to the former !

AND I hate taking it out in a crowd to get photographs - because I probably don't look like I know what I am doing and desperately want to ! But I do try to enjoy every minute of it - 'cos that is what really matters ain't it ?

What am I trying to say ? I came here knowing absolutely nothing about digital but a little about photography. And yes the guys & gals here are more than willing to help, critique, guide (including you GfK !) and ... even get me off my a**e and out there with a camera (thanx Arkady !) but the only thing that will help either of us is to keep on practising as much as we can - whenever we can.

I would rather take great shots with a reasonable camera than mediocre shots with a great camera ! A good photographer can take great shots with any camera ! Joe public doesn't know this ... only you do !?! So pay them no heed and get out there and ignore everyone else around you and show us some more great shots ... ?

Soapbox vacant !
 
GFK, don't worry about the kit m8, I have more printed shots from my fuji s602 than I have from my 20D :(

When you wander the streets with a h000ge camer/lens people do look at you! If they see you with a compact(ish) camera they just consider you a tourist and let you get on with it.
 
TBH I tend to feel more self-concious when there are a bunch of people around sticking their L glass into every nook and cranny. This happened to me recently at my local Arboretum. There was every photographer and his mokey there, all with their tripods and trolleys(!) of gear following them around.

So what did I do?

Wound them up of course! Spent a very happy couple of hours asking them to move their tripods cos it was in my shot, standing in their shots, poking my little compact into some crazy places, generally bein the snap-happy tourist.

And I came away with some brilliant shots.

Coming from a large and not particuarly wealthy family, I had to get over the 'my trainers are better than yours' thing at early age. Doesn't bother me now.

My best coup was when I one a competition at my local photography club, Age 14, with my old praktica, Vs a load of 'proper' photog's with all th latest gear. The look on some of their faces was priceless.

Be proud to be a bandit photographer on a budget!

Above all else, get out there and get over it, nobody is really bothered by what you're doing. The only way you'll beat it is by doing it again and again until you feel comfortable.

Having said all that though, I still like to go out with others, it's good to have someone to bounce ideas off, and to chimp too ;)

Chill out dude.
 
Agree with Gandhi, I get quite nervous when i am out and about with my camera.

Just force yourself to go out, and when you start getting nervous, try and think more about your technique and the photograph you're trying to take. Once you start thinking about what you're doing and not what people in the vicinity are thinking they will become less aparent.
 
Good starting point is to aim for busy tourist spots. You'll find lots of people with cameras, so nobody will take notice of you, which allows for more relaxed shooting & better opportunities for candid portraits.
 
I always imagine I'm on a job for Derek Jameson - savage man who once sacked a photographer for failing to get images of the Heysel Stadium disaster - the man had stopped to help the injured.

Think in terms of "if I don't get these images, my family will be homeless by next month..."
 
I'm getting more used to looking like a tit! :D
 
AquilaEagle said:
I'm getting more used to looking like a tit! :D
Click to expand...

Eagles to tits ... whatever next !?!

Btb GfK - did you catch up with any of this ? And if so was it useful ... did it help in anyway/no way ???

Just interested !
 
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