Some photography faux pas and very strange views!

Janice

Janice

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Janice
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Whilst sitting at my stall in a marquee at the flower festival at the weekend, selling my framed nature shots... I met all kinds of folk ... as you do!

I thought Id treat you to a few comments I heard during the days!

One man was delightful, about 65, he was an amateur and we discussed calibrating monitors etc etc and as he left he said "Your work is wonderful, you are very talented and Id love to be able to take photos like yours" which left me feeling pretty good.

However, he was only one amongst a large number of very odd people who seemed to put down photographers in this digital age.

I had a man say "Its amazing what cameras can do these days isnt it"
CAMERAS!!!! :bang: Photographer has no input apparently!!!

Another proceeded to tell me that he too had just started taking landscapes and he got out his tiny silver point and shoot and showed me a 1"square screen with a shot of some cliffs and water... nice it was...........so I was then treated to the whole collection of his Devon holiday snaps on a 1" square screen while trying to sell my A4 framed shots on my stall!!!

A lady said to her husband.. "Aren't these wonderful".. he replied "It's easy these days.. its all digital"!

Another man said to his wife... "I suppose they are cut out of magazines and put into frames" :cuckoo:

I'd like to say at this point that I have been doing craft fairs etc for about 3 years and I am doing NO more!!!
All my stock is going in the loft and I will try to make money elsewhere.. where the comments arent so disheartening!!
My mother and I were laughing in the end.. as its been going on for such a long time and happens everywhere we go.

But it has made me quite hard-hearted!!

At the dogshow a man came and stood at the side of me when I was with the Irish Wolfhound taking the charity shots... he had a Canon 350d.

"These are great arent they", he said, "you can just put them on full auto and snap away!"

"Not me" I replied, "I use full manual". "Oh yes" he said "I meant manual... I use manual all the time"

I glanced down to the dial of his 350d and it was on the dreaded GREEN RECTANGLE!!
I couldnt help myself " You arent on manual, you are on complete full automatic".... "errr, yes," he said "thats because Im taking photos of the dogs running"!! :bonk:

I'm still trying to work that one out!! :lol:

What an amazing world we live in... full of very strange people!

Hope I havent bored you...............thought it may raise a smile or two!! :D :lol:
 
I'm sorry but I'd of just looked away and said out loud...."What a C*ck!" - tactful me..can't you tell :)

Don't gve up, just shoot them down in flames and smile while you'd doing it!

You now know the lines, shoot back at them.

Carl.
 
I'd have bought some,,,, okay maybe one, of your framed shots...... don't give up too soon - the person with a commission for you may have been just around the corner.
 
Ahh Im not bothered really. Ive decided to stop it.
Have had a wedding, bah mitzvah, a few portraits under my belt.. all word of mouth. I enjoyed those.

Just thought Id share some of Joe Public's views with you all! :D :lol:

After all, we all know... It is your camera that takes the photo isnt it............anyone can do it....you just put it on full auto! :D
 
CarlOgden said:
I'm sorry but I'd of just looked away and said out loud...."What a C*ck!" - tactful me..can't you tell :)
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I would have, but I had my Mum with me!! :embarrassed: :D

She was rather good though.... "My daughter took all these photos... they're very good arent they" she would say!! :lol:

Nothing like a proud parent!
 
I was on a job last week, where passers by generaly will see a few photographers and stop to see whats going on. One female in particular turned up with her camera, which she must have just brought, was clearly miffed when it wasn't taking pictures as quickly as everyone else. More frustratingly she clearly didn't know ANY of the settings on her camera, let alone f stops and shutter speeds. Despite a few togs trying to give a helping habd she still struggled. All you could hear when the action was going on was 'My camera wont work, my camera's broke'. The camera could find focus so didn't fire.
This is really an example of someone that thinks it's easy with digital only to find it wasn't.
 
Most of those negative comments are likely to come from smartypants who have tried it when decades ago, are now half senile, and couldn't get a decent shot when they young and, er, bright. Not nice of them in anyway, but it's usually that way.

"I suppose they are cut out of magazines and put into frames" - I suppose that means you are pretty good, huh :D
 
God save us from the General Bloody Public.:razz: They're more trouble than they're worth half the time. It doesn't really matter what you're doing, by the time your day is over and you tot up how much you've made, how long it's taken you and how much cr@p you've had to put up with you'd be better off staying at home with the lights out.

But never mind, tomorrow's another day eh? :)
 
Speaking as an outright amateur an a pretty poor one at that (I think the title should be 'very slow learner') it is pretty amazing what digital cameras and moreso SLRs can do these days, I get the chance to try loads of different settings and different ways of composing shots and can look at them as soon as I get home to see what works. Immensely good fun and at least I have a slight trend on the % of 'keepers'.

I wholeheartely agree that there is no substitute for real talent but the quantity of shots one can take coupled with advanced software has levelled the playing field a bit.
 
When we were at my step sisters wedding in Greece and struggling with 40 deg C and bright sunshine, my Dad was using his D2x and someone said to him 'of course, its easy these professional cameras do everything for you'.

My Dad restrained himself from killing them but i think people don't realise the amount of effort and knowledge required to take a good picture and use a camera well. Not only to take the picture initially but all the PP work, cropping, tweaking, printing.
 
Just because they are digital doesn't make it any easier than film, just means you see the results quicker and can take more shots freely
 
I'm half laughing half growling at your post Janice, Please don't pack it in, (the stall I mean) and you just need a different head on on those days. :)

Or a large poster saying, "If you think digital photography is so easy where’s your stall full of beautiful images."

:lol: ..No obviously don't do that. I've had my images up in a few places the last few months so I'm becoming familiar with peoples attitude too ..Like your first comment about how good digital cameras are, had that one several times ...my last reply was something like, (talking about my football stadium shot)
"Yeah, (laughing) you so right mate, nothing to do with the photographer eh. That particular shot was one of many attempts over the last year trying to catch just the right light, that ones also made from six shots stacked together on a computer, It took me over ten hours of pain staking attention to detail to produce that piece of art, whilst it does faithfully retain the details, colours and mood of the actual light that evening, the distortion is not a result of lens distortion but of the process of combining photographs, a side effect if you like, although as an artist I feel the curved effect adds to the impact and overall beauty of the shot.

..And yet this size of photograph is only £40 unframed."

I smile some more if their not laughing already. :D

If that doesn't work I go for the jugular and say ..
"It’s been one of my biggest sellers too. I've yet to bump into a serious fan who didn't want it" :lol:

Ignore them or enjoy yourself with a little sarcasm I say.
 
Yes..thats probably what I meant.

I use manual. I dont use any "Bells and whistles" that the camera does, like automatic dof or night mode, or all this stuff.

Perhaps I shouldve used all the modes (I have never used any of them) instead and then Id not have learnt any settings!

Im glad I use manual, spot metering, and RAW, it means I could make a lot of cock-ups with the settings.. so I feel the shots on display have been worked for.

Thats why it rubs when people suggest its having a good camera that takes these pictures.. not me!

I feel I have learnt an awful lot more than playing about with these gimmicky bits.
 
inaneredstripe said:
so if a guy uses full auto, does he have to point it in the right direction , and press the shutter button when photographing running dogs? :)or is that automatic too.
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Hee-hee! No, I expect his wife does that bit for him...just to complete the FULL auto!! :D
 
ppp said:
my Dad was using his D2x and someone said to him 'of course, its easy these professional cameras do everything for you'.
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At one of these canon events, the guy from Canon said that the more you pay for a camera the less it does for you. ie saturation and sharpening. The point and shoot camera have full sharpening and saturation, so when they show others on their 1'' screen people can go 'Ohh', 'Ahh'. Of course professional need the flexibilty and creativity after the shot is taken or set-up the camera just so for their style of photography.

Unfortunately Canon seems to have gone too far at the moment with the more you pay, the less you do, as now you have to struggle with out of focus pictures on a mk111
 
One of the strangest things I ever hurd someone say whey they were looking though my fine art portfolio is "These don't look like someone took them. They look like they came out of magazines". I had to stop from saying "So how do those pictures get in the magazines?" :cuckoo:
 
Janice

I exhibit at exhibitions (not photography) and have recieved both good and bad comments.

One of which really papped me off to the extent that I wanted to lunge across and ask the bloke where his exhibit is and pick faults and comments out of his work...however he didnt have anything to show for his nit picking comments....they never do.

Everyone is an "expert", however if you enjoy doing then why let some snotty nosed "experts" put you off what you are doing? If you enjoy it then carry on talk to those who show a keen interest and dont spend the time to those who want to pick. Smile and say thanks and proceed to ignore. Thats what I do.

After all the interested ones will be the ones that "hopefully" pry open their wallet.
 
SW4peter said:
If you go for dinner at someone's house you would never compliment the food and say "you must have a great oven?"
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Hee-hee....you obviously havent sampled my cooking, Peter.... you'd have to compliment the oven, as it couldnt be me!! :D :lol:
 
SW4peter said:
I'm sure anybody as creative with a camera as you would be a dab hand in the kitchen too... ;)
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I'm a dab hand in the kitchen, not necessarily at cooking though!! :D
 
natjag said:
.... One female in particular turned up with her camera, which she must have just brought, was clearly miffed when it wasn't taking pictures as quickly as everyone else. More frustratingly she clearly didn't know ANY of the settings on her camera, let alone f stops and shutter speeds. Despite a few togs trying to give a helping habd she still struggled. All you could hear when the action was going on was 'My camera wont work, my camera's broke'. The camera could find focus so didn't fire.
This is really an example of someone that thinks it's easy with digital only to find it wasn't.
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:bonk: This sounds like a recent ex member of this site who was Mad on Photos.............. :lol:
 
I've been there too Janice. I did a craft fair and the comments you get are funny. Some woman said "Oh I could do that with mine." I said, no you couldn't. 10mm, soft light layers applied in PS. Sure you could darlin. Some old guy spent 10 minutes randomly talking nonsense to me, scaring my customers away and then grabbed one of them and recited it all to them. 20 minutes of lost customers. Its just the way the public are. Morons basically :)
 
LOL Yes.. I could do that.
Except most were looking and didnt actually realise I was selling my own photos!

God knows what they thought they were. Things Id picked up at a jumble sale and was selling on perhaps!

Next time, if there is one, there will be a framed A4 statement to the effect that all photographs were taken single-handedly and sometimes precariously by me..... so if you want to be rude about them.. please do so very quietly as I have good hearing!!

muttley.gif
 
You should have said "Camera? What camera? These are all hand drawn.......
.
.
.
.
.
.
With laser beams direct from my eye".


I agree. I've done my fair share of working with the public. First as a glass collector on a friday night, then in a pub all week on the back streets of Manchester, then as a bus driver.

The bus driving inparticular really opens your eyes to the public. Nowt stranger than folk is there?

Oh, and then I did the BBC Bus as Driver / Technician / Rigger / "Computer and camera expert".
The amount of people with a general lack of sense is unbelievable.

Not knowing is fine, lack of knowledge is fine, I can correct a lack of knowledge through education, but the sheer stupidity I've come across from many many people really did astound me...lol

Sheer stupidity is a lost cause :D
 
I quite often mix in photos taken on film so I can comment to that effect and it quite often amazes people that they cant tell the one that was shot on film.
 
I do Craft Fairs as well.....and the most asked question is " I guess these are all taken on digital?"

Depending on the person I either go into great lengths about the time I spend waiting for light, the fact that I do very little on the PC, that my photography is an extension of my love for the outdoors....

or I just nod and smile and wish them a bout of indigestion!

I've heard most of the other comments as well - I sell pictures in a local pub as well, somebody I know once commented "£40! I could do that" - the £40 was for a 20 x 16" frame, mounted image inside of 16 x 12" of a local view - that I had driven to 3 times in 3 days, a 50 mile round trip each time, all 3 visits were at dawn, hence getting up very early....I pointed all these facts out to her - she's never said a word since!

The two that frustrate me the most though are a. the person at the stall who spends a long while looking, tells you how good you are...and then walks off - if I'm that good bloody well spend some money!!! and b. the people who give a passing glance and look away as though they can smell something funny...this is my flaming outdoors life in pictures, this is the essence of my being and my soul - at least take a bloody look!!!!!!

Anyway, soon be November and my Xmas Craft Fairs!


Si
 
NaturalBritain said:
The two that frustrate me the most though are a. the person at the stall who spends a long while looking, tells you how good you are...and then walks off
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I was given a name for these people by a fellow stall holder last year.........they are called the 3P's.

They:

Pick up

Put down

Piss off !!


:D:lol::thumbs:
 
NaturalBritain said:
The two that frustrate me the most though are a. the person at the stall who spends a long while looking, tells you how good you are...and then walks off - if I'm that good bloody well spend some money!!!
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Hmmm I don't have problem with those people at all. Where is the problem with someone admiring your photos and telling you that they like them. Have you never done that before about something else and never bought anything? A little harsh I think.
 
Hello Janice dont give up, you cant give up what will people talk about at weddings, parties, shows if there are no photographers there. :shrug:
"Look at her/his camera must take good photos" :eek:
"thats a big lens, does that save you walking over" (to the subject) :cuckoo: hahahahaha :bang:
 
Oh Janice - I do sympathise. My 2 favourite comments from the great British public are:

said disparigingly "Well, I suppose you use a special/expensive camera for that"

and, from a friend (using the word very loosely) of my husband's

said with the full confidence of the totally ignorant ''Photography - there's nothing to know about that - you just press the button"

Forgive their ignorance and part them from their money :D
 
Janice

I can't help thinking that you should have offered Mr F Auto a free sensor cleaning session.

I had my camera with me at my niece's christening the other week, there I was sitting down minding my own business when some odd looking woman from the other side of the family poked me and snarled "that your camera? "

not wishing to sound like the narky sod I usually am, I said "yes, it's mine....is it in the way?"
She grunted back....no, I want you to take some pictures of the grandkids, they're bound to come out ok on that.

She obviously hasn't seen the **** i can produce with thing I thought to myself :cuckoo:
 
I had a similar thing at the family Golden Wedding I was taking photos at the other week.

Some old guy came over and started chatting about the camera. He came out with the: "Of course these digital cameras have taken all of the skill out of it, anyone can take a good photo these days!" chestnut. At that point I handed him the camera (in full manual mode) and said "Why don't you have a go!" :D
 
I wonder if you could turn this in to a sales opportunity and at the same time getting the numpty to eat his words.

Anyway, here's the script.

Numpty: "It's easy with digital... anyone can take a good photo nowadays"

Tog: "Really?"

Numpty: "Yea!"

Tog: "I disagree, a good photo comes from the photographer not the camera and I'm prepared to put my money where my mouth is. Are you interested in a small wager?"

Numpty: "Oh yea, I'll listen"

Tog: "Well, you buy a picture from me today, go away and take a photograph of a similar subject in the next 3 months that is good enough for to put on sale here and I will happily refund your money, you can even keep my picture. Well what do you say?"
 
ThisPhotoGuy said:
Hmmm I don't have problem with those people at all. Where is the problem with someone admiring your photos and telling you that they like them. Have you never done that before about something else and never bought anything? A little harsh I think.
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Not at all harsh - the important words there were the length of time. I once spent 30 minutes with one couple who couldn't make their mind up over two pictures, which would go better with their decor. We even went to the extent of taking the two pictures to another part of the hall because the wall was a similar colour to their own. After a further 10 minutes of my wife holding them up one at a time, then both together it was decided they would discuss it over a coffee and make their decision - last time I saw them! A total of 40 minutes spent with what had every indicator of being a confirmed sale...in the meantime how many other client's did I miss?

Compliments are indeed welcome - but I can't buy petrol with them....

On the other hand, some clients are lovely, good fun to talk to and genuinely nice. The biggest compliment I ever received was at only the second Craft Fair I did, in a fairly well off village. One woman came in with her son, from obvious comments she was a single mum...and had only recently become one. She saw an image of mine, and expressed her absolute love of this picture. For twenty minutes she agonised about buying this picture, money was obviously tight and she kept looking at her son, you could see she was thinking about what she should save the money for. After those twenty minutes, with the full backing of her son, who commented "mum, buy yourself something, you deserve a treat as well you know" she finally plucked up courage and wrote me a cheque....for £15 - it was one of my smaller size images, unframed - my cheapest product. The fact that it spoke to her enough for her to go through all that internal anguish, and that she decided to forego something else for one of my images was the best moment of my photography retailing. Knowing that the image is that special to her and may well inspire her when times get hard still puts a lump in my throat....


Si
 
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