Is this weird to anyone?

[Danny Boy]

This last Saturday, I was taking pictures of my daughter's soccer game. It was nearing the end of the game so I packed up my stuff and was just watching the end of the game. Parents for the next game were gathering and I noticed one guy who had a Canon 20D. Cool, I have one too and was trying to see what kind of lens he had. He noticed I had a camera backpack and was carrying a monopod so he came over to talk. No big deal... he asked what kind of camera, lens, etc. I had and we discussed camera gear for a few minutes. This was cool as I'm always willing to talk photography. All of a sudden he pulls out this small portfolio showing me his pictures. I'm sure he is proud of his work but it was almost like chimping. I was waiting for an "Oooo Oooo, look at this...it's a really good one". Is it me or does anyone else think this is weird that someone whips out a portfolio of pics to be what seemed like bragging? Maybe I was just taken off guard.

Dan

[sixshot]

I wouldn't do it. But hey, I don't have a portfolio yet!!

[Steve Parr]

I can look at this from two different positions.

You never know who you’re talking to. I carry a portfolio of band shots with me in the van. If I’m out shooting a band, and someone says they’d love to see some of my work, I can show it to them. Granted, I’m not whipping it out of my back pocket, but access to it is easy enough. Hey, what do I know? Maybe this person asking about my work is someone who’d be in a position to give me future work. Isn’t that one of the reasons to have a portfolio in the first place?



I rarely show my portfolio unless it’s asked for, though…



Steve

[PhotosGuy]

You're going to meet all kinds out there. I'd rather see his work so I can tell just "who" I'm talking to. Some people with P&S cams take great pics! Another friend with WAY too much cam is always on the "green box"! "F-stop? What's that?" ;-)

[smittymike19]

or maybe this guy is excited about photography and he doesnt have many people who share his interests. finding a guy like you who shares his interest, he thought it would be cool to share his stuff to get soem feedback, or maybe just "show off'. i mean really if you were a cool guy youd be happy to look at his stuff and share his enthusiasm. Dont be such a deadbeat or worse, a snob. if you were truly in love with your hobby youd be just as interested in looking at his stuff as he was showing it to you.:) i for one enjoy seeing peopels pictures. you can learn alot from other people. dont be so uptight. if you had some stuff you were proud of Im sure youd want to show it off too. Take a look at the photo posting boards here, "THOSE GUYS" are all over the place here.

[MazerRakhm]

or maybe this guy is excited about photography and he doesnt have many people who share his interests. finding a guy like you who shares his interest, he thought it would be cool to share his stuff to get soem feedback, or maybe just "show off'. i mean really if you were a cool guy youd be happy to look at his stuff and share his enthusiasm. Dont be such a deadbeat or worse, a snob. if you were truly in love with your hobby youd be just as interested in looking at his stuff as he was showing it to you.:) i for one enjoy seeing peopels pictures. you can learn alot from other people. dont be so uptight. if you had some stuff you were proud of Im sure youd want to show it off too. Take a look at the photo posting boards here, "THOSE GUYS" are all over the place here.

What in his story doesn’t make him a “cool guy”? He said he they guy was cool and that he was more than happy to talk photography with him.

I totally understand what Danny Boy’s talking about, if I was at my daughters softball game and some other guy with a camera were to come over, we talk nicely, and then from out of nowhere he pulls out a portfolio to show me I’d probably give him a funny look, thinking “Do you carry that with you everywhere?” as well.

Yes the guy could have been just an avid photo enthusiast, lonely with no one to talk to about his hobby but I would also wonder if just “whipping it out right then and there” isn’t a little forward or strange.

Steve Parr said he carries one in his van in case someone is interested in looking, that’s great, if the conversation leads in a direction where someone wants to look at your stuff either they’ll make the time to look or you can go get it.

Last fall I shot a season of H.S. football as coverage for someone for the first time, and I learned one thing quickly: Some photographers can be a little “cagey”. I met quite a few that were friendly, nice, didn’t mind talking a little “shop”, or about the game, while others wouldn’t give me the time of day just because I had a camera. I wouldn’t dream of whipping out a portfolio in those circumstances, and would definitely be caught off guard if someone did it suddenly while I was watching my daughter play softball, especially if it wasn’t mentioned yet in the conversation.

[Danny Boy]

Wow.... I am a deadbeat, uptight snob. I'd have to say I've never been called that before, even by my wife :). I was just trying to find out if anyone else has been put in the situation I described.

Thanks for the feedback everyone else.

[ajbalazic]

What do you mean he pulled it out?

He pulled... it out.



Remember... Sienfeld. Maybe they were actually talking about Elainne's date's portfollio.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I had one guy do the same thing once,. and I was out walking in the woods! We both were Canon users and wildlife enthusiasts.. but he actually had small flexibinder filled with 8X12 prints in his bag!

He pretty much made sure I saw the whole collection too!

I didn't really think it was too odd though.
He struck me as the type that doesn't see a lot of people day to day ... so anyone who would listen.. ;)

[cjm]

I don't know if it is weird, after all you were talking photography so he may have just figured you would be interested to see them and he probably was bored.

Now if say you talked about the weather and then he said "Oh Ah Let me show you my photo album!" that would be different.

[Steve Parr]

I don't know if it is weird, after all you were talking photography so he may have just figured you would be interested to see them and he probably was bored.

Now if say you talked about the weather and then he said "Oh Ah Let me show you my photo album!" that would be different.

Unless, of course, there were pictures of clouds. Then, I guess, a correlation could be made...

Steve

[cjm]

LOL Steve, good point. Then maybe it could be rain falling, snow melting and say guys in trench coats singing in the rain?

[Andy_T]

or maybe this guy is excited about photography and he doesnt have many people who share his interests. finding a guy like you who shares his interest, he thought it would be cool to share his stuff to get soem feedback, or maybe just "show off'.

I totally agree with the opinion until this point. Maybe that's all that was to it.

I also enjoy it a lot if I find somebody else who shares my enthusiasm in photograhpy (but I don't carry my portfolio with me).

Still, I wouldn't mind if somebody showed me some of his pictures (if the amount of pictures was reasonable).

Best regards,
Andy

[robertwgross]

Most photographers feel compelled to show their work to somebody. Some of us show prints to strangers. Some of us show prints to family and friends. Some of us publish a web page with them. Some of us email images around. Some of us sell them to publishers.

To each, his own.

---Bob Gross---

[CyberDyneSystems]

Some even post on these hoky forums... :lol:
Now THAT I have never understood ... :mrgreen:

[ajbalazic]

There are very few photography enthusiats amongst my circle of friends and colleagues. I could see myself sharing my portfolio as this fellow did. I don't think it's odd. Some people are just more outgoing than others. I would consider it a compliment that someone would share their treasured photos with you Dan. Like many have said already, isn't that what we do here? We should find this 20D guy and tell him about POTN!

[exposingmyself]

i had that happen to me once at a friends picnic but this was way before i even knew what photography meant (esp to me). i couldn't understand why he was showing me his camera, his flash, lens, pictures, portfolio, was telling about actors/model friends who would come to his nj apt for shoots, was telling me how he was moving to miami to pursue his photography......but now looking back i understand. i hope he's doing well.

you were very nice for listening to him. that's all you had to do and that's what you did.

[PhotosGuy]

I'm always happy to talk phptography & that's how I should have put it above. I don't want to talk above someones head & see his eyes glaze over. ;-)

[am_pitbull_terrier]

Some even post on these hoky forums... :lol:
Now THAT I have never understood ... :mrgreen:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[IndyJeff]

LOL Well I have had something kind of similar happen. Last year while I was shooting an extreme bike competition, one of the competitors came over and struck up a conversation. He was in his late 20's but could pass for early 20's, no problem.
Anyway, he asks about what all I shoot. Then out of the blue, :Do you ever shoot any porn?" I had to kind of hold back a laugh and just replied that no, I haven't done any porn. He then informs me he does a lot of it with his P & S. If I am interested he has a stack of them in his car.

I declined the offer and since my youngest son, 12 at the time was there, I kept an eye on this guy. Turns out he was pretty cool. He just liked talking girls out of their clothes to pose for him.

[Jesper]

I think it's a good idea!

When I went on holiday to India, one of my fellow travellers was a photographer (he was retired and now spends a lot of his time on photography). He specialises on photographing people. In India that's easy (many people like to be photographed and sometimes they even come to ask you to make a photo of them...), but in other places of the world (for example right here at home!) people generally aren't to keen on being photographed by a stranger.

So he had a small book with photos to show people what kind of photos he makes, and it helps him to break the ice if he meets somebody that he'd like to photograph.

[Carzee]

Not so weird, I can see where the guy was - he was establishing his credentials really.

Any correlations with other pursuits? Other solutions must be out there, at least there must be a better way than carrying a portfolio to impress strangers...

Some golfers wear different colored jackets or just a tie so that on occasion at the 19th you know your place..

Some cyclists wear a yellow jersey. Hmmm.

I know, what about a POTN Op-tech strap?

[sixshot]

I still think it werid and although I said I wouldn't do it, I'd be happy to chat to someone if they showed me their pics. Each to their own.

[Danny Boy]

I guess I was just taken back unexpectedly. It's good to hear everyone's opinion. The bottom line is that everyone is different. Now the whole porn thing is a different beast all together. :)

[Andy_T]

Now the whole porn thing is a different beast all together. :)

I'd assume he'll have less trouble finding strangers that might be enthusiastic about looking at his pictures :lol:

Best regards,
Andy