Post the most ridiculous comments you've received with a big lens on!

A few months back I was walking through the local gardens with my 30D and Sigma 100-300 f4 strapped on. I had spent about 30 minutes stalking a satin bower bird and managed to get a few good shots.

Now at this point in time I had been thinking seriously about doing some photography jobs to earn a bit of lens money, so I am constantly on the lookout for oportunities.

Walking back to my car one of two ladies who had been watching me from a park bench makes her way toward me. My lucky break perhaps?

Lady: Wow, that looks like a nice camera.
Me: Yes it certainly takes some good pictures.
Lady: Oh? What have you been taking pictures of?
Me: Mostly the bird life around here.
Lady: are you a professional photographer?
Me: No, I just enjoy it as a hobby. I've had a camera since I was 5. I just can't get enough of it. I would like to do some paid work though. *hint* *hint*
Lady: Really? Well, can I ask...
Me: Sure <growing anticipation... first job here I come!>
Lady: Have you heard about God's plan for the earth?

photobitz wrote in post #4680270
A few months back I was walking through the local gardens with my 30D and Sigma 100-300 f4 strapped on. I had spent about 30 minutes stalking a satin bower bird and managed to get a few good shots.

Now at this point in time I had been thinking seriously about doing some photography jobs to earn a bit of lens money, so I am constantly on the lookout for oportunities.

Walking back to my car one of two ladies who had been watching me from a park bench makes her way toward me. My lucky break perhaps?

Lady: Wow, that looks like a nice camera.
Me: Yes it certainly takes some good pictures.
Lady: Oh? What have you been taking pictures of?
Me: Mostly the bird life around here.
Lady: are you a professional photographer?
Me: No, I just enjoy it as a hobby. I've had a camera since I was 5. I just can't get enough of it. I would like to do some paid work though. *hint* *hint*
Lady: Really? Well, can I ask...
Me: Sure <growing anticipation... first job here I come!>
Lady: Have you heard about God's plan for the earth?

This is when you shoot a quick flash in their eyes and run.

apersson850 wrote in post #4676045
It goes like this:

First comment: Gosh, is that heavy. How can you carry it around? (If it's indoors, we're now typically talking about the EOS 40D, EF-S 17-55 f/2.8, grip BG-E2N with two BP-511A and the Speedlite 580 EX II, a 2.5 kg piece.)

Second comment: How do you turn on the display? (As I don't go into the manual focusing live view procedure, I urge them to look through the viewfinder and press the shutter button half way.)

Third comment: Where is the zoom button? (I tell them to turn the ring on the lens, which in turn requires the basic lesson of how to hold an SLR properly).

Had EXACTLY the same three comments off the father in-law at Christmas. Commented how heavy it was compared to his "super light" compact (it's only a 400D with a 17-70 for pete's sake!), was then stunned that you had to look through the viewfinder and couldn't see what you were pointing at on the screen and was also shocked that there were no zoom buttons and you had to "do it manually".

Whilst I agree with you about being understanding if people are genuinely inquisitive, these comments were phrased in a far more disparaging tone, as if to say "how crap is that!?", at which point I lost interest and took the camera off him and put it away again. I've no interest in trying to explain to anyone how SLRs operate or their advantages over a compact P&S or bridge camera when it's obvious their only agenda is convincing themselves that your SLR is a huge, pointless waste of money and is no better than their little camera

Was over at frog pond with my 24-70 taking pictures of children playing in the water. A couple was walking by and stopped behind me.

Guy "Are we in your way?"
Me "No your fine"
Guy "So is this for a newspaper?"
Me "No, why?"
Guy "If it was, we'd jump into the water with the kids"

LFaluade wrote in post #4680880
Was over at frog pond with my 24-70 taking pictures of children playing in the water. A couple was walking by and stopped behind me.

Guy "Are we in your way?"
Me "No your fine"
Guy "So is this for a newspaper?"
Me "No, why?"
Guy "If it was, we'd jump into the water with the kids"

You should have told him yes
and taken pictures of him too in the water

Vertigo1 wrote in post #4680654
Had EXACTLY the same three comments off the father in-law at Christmas. Commented how heavy it was compared to his "super light" compact (it's only a 400D with a 17-70 for pete's sake!), was then stunned that you had to look through the viewfinder and couldn't see what you were pointing at on the screen and was also shocked that there were no zoom buttons and you had to "do it manually".

Whilst I agree with you about being understanding if people are genuinely inquisitive, these comments were phrased in a far more disparaging tone, as if to say "how crap is that!?", at which point I lost interest and took the camera off him and put it away again. I've no interest in trying to explain to anyone how SLRs operate or their advantages over a compact P&S or bridge camera when it's obvious their only agenda is convincing themselves that your SLR is a huge, pointless waste of money and is no better than their little camera

Yeah, I quickly clam up myself. If I can't tell him what he wants to hear and that's all he'll listen too... then we're both wasting our time.

I was at a sci-fi convention over the past weekend. I was walking around with my 40D around my neck (with the POTN strap I got for Christmas!) and came across a group of kids in costume, who were apparently waiting for a photo shoot that one of their friends had arranged.

I was standing there waiting to see what they were doing, and admiring their extremely accurate (and probably expensive) costumes, when the whole group stopped and started staring at me. Slightly embarrassed, and thinking I had interrupted something, I asked them if they wanted me to leave.

That's when one of them stepped forward and said, "Um, aren't you going to tell us how you want us to pose... You are the photographer we're waiting for, right?"

Not quite as funny as some of the others in this thread, but it absolutely made my day... And as it turned out, the guy they were actually waiting for never showed, so I was more than happy to fill in. And now I have more experience shooting groups and some new friends!

-Mike

DarthMTS47 wrote in post #4681445
I was at a sci-fi convention over the past weekend. I was walking around with my 40D around my neck (with the POTN strap I got for Christmas!) and came across a group of kids in costume, who were apparently waiting for a photo shoot that one of their friends had arranged.

I was standing there waiting to see what they were doing, and admiring their extremely accurate (and probably expensive) costumes, when the whole group stopped and started staring at me. Slightly embarrassed, and thinking I had interrupted something, I asked them if they wanted me to leave.

That's when one of them stepped forward and said, "Um, aren't you going to tell us how you want us to pose... You are the photographer we're waiting for, right?"

Not quite as funny as some of the others in this thread, but it absolutely made my day... And as it turned out, the guy they were actually waiting for never showed, so I was more than happy to fill in. And now I have more experience shooting groups and some new friends!

-Mike

-Post a shot! I'd be interesting to see the costumes. I haven't been to a Sci-Fi convention in years. Was at a Star Trek one back in the Mid '90s, but I was just a youngun. (I was a big Trekkie from age 4-15 or so).

this is probably the best comment received in this thread

DarthMTS47 wrote in post #4681445
I was at a sci-fi convention over the past weekend. I was walking around with my 40D around my neck (with the POTN strap I got for Christmas!) and came across a group of kids in costume, who were apparently waiting for a photo shoot that one of their friends had arranged.

I was standing there waiting to see what they were doing, and admiring their extremely accurate (and probably expensive) costumes, when the whole group stopped and started staring at me. Slightly embarrassed, and thinking I had interrupted something, I asked them if they wanted me to leave.

That's when one of them stepped forward and said, "Um, aren't you going to tell us how you want us to pose... You are the photographer we're waiting for, right?"

Not quite as funny as some of the others in this thread, but it absolutely made my day... And as it turned out, the guy they were actually waiting for never showed, so I was more than happy to fill in. And now I have more experience shooting groups and some new friends!

-Mike

i love people with P&S cameras, especially at stadiums like indoor motorcylce races. where you see them on tv, and all you see is a bunch of flashes going off, you can just count how many are using "green box mode" its like, do you think your tiny little flash is going to light up the dirtbikers when your 200ft away?

and for the pervert camera back on page 100 something, on ebay theres a pervert camera lense, i was looking up for a big lense, and seen this huge one, but it had a HUGE hold cutout on the side, upon further inspection, the hole is for the mirror that bends the lense 90* so you can point at the wall infront of you, and take a picture of the girl bending over beside you... im like... wow that is just horrible, it even showed a guy aiming at the water, and another picture showed 2 girls laying on the beach, obviously good looking.. to show you what you can do.


i dont have a big lense, but ive gotten the nice camera comments, one person sasked me "is that from like 1920? its bigger than mine, he had a p&s on green box mode

I've got the nice camera from a few people, and talked to a few people who came up to me, but what gets me are the people who do dumb things like dance idiotically, or make faces when a camera is pointed their way (Happend with a 40D and a 24-105L).
Also, I was down at Cape Cod this summer and saw a gentleman with a 30D shooting pictures of seaweed floating in the water next to a boat launch in green box mode. I had a good laugh over that.
It's also funny when you are composing a shot, of something and people are about to walk in front of you when they realize you're taking a picture so they almost fall over themselves to get out of the way.
Sorry for my rambling, but I wanted to contribute *something*. Oh and as for those who say my SLR was a waste of money because it isn't as "easy" to use as their P&S, they usually shot up when I show them pictures I took with my crappy camera.

Sam_M wrote in post #4683934
Also, I was down at Cape Cod this summer and saw a gentleman with a 30D shooting pictures of seaweed floating in the water next to a boat launch in green box mode. I had a good laugh over that.

Why?

Up until a few years ago I was using bridge cameras to just take snaps and was irritated at people I knew who were proper photogs turning up their noses and acting like they were superior etc. I was mostly in to video then.

Then one day someone I know let me have a play with his Rebel and after explaining FL etc I got interested. Anyway, I reckon my snaps now blow theirs away and I'm shooting mag covers in the music biz. I had page 3 in a paper 2 weeks ago etc etc.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that many people just don't realise how much fun photography can be so rather than look down on the public for not understanding maybe it's worth chatting with them if asked.



Mike

tim wrote in post #4683966
Why?

Yes, why?

I just realized that I've got another camera-related comment as well, although it wasn't ridiculous at all.

While working away from home, the weekends get very boring, if you find nothing fun to do. This time I was in Nashville, TN, and found out about a motorbike show coming up on Sunday. So I thought I could just as well go there, to take some pictures, than sitting idle in a hotel room.

A few minutes after I had arrived, I was spotted by Melinda from the show sponsor. As I was equipped with two cameras and four lenses, she approached and asked if I was a professional photographer. It turned out that they have had an agreement with one before, but not any longer. Eventually, we made an agreement and now some of my pictures are on their web site.

If you go here, then click on "Event pics", you'll see them. If you scroll a bit further down, you'll also get some good ammunition to throw at these who think a cheap P&S is the same, just smaller. Even these heavily compressed 0.1 megapixel images reveal which are taken by the DSLR or the P&S.