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

The other day it was raining bad so I had thinkintank belt with rain covers, rain jacket and nothing on the camera, got lots of "is that thing waterproof" "yeah" comments... at one point I was the only person standing on the oval (except for the competitors I was shooting) all the spectators had gone under cover... It was just moderately heavy rain then suddenly the HUGEST downpour I have ever been in came down on me, I could hear branches falling off trees (couldn't see buggerall)in the wind... I *was not* expecting that The mk III+70-200 was fine (as always) Once that was over I got a few comments "wow, you photographers really are as crazy as they say"

pendulum15 wrote in post #8193779
The other day it was raining bad so I had thinkintank belt with rain covers, rain jacket and nothing on the camera, got lots of "is that thing waterproof" "yeah" comments... at one point I was the only person standing on the oval (except for the competitors I was shooting) all the spectators had gone under cover... It was just moderately heavy rain then suddenly the HUGEST downpour I have ever been in came down on me, I could hear branches falling off trees (couldn't see buggerall)in the wind... I *was not* expecting that The mk III+70-200 was fine (as always) Once that was over I got a few comments "wow, you photographers really are as crazy as they say"

W00T! Awesome story! LOL gotta love that kind of comments. although, I would have been surprised if you didn't get some comments after being in such a downpour as you describe LOL. 10 points for you!

WE know photographers are crazy. How could we not know. But, there is no need for you to go and prove it to the world!

pendulum15 wrote in post #8193779
The other day it was raining bad so I had thinkintank belt with rain covers, rain jacket and nothing on the camera, got lots of "is that thing waterproof" "yeah" comments... at one point I was the only person standing on the oval (except for the competitors I was shooting) all the spectators had gone under cover... It was just moderately heavy rain then suddenly the HUGEST downpour I have ever been in came down on me, I could hear branches falling off trees (couldn't see buggerall)in the wind... I *was not* expecting that The mk III+70-200 was fine (as always) Once that was over I got a few comments "wow, you photographers really are as crazy as they say"

Branches falling off trees? I'd say you are crazier than most photographers out here. In fact, crazier than most people in general. Good thing you didn't come out of saying , 'This isn't Kansas anymore Toto!'

Heh, when I was covering BMX last weekend, I was photographing some of the winners at the end of the night when they opened the track up for fun runs. I setup some speedlights on light stands on the track and asked "How fast, how high and how close can you guys get to me?" then both of the kids looked dumbfounded at each other and responded "umm... We don't want to hurt you or break your camera", I then immediately said "Don't worry about me or the camera's, just get as close as possible". I was practically laying on the ground in the middle of the track at the end of a double jump getting wide angle shots of these two 14 yr olds like 8 feet in the air.

Alrighty JBaz.. where's the proof? LOL that sounds like some awesome fun!

JBaz wrote in post #8195426

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I want to try again later on and get closer with the wide angle, maybe setup a remote camera on the track, looking directly up at the subject when the sun is still up.

This one is Awesome!
Great work.

pendulum15 wrote in post #8193779
suddenly the HUGEST downpour I have ever been in came down on me, I could hear branches falling off trees

Not the safest place to be, under the trees. The same thing happened to me on Saturday while photographing part of the Greenwich & Docklands International Festival at Greenwich Observatory. While I was waiting outside to get in, a thunderstorm started. By the time I got my (metal-bodied) Canon 40D and (metal-cased) 70-300mm lens plus 430 EX II flash (some metal in there, I'm certain) the time between thunder and lightning was down to less than a second. And the flashes were going off about every 5 seconds or so. Oh, I forgot to mention the metal walking stick.

Until they let us in about 5 minutes later, while deciding whether or not to cancel the event, I stood a few feet away from my rucksack ready to hit the ground if I felt 'the buzz'. Makes you feel alive.

garryknight wrote in post #8196604
Not the safest place to be, under the trees. The same thing happened to me on Saturday while photographing part of the Greenwich & Docklands International Festival at Greenwich Observatory. While I was waiting outside to get in, a thunderstorm started. By the time I got my (metal-bodied) Canon 40D and (metal-cased) 70-300mm lens plus 430 EX II flash (some metal in there, I'm certain) the time between thunder and lightning was down to less than a second. And the flashes were going off about every 5 seconds or so. Oh, I forgot to mention the metal walking stick.

Until they let us in about 5 minutes later, while deciding whether or not to cancel the event, I stood a few feet away from my rucksack ready to hit the ground if I felt 'the buzz'. Makes you feel alive.

And makes you want to stay that way!

Oh, I also forgot to mention that I almost dropped my 300 on the ground when shooting baseball. I was in the middle of switching to the 70-200 body to get a closer shot and had the 300 resting on my left shoulder, but when I moved too much to the right, the lens slipped off and began to fall left and I didn't have my camera strap over my head.

When I felt the lens started to slip, I put my other camera back on my hip/belt and tried to grab it, but it was too late. Instinctively, I kicked the bottom of the monopod where the camera+300 was resting on and flung it back up, and caught the monopod in mid air all while they were in a pendulum swing, missing the ground by a few inches. I swung it back right side up, planted the monopod down and continued to fire at the kids at 2nd base capturing the slide.

All of the parents by the 1st base saw my movement and cheered me on. Basically saying "wow, smooth move camera man!" and "I've never seen anything like it!".

^Bravo!

Nice save, JBaz!

JBaz wrote in post #8197448
Oh, I also forgot to mention that I almost dropped my 300 on the ground when shooting baseball. I was in the middle of switching to the 70-200 body to get a closer shot and had the 300 resting on my left shoulder, but when I moved too much to the right, the lens slipped off and began to fall left and I didn't have my camera strap over my head.

When I felt the lens started to slip, I put my other camera back on my hip/belt and tried to grab it, but it was too late. Instinctively, I kicked the bottom of the monopod where the camera+300 was resting on and flung it back up, and caught the monopod in mid air all while they were in a pendulum swing, missing the ground by a few inches. I swung it back right side up, planted the monopod down and continued to fire at the kids at 2nd base capturing the slide.

All of the parents by the 1st base saw my movement and cheered me on. Basically saying "wow, smooth move camera man!" and "I've never seen anything like it!".

JBaz wrote in post #8197448
Oh, I also forgot to mention that I almost dropped my 300 on the ground when shooting baseball. I was in the middle of switching to the 70-200 body to get a closer shot and had the 300 resting on my left shoulder, but when I moved too much to the right, the lens slipped off and began to fall left and I didn't have my camera strap over my head.

When I felt the lens started to slip, I put my other camera back on my hip/belt and tried to grab it, but it was too late. Instinctively, I kicked the bottom of the monopod where the camera+300 was resting on and flung it back up, and caught the monopod in mid air all while they were in a pendulum swing, missing the ground by a few inches. I swung it back right side up, planted the monopod down and continued to fire at the kids at 2nd base capturing the slide.

All of the parents by the 1st base saw my movement and cheered me on. Basically saying "wow, smooth move camera man!" and "I've never seen anything like it!".

I would probably end up kicking in the front element of the 300 if I tried that!

JBaz wrote in post #8197448
Oh, I also forgot to mention that I almost dropped my 300 on the ground when shooting baseball. I was in the middle of switching to the 70-200 body to get a closer shot and had the 300 resting on my left shoulder, but when I moved too much to the right, the lens slipped off and began to fall left and I didn't have my camera strap over my head.

When I felt the lens started to slip, I put my other camera back on my hip/belt and tried to grab it, but it was too late. Instinctively, I kicked the bottom of the monopod where the camera+300 was resting on and flung it back up, and caught the monopod in mid air all while they were in a pendulum swing, missing the ground by a few inches. I swung it back right side up, planted the monopod down and continued to fire at the kids at 2nd base capturing the slide.

All of the parents by the 1st base saw my movement and cheered me on. Basically saying "wow, smooth move camera man!" and "I've never seen anything like it!".

I did something similar, but it was years of soccer playing that saved me. My near miss wasn't with a 300 mm, but I was shooting with my Sigma 70-200 on a borrowed body and had my Sigma 28-70 on my 20D, when my 20D slipped off my shoulder (much like you described). I just tensed up my right arm to "catch the strap at my elbow", but apparently I hadn't gotten one of the clasps securely onto the camera because when it hit tension, the camera fell in front of me (the strap facing behind me came undone) and the strap slung up and hit my face while the camera fell to the ground. I stuck my right foot out (purely by instinct, there was absolutely no thought) and caught the camera on the top of my foot.

I looked around to see if anyone saw my near tragedy and found I was pretty much alone. However, after the game, my son said, "I'll bet your glad you've played soccer all your life..." Turns out he saw me catch the camera with my foot. He however then expressed disappointment that I bent over and picked it up off my foot rather than flicking it back up to my hand!!