Does it bother you at all....

....When people only compliment your camera?

For example, if showing a group a couple of prints, you only hear "Wow, what an amazing camera" , or "That camera must take wonderful pictures."

Its almost rare to hear "You take some good photos" instead of people applauding the inanimate object.

I got asked less than an hour ago if I was the one with the really big camera and because my camera was soo nice could I take some photos of a ladies kids.... I mean come on...!! i'm halfway tempted to borrow my nieces P&S for the shots... if she'd let me...

sari

Haha, thats what im talking about sara!

I had once taken some pictures, and showed them to my sister-in-law, and I got the obligatory comment about how my camera takes good pictures.

A couple weeks later the family piled into her house for Thanksgiving dinner. After the meal I aksed to borrow her pots and pans. She was flummoxed, and had no idea why I would want to borrow such things.

"The dinner was excellent," I said, "so I figure you must have some very nice pots and pans."

Thats got to be one of the most creative minds youve got there Scottes. I salute you

Scottes wrote in post #2171384
I had once taken some pictures, and showed them to my sister-in-law, and I got the obligatory comment about how my camera takes good pictures.

A couple weeks later the family piled into her house for Thanksgiving dinner. After the meal I aksed to borrow her pots and pans. She was flummoxed, and had no idea why I would want to borrow such things.

"The dinner was excellent," I said, "so I figure you must have some very nice pots and pans."

Very creative comeback, the look on her face was probably photo worthy!

People who see my shots usually understand that it's a combination of the equipment and my technique that results in my (passibly) good shots.

Yes, it's a common phenomenon, perpetuated by the camera companies and their marketing departments, whose job it is to convince consumers that their cameras take better pictures than someone else's.

The pots and pans analogy is a good one. I liken the "your camera takes good pictures!" comment to "your violin plays nice music!" It's not hard to explain to people when you have the time, but I rarely have the time.

Curtis N wrote in post #2171470
Yes, it's a common phenomenon, perpetuated by the camera companies and their marketing departments, whose job it is to convince consumers that their cameras take better pictures than someone else's.

The pots and pans analogy is a good one. I liken the "your camera takes good pictures!" comment to "your violin plays nice music!" It's not hard to explain to people when you have the time, but I rarely have the time.

I don't bother... unless it's family and I feel like they should know better... I just nod and say yes. I take photos and I have a camera...

sari

NAisBEST wrote in post #2171335
....When people only compliment your camera?

That is only when they like the pictures, if they don't, then "the photographer is not so good".

Good point Tom...

Yes, I've heard that but not enough! I need to take better pictures so I'll hear it more!

Well, don't we believe that better equipment will enable us to take better photos? Isn't that why we have 1.6 crop or FF DSLRs instead of mini-sensor P&S? Isn't that why some of us will only buy Canon L lenses? Furthermore, I think that most people, not involved in photography, don't really recognize why they like a particular photograph when they see it. They won't say, "Wow, you really nailed the exposure on that one!" Or, "I love the way you bumped up the saturation of the reds." Or, "Good use of the rule of thirds." They don't necessarily realize that the reason you have your camera is because you can take good photos, so they mistakenly think that the only reason you can take good photos is because you have your camera.

Scottes wrote in post #2171384
...I got the obligatory comment about how my camera takes good pictures.

.... After the meal I aksed to borrow her pots and pans. She was flummoxed, and had no idea why I would want to borrow such things...

Good cookware does really help a lot. Try making a delicate French cream sauce on cheap aluminum pan.

Pete wrote in post #2171462
People who see my shots usually understand that it's a combination of the equipment and my technique that results in my (passibly) good shots.

Bingo..

Curtis N wrote in post #2171470
Yes, it's a common phenomenon, perpetuated by the camera companies and their marketing departments, whose job it is to convince consumers that their cameras take better pictures than someone else's..

That’s not a myth, that’s reality. If someone were to offer you a Rebel with a kit lens and a 1D Mark II with a set of primes, which do you think would take better photos.

Curtis N wrote in post #2171470
... I liken the "your camera takes good pictures!" comment to "your violin plays nice music!"

Give Itzhak Perlman a Sears starter violin and he will make good music. Give him a Stratovarius and he will make spectacular music. Hey, I expect the equipment to make a difference otherwise why bother dragging all this big heavy camera equipment around. Sure, a P/S camera will take great pictures and in certain situations will rival a DSLR. But try to capture the same image in less than ideal conditions, or outside of the operational parameters of the P/S and they quickly fail. A camera is simply a tool. The more powerfull your tool, the more you can do with it.

JohnnyG wrote in post #2171918
Yes, I've heard that but not enough! I need to take better pictures so I'll hear it more!

Heck, most times I'd be happy to hear the "you got great equipment" line.

Yes. But Perlman would make better music with a piece of junk than someone without any training could make with a Stratovarius.

Artists and craftsmen of all sorts generally gravitate toward the best tools they can buy. But such tools are worthless without the skills to use them, and when a superior product is produced, the artist/craftsman deserves the credit.