The only sober person in the room.

<p>Have you ever found yourself photographing an event where everybody in the place is inebriated but you? Great way to observe human nature. This may be one reason to consider a environmentally sealed camera.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>This may be one reason to consider a environmentally sealed camera.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This is both wry and disgusting. Bravo. :)</p>

<p>I was think more along the lines of spilled food and wine but I see your point.</p>

<p> I'm going to a work party on Saturday. I do not drink and about 8PM my co-workers that I respect will be loud obnoxious and drunk. They will say stuff they would never have said and they will be touchy fee-lie. I will sneak out the door shortly after it gets uncomfortable for me.</p>

<p> My friend is going to be in the band and I was going to take a couple shots of his band using HP5 pushing to 1600. No flash. </p>

Since I don't drink, I'm often in that situation. I don't think it's a great way to observe human nature any more than is going

to church or going to a park on a sunny afternoon. It's a great way to observe drunk people. Maybe not even so. Because

when I'm there to photograph, I'm observing in a different way than were I casually interacting with them. While I might be

completely turned off if I were just another casual guest, I might be completely turned on as a photographer with lots of

possibilities for odd or exaggerated or uninhibited expressions and behaviors. Or, while drunkenness might not bother me

at all casually speaking, it might bother me as a photographer if people were putting my equipment at risk by being sloppy

and uncareful.

I love photographing drunk people. They're much less self conscious, and they generally don't care what I'm doing (as

long as I'm not a buzzkill).<div></div>

<p>If drinks are involved my bag stays in the car. <br>

My Queen has a P&S in her purse for those situations (and my keys, usually).</p>

 

If you are shooting a wedding reception, you are invisible. Being professional means losing self conscious and getting the job done. You are wise to not accept a drink nor even eat. Useful to have bagels to nosh on. There are many bagel friendly camera bags. As for water resistant cameras, the part I like best Sanford is the idea that at least the lenses may be more likely to resist fungus as well as shake off a splash of Michelob. I, like Mike, can warm up to those with a little buzz on. Drunk is another story, like as in what we used to call ''knee walking drunk." Yes, people's interpersonal dome narrows when they drink. It is a good chance to do psych study, I agree. Secret of people photography by the way is to learn to loosen up a subject without benefit of ethyl alochol, right?

To wit--<div></div>

<p>I'm vaguely reminded of an occasion long ago when some friends (and I - it was indeed long ago) were about to indulge in some drinking and carousing, when another who carried a Leica stopped and went to put on a filter, explaining "I'd better put on the barf guard."</p>

<p>Matthew, that comment would fit perfectly in another thread I'm following:<br>

http://www.photo.net/filters-bags-tripods-accessories-forum/00eJaT</p>

<p>Now that I think of it, almost all of the shots I took of non sober people were more like snapshots that I decided later were not worth keeping. And when the subjects did see them it was always the same old tired line "boy wasn't that a great time"</p>