"Wow, you have a really nice camera"

How many times do you hear "Wow, you have a really nice camera"? It bugs me, just a little bit (I can't help it)

when I give a friend or family member a nice print and they compliment my camera. Does this happen to you? Does

it bug you?

Ernest Hemingway: "Good pictures, what camera do you use?"

Irving Penn: "What typewriter do you use?"

No, most people, who no nothing about photography, think that since YOU have a nice camera, it MUST take Great photgraphs.

They think all You have to do is press the shutter release and BINGO! the camera has taken another great photo. Just smile and thank them, and move on.

Great quote Eric, I'll have to use a variations on that some time in the future.

Moose Peterson (I think) said that "no matter how much I beg and plead with my camera, it won't go out and take great pictures without me." Or words to that effect. I'm sure my quote is off a bit but not much.

 

Mine behaves the same way and I even bought it CS2.

 

Conni

Move on. They means well. :)

 

<p>Alternatively, hand them the camera and tell them to just set it to <b>P</b> Mode for <b>P</b>rofessional

results. Then act surprised if they don't get a good one. LOL!

 

<p>Mary

I once said that to a professional photographer packing fancy gear. He was not amused. It was meant as a joke but I didn't tell him that. :-)

And then there are some folks who just can't make enough jokes on the same topic...

 

http://www.photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00QynI

Usually they think that you are a pro if you have a fancy camera with all the do-dads....lol! I agree with Richard on what he

said. The only people who have told me I have a nice camera are fellow camera-loving family members...:)

I don't mind. After all, I <b>do</b> have a very nice camera.

<p>

Don't sweat the silly stuff. After all, who are you taking photos for? Yourself, or idiots?

Lou Ann Aepelbacher, a PN Photographer I greatly admire has a great little blip regarding this in her Biography that fits this to a tee. "An amateur photographer was invited to dinner with friends, and he took along a few pictures to show to them. The hostess looked at the photos and commented, "These are very good! You must have a good camera." The photographer didn't make any comment, but as he was leaving to go home, he said, "That was a really delicious meal! You must have some very good pots." Loved it when I read it. All credit to Lou Ann.

"Don't sweat the silly stuff. After all, who are you taking photos for? Yourself, or idiots?"

 

Actually, it's for both, and that's where the problem lies.

 

I'm trying to sell my photos, so when I get "Wow, you must have a great camera" AND "Do you use PhotoShop?", I do start to sweat under the collar.

 

The only thing worse is when you tell them the price of a print, and they say "What! I know a place that will print a 11x14 for 0.99 cents."

I always just take that as an extension of the compliment to me. Seems ironic to worry about it though, since just about

everyone that posts a photo here specifies the camera, lens, flash etc.

And from one month ago...

 

http://www.photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00Qfxd

I recently showed some prints at a camera club meeting (i.e. to other photographers) and got multiple people ask "what camera do you use?" which is basically the same thing.

 

I just take it as a compliment. It is easier to say "wow, you have a nice camera", or "wow, what camera do you use?" than it is to say "Huh . . . my photos never turn out as well" or whatever it is they might otherwise say.

But, to pot the other side of the argument for a moment....

 

if the camera / lens didn't make that amount of difference professionals would all use P&S cameras

 

and the forums here would be sadly depleted of their 'what gear is best' posts.

I believe in trying to educate people about what goes into a good photograph. Actually the people who say this tend to also admit that even with a nice camera, they probably couldn't master it and the technique to take similar photos. So either my audience is more knowledgeable or I'm just lucky.

I frequently use Mamiya TLRs (C3,C220, C330), which usually elicit a comment along the lines of, "What in God's Name is that !?"

Just my view, but for your average person viewing an image it's hard to understand all the elliments that make it "good" to them, so they do what most people do when they don't understand something but like it anyway. They try to compliment it on a level that makes sense to them. In most cases the intentions are positive, in those cases I really think you just have to look past their ignorrance and take it as a compliment.

 

How ever in some cases, there are the people that indicate the only reason you can make good pictures is due to your camera and those people you should ignore, or perhaps even give an insightful witticism. I think in some cases there are even photographers who believe they can't make good pictures without the best gear. I think at the end of the day you have to admit to yourself as a photographer, that while having gear that let's you down or hinders you is definitely not ideal, with creativity and a bit of resourcefulness you can work within most limitations to create something powerful.

 

Maybe I've gone way off the mark, and maybe that was all not very insightful, but that's my view on it.

Just be happy that they appreciate your photos.

The camera matters, the lenses you use matter, does anyone really not believe that?

 

http://www.dpchallenge.com the highest scoring image are from better cameras.

When I switched from a P&S to a digital my score went up right away.

 

Having a good camera is not enough to produce a good photo, but a poor camera will make it very hard to get a really good one.

 

To all the people who insist on using cooking and pots as an analogy I have to assume that you are not very good cooks or you would show some pride in your pots, in cooking the pots matter.

 

A lot of the photos I get are not so much because I have a really nice camera, but because I have a really nice lens, the point is the same, the gear helps a lot in getting a photo.

Actually, I find that to be a good icebreaker. I have begun a series of people pictures and find beginning a conversation with potential subjects a key. If they start that by asking about my camera, all the better.

Are we really so surprised when people talk this way, after seeing thousands of ads claiming that buying certain products will change

everything? At times I'm caught in it myself, because actually my amazing new DSLR with Matrix Metering, Dynamic Range Optimizer,

spot-on focusing, 10 Megapixel resolution and a pretty great onboard image processor is giving me jpegs straight out of the box that are

technically superior to those from my old camera. It's also just as important where, when, in what light, and how I compose the images.

So, probably to an extent everyone's right on this topic, whatever their position about equipment and skill. It's a big, often paradoxical

world. Anyone can slip into becoming dogmatic in his/her own positions.

Photography is not like cooking or painting. Any random person off the street can set their camera to auto and sometimes get an amazing photo. Give that same person some paint or pots and you won't get a beautiful painting or gourmet meal. Great photographers consistently turn out great work but anybody can ocasionally make a great photo. That's why most people don't view photographers the same way as painters or chefs.

For occasions like you experienced there are to 2 rules to follow.

 

Rule 1. Don't sweat the small stuff.

 

Rule 2. It's all small stuff.