Shtuff people say to photographers...

[charedan]

<p><a href="http://www.doobybrain.com/2012/02/29/shtuff-people-say-to-photographers/">Permalink</a></p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>It should read: "Shtuff people say to other people with cameras". :-) </p>

[jaydesi]

<p>Funny! Yet in many ways, true.</p>

[stp]

<p>My favorite (and not in the video): "Wow, your photos are good. You should sell these."</p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>Funny you should say that, Stephen, because that's what I've always thought of your pictures! :-) </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Normally, not so much, but this is a 'watcher', to coin a term?</p>

<p>The top moments for me were the looking at the camera and asking "<em>M</em>?" and looking at the lens and asking "This doesn't <em>zoom</em>?" :)</p>

[mbkissel]

<p>I get this one as a legitimate question sometimes...</p>

<p>"How far can you see with that lens?"</p>

[gordonjb]

<p>A few weeks back I was walking down a wharf towards a dive boat wearing a wet suit with a camera inside an underwater housing and someone asked me if the camera was waterproof.</p>

[anthea50]

<p>Why are you taking a photo of THAT?</p>

[Hector Javkin]

<p>We should also have memorable replies from the person with a camera. Here is the best that I have ever heard: Cinematographer Haskell Wexler was filming a television commercial in the company of the client, who had been a pest all morning. Some of the filming was of someone in a cab. The client said, "Oh, no! How are you going to get light inside the cab."</p>

<p>Wexler's reply -- and this is the truth-- was, "I'll just use reflected light from my two Oscars for cinematography."</p>

<p>The client said nothing else for the rest of the shoot.</p>

 

[jim_j2]

<p>My most memorable, . . . one day at the local Zoo a young boy probably about 6 or 7 years old looks up at me while somewhat hiding behind his mother's dress tail and asked "Is that a weapon?"</p>

<p>Well, to say the least, . . . all kinds of "replies" raced through my mind, thinking of what circumstances would have prompted his question. But, instead, I told him it was a camera to take pictures of the animals and asked his mother if I could show him how it worked. She agreed, and I showed him some of the shots on the LCD and even let him handle the camera and the zoom and snap a few.<br>

Probably a question that would have never been asked prior to 9/11!<br>

To this day, I'm still not sure that he was convinced it was <strong>not</strong> a weapon!</p>

[sallymack]

What can you take pictures of with that big camera (Hasselblad on tripod) that I can't with my (small point-and-

shoot digital) camera? --Sally

[wogears]

<p>"Is that a <em>real</em> [film] camera?" From songwriter Eric Bazilian on hearing the shutter sound of my D200.</p>

[chris_waller]

<p>I often use my Mamiya TLRs (C220, C330). I can guarantee that sooner or later someone will come up to me and say, "Er, excuse me, but is that a camera?"</p>

[dzaebst]

<blockquote>

 

<p>I get this one as a legitimate question sometimes...<br>

"How far can you see with that lens?"</p>

 

</blockquote>

 

<p>I believe the correct answer is something like: "I once viewed the Andromeda Galaxy through this, so it's at least 2.6 million light-years." (Ok, I don't really say that, but I've thought it a few times, and came close to saying it out loud).</p>

 

 

[fred_haeseker]

<p>I was using my Mamiya C330 on a tripod at an intersection when a driver stopped his car and asked me if I was working for the police and said, "I wasn't speeding. Really, I wasn't speeding."</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>Him: "I once hired a guy who would put his head in the corner of a room. Could you put your head in the corner?"</p>

<p>Me: "Um.... Yes? If the shot calls for it?"</p>

<p>----------------</p>

<p>Old man with a truly microscopic P&S, commenting about my old 10D: "The guts of my camera are exactly the same as the guts of yours." (I forget exactly how he worded it, but he meant it quite literally.)</p>

[mbkissel]

<p>Dennis, I'm going to commit that one to memory for the right occasion.</p>

<p>Gordon B., that was too funny! I hope you told them no, you hold it above the water level with one arm.</p>

[dan_south]

"Wow! Great pictures! You must have a really expensive camera!"

 

Usually I say something like, well, it was a little bit expensive, but they make more expensive models.

 

One day I was in a testy mood and I asked the guy if he'd like to try to take some 'great pictures' with my 'expensive'

camera. He looked a little stunned.

[Mike D]

<p>About 20 years ago I was photographing a small patch of grass at Wild Animal park because the sunlight was striking it in an interesting way. A young kid behind me said "look mom, he's taking a picture of nothing." Another time, I was carrying a Nikkor 500mm with D300 on my shoulder and a guy says to me "nice camera". His girl friend immediately corrects him, "that's a lens, not a camera, stupid". Nice.</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>How about :</p>

<ul>

<li>We hired a "professional" photographer but you can bring along your very expensive Camera if you want.</li>

<li>Can you shoot a wedding for me this weekend, it's my bosses daughter she's getting married.</li>

<li>Just use flash !</li>

<li>I paid over $200 for this camera so we don't need no expensive photographer !</li>

<li>Why did you take a picture of me are you going to put it up on facebook ?</li>

<li>You're not going to charge me are you , common I thought we were friends.</li>

<li>Can you emai lme those photos of the wedding after your'e finished here is my email address. </li>

<li> </li>

</ul>

<p> </p>

[dave_greenidge1]

<p>Similar to Dan's: "Wow, your camera takes great pictures..." I just smile and say "thank you".</p>

[nathangardner]

<blockquote>

<p>I get this one as a legitimate question sometimes...<br>

"How far can you see with that lens?"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I always tell people either:</p>

<p>"Into the future."<br>

or<br>

"Into your bedroom."</p>

[dzaebst]

<blockquote>

<p>I always tell people either:<br /> "Into the future."<br /> or<br /> "Into your bedroom."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You could say "Into the past" with complete truthfulness. When you look at stars or galaxies at night through your (likely telephoto) lens, you are looking into the past. The Andromeda Galaxy, for example, is the closest galaxy to our own Milky Way (If you don't count the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds). The light that you see from that galaxy started out about 2.6 million years ago, when Australopithecus africanus walked the Earth (http://archaeologyinfo.com/australopithecus-africanus/). There wasn't even a "Homo" species yet, although it is possible that Habilis was evolving at the time.</p>

[dan_south]

I just got it again. After blogging about a recent trip to Grand Canyon, a friend who I haven't seen in several years wrote,

"Great pictures! You must have a really nice camera. My Grand Canyon pictures didn't come out,"

 

Hey, no problem! Next time you can take MY camera. That way your pictures will look just like mine. :-)