bart_w._van_lith

I've been using a Nikon F4e for some time, but people find it a very frightning camera to pose for. If I try to shoot candits and people do notice, people often look offended because they think they'll be on the front cover of some newspaper the next day :)

Especially when shooting with the 180mm 2.8 ED lens attached, people sometimes think I'm a paparazzo or something like that.

And with it's age it's not even insured anymore, so if it gets stolen I hardly get any $ back at all.

That's why I've been looking for a Fed 3 camera, with a jupiter lens (like someone above already wrote). I'll let people think I'm some poor student (poor yes, student no ;) if they even notice me at all.

If I got to Ferrari meetings, I usually pay the owner a compliment with a smile.....or stick up my thumb when he's too far away.

If you shoot someone in a store, pay a compliment about the store ("wow what a beautiful store !" or "your store is so unique, I just had to take a picture").

You know what ? Most people are incredibly vain about themselves and the stuff they own, so they are INCREDIBLY sensitive to compliments.

Even when they look very grumpy at first, they usually aren't when you say something to them.

A few weeks ago I did some charity work for some national kidney foundation thing, and we came at the door during dinner. I noticed that 99% of the people open the door with a grumpy face, say something short or say nothing at all, but 99% does give money and most people are incredibly kind and friendly when you just keep smiling. :)

Perhaps it's just a natural first reaction, cause most people arent people's people either....it's more like they're scared, being a bit surprised about the unexpected thing of being shot.

And just by talking to people, those people often come up with new ideas like "have you ever been to...." or "would you like to see my car from the inside.....".

You'll be amazed!

PS I once heard two people talk about street photography and one guy said "It's so weird, when I try to shoot people they are never friendly"....and I noticed a few people near them look kind of bewildered :)