Talking photography with strangers?

yeatzee · 07-12-2011, 10:14 PM

Am i the only one that really enjoys a nice photography geared conversation with complete strangers? Normally I get snobby remarks stemming from brand "superiority" but today i had a nice conversation while waiting for the cheetah run at the wild animal park. We discussed settings and it went on from there, including a nice helping of why I chose pentax

. I showed him a couple of my macro's i've got on my phone and overall it was really refreshing

He was using a canon 7d and the 70-300. He also had the tamron 10-24 and some other lens I can't remember. I had this on hand:

So am I?

rhodopsin · 07-12-2011, 10:33 PM

Such as here or at any of the other photo forums on the 'net?

In person is quite a pleasure, however. I always get a charge meeting somebody new.

Some lens you have there! Is that an old film lens? Looks like a 80-240 to me.

yeatzee · 07-12-2011, 10:35 PM

Originally posted by rhodopsin

Such as here or at any of the other photo forums on the 'net?

In person is quite a pleasure, however. I always get a charge meeting somebody new.

Some lens you have there! Is that an old film lens? Looks like a 80-240 to me.

Its a takumar 300mm F/4, 18 aperture blade version

Its quite a beast, and a great conversation piece hahahah

rhodopsin · 07-12-2011, 10:53 PM

Originally posted by yeatzee

Its a takumar 300mm F/4, 18 aperture blade version

Its quite a beast, and a great conversation piece hahahah

WOW! No wonder I didn't recognize it! If I'm not mistaken (happens a lot

) that is the (very rare?) model I of that lens!!! A triplet. Heavy? Like 1.37kg...

yeatzee · 07-12-2011, 11:14 PM

Originally posted by rhodopsin

WOW! No wonder I didn't recognize it! If I'm not mistaken (happens a lot

) that is the (very rare?) model I of that lens!!! A triplet. Heavy? Like 1.37kg...

heavy as hell

philbaum · 07-12-2011, 11:39 PM

Talking to photographers is usually a lot of fun. But having non-photographers interrupt you just as you're shooting with "magic" light has cost me a coupla shots as the light changed. now i just reply with short answers and don't encourage conversation if i'm in the middle of some time sensitive shooting.

yeatzee · 07-12-2011, 11:47 PM

Originally posted by philbaum

Talking to photographers is usually a lot of fun. But having non-photographers interrupt you just as you're shooting with "magic" light has cost me a coupla shots as the light changed. now i just reply with short answers and don't encourage conversation if i'm in the middle of some time sensitive shooting.

non-photographers interrupting...... as in "hey nice camera how much did it cost"?

wildman · 07-13-2011, 12:57 AM

Originally posted by philbaum

having non-photographers interrupt you just as you're shooting with "magic" light has cost me a coupla shots as the light changed.

That's my feeling also. Socializing and trying to capture birds shots just don't mix. Luckily I'm usually so deep in the woods I don't meet anyone.

I save my gear talk for this forum.

Jonathan Mac · 07-13-2011, 03:16 AM

It´s nice to talk photography with a stranger, but the number of people who possess real photographic knowledge/experience are vastly outnumbered by those who merely possess a DSLR. The latter have little to offer in terms of photography-related conversation, but if you find someone who knows their stuff it´s nice. A good way to share ideas & pick up info & suggestions from more experienced guys.

Lloydy · 07-13-2011, 03:23 AM - **2 Likes**

I live in the World Heritage Site of Ironbridge, so it's tourist hell for us locals at this time of year, but we don't complain, it brings trade.

Often there are coach tours, and earlier this spring there were three coachloads of Japanese tourists in town, nearly all with the newest and top spec cameras from the major players.

I was walking through town with my battered K10 with the tiny Industar 50-2 on it when I was besieged by young Japanese people who were fascinated with it.
Most of them didn't speak English, I certainly can't speak Japanese, but I spent nearly an hour sat on a bench taking the assorted Takumars and other old lenses out of my rucksack and mounting them on the K10 so they could take pictures of them. A few had Pentax camera's so they got to try some of the PK mount lenses I had with me, which pleased them no end.

There was much pointing and gesturing, bowing and shaking of hands, and lots of smiles and laughter. It was a wonderful meeting of people with a shared interest, it didn't matter that our languages were different, we understood each other.

I often get talking to other photographers around here because there are so many who come here, it's a photogenic place, and I always enjoy a chat with them.

TomK · 07-13-2011, 03:13 PM

Quote:

non-photographers interrupting...... as in "hey nice camera how much did it cost"?

Or "I have a Canikon, why don't you have a real camera like mine?"

magkelly · 07-13-2011, 03:38 PM

The people I meet in most instances are fine and I've had a few nice discussions with other photography people. But not when I am shooting. I'm not about to loose a good shot chatting. Someone interrupts me while I am in the middle of getting some that's too bad. I just say "One sec. I have to get this. " and I don't stop to chat until I have. If they don't like it too bad. No serious shutterbug is going to interrupt me in the midst of framing a good shot anyway, if someone does it's not someone who's interested in my photography but someone interested in my gear and most of the time I could care less about that unless they're also sporting a Pentax in which case I might smile, hold up a finger, and then have a chat after I am done.

Honestly unless I am in a camera club or something into discussing our gear I don't care about doing that much. I don't like to hear "Nice camera!" nearly so much as I like to hear "Nice shot!" Similarly I really don't make an issue of what camera or what lens I used when I am discussing my photos. To me that's pretty irrelevant data, what camera or what lens I used. All that matters is the end results, the pic itself, IMHO.

reeftool · 07-14-2011, 05:27 AM

My encounters with other photographers have been generally positive. Yeah, there are some snobby fanboys but more often than not, I usually end up having a rather nice conversation. I bumped into a Nikon guy this week while hiking in the mountains and we were both shooting some nesting herons in the treetops surrounding a beaver pond. Our conversation revolved more around finding a way to get in closer and get better shots than our gear.

RoxnDox · 07-14-2011, 09:20 AM

I've been on hte other end of that conversation. On a business trip to DC, I was waiting around for a few hours before my flight home, at park on the banks of the Potomac River. With just my little K100d and kit 18-55 (traveling light) walking about, I ran into one guy with a really nice Nikon rig setup waiting for the right light on hte monuments across the river. We had a very nice chat about scenery, settings, and getting good shots. He took a look at the shots I had collected on the K100 and liked the results, just as I liked the shots he had gotten. Nothing disparaging was said about any branding...

I think a lot of it depends on how *we* start or respond to others. Good interactions beget good responses, bad begets bad.... Just my $0.02

Jim

Steinback · 07-14-2011, 12:18 PM

I get a fair number of questions from strangers when I'm using my Pentax 645. The size and shape of the body aren't what people are used to seeing carried around. I've run into several artists who were interested in the system even though they aren't currently shooting film. The viewfinder tends to impress anybody who has only used APS-C DSLRs.

07-12-2011, 10:14 PM	#1
yeatzee Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Temecula Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,675	Talking photography with strangers? Am i the only one that really enjoys a nice photography geared conversation with complete strangers? Normally I get snobby remarks stemming from brand "superiority" but today i had a nice conversation while waiting for the cheetah run at the wild animal park. We discussed settings and it went on from there, including a nice helping of why I chose pentax . I showed him a couple of my macro's i've got on my phone and overall it was really refreshing He was using a canon 7d and the 70-300. He also had the tamron 10-24 and some other lens I can't remember. I had this on hand: So am I?

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07-12-2011, 10:33 PM	#2
rhodopsin Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Deep Forest Posts: 643	Such as here or at any of the other photo forums on the 'net? In person is quite a pleasure, however. I always get a charge meeting somebody new. Some lens you have there! Is that an old film lens? Looks like a 80-240 to me.

07-12-2011, 10:35 PM	#3
yeatzee Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Temecula Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,675 Original Poster	Originally posted by rhodopsin Such as here or at any of the other photo forums on the 'net? In person is quite a pleasure, however. I always get a charge meeting somebody new. Some lens you have there! Is that an old film lens? Looks like a 80-240 to me. Its a takumar 300mm F/4, 18 aperture blade version Its quite a beast, and a great conversation piece hahahah

07-12-2011, 10:53 PM	#4
rhodopsin Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Deep Forest Posts: 643	Originally posted by yeatzee Its a takumar 300mm F/4, 18 aperture blade version Its quite a beast, and a great conversation piece hahahah WOW! No wonder I didn't recognize it! If I'm not mistaken (happens a lot ) that is the (very rare?) model I of that lens!!! A triplet. Heavy? Like 1.37kg...

07-12-2011, 11:14 PM	#5
yeatzee Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Temecula Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,675 Original Poster	Originally posted by rhodopsin WOW! No wonder I didn't recognize it! If I'm not mistaken (happens a lot ) that is the (very rare?) model I of that lens!!! A triplet. Heavy? Like 1.37kg... heavy as hell

07-12-2011, 11:39 PM	#6
philbaum Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Port Townsend, Washington State, USA Posts: 3,659	Talking to photographers is usually a lot of fun. But having non-photographers interrupt you just as you're shooting with "magic" light has cost me a coupla shots as the light changed. now i just reply with short answers and don't encourage conversation if i'm in the middle of some time sensitive shooting.

07-12-2011, 11:47 PM	#7
yeatzee Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Temecula Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,675 Original Poster	Originally posted by philbaum Talking to photographers is usually a lot of fun. But having non-photographers interrupt you just as you're shooting with "magic" light has cost me a coupla shots as the light changed. now i just reply with short answers and don't encourage conversation if i'm in the middle of some time sensitive shooting. non-photographers interrupting...... as in "hey nice camera how much did it cost"?

07-13-2011, 12:57 AM	#8
wildman Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Flyover America Posts: 4,469	Originally posted by philbaum having non-photographers interrupt you just as you're shooting with "magic" light has cost me a coupla shots as the light changed. That's my feeling also. Socializing and trying to capture birds shots just don't mix. Luckily I'm usually so deep in the woods I don't meet anyone. I save my gear talk for this forum.

07-13-2011, 03:16 AM	#9
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,894	It´s nice to talk photography with a stranger, but the number of people who possess real photographic knowledge/experience are vastly outnumbered by those who merely possess a DSLR. The latter have little to offer in terms of photography-related conversation, but if you find someone who knows their stuff it´s nice. A good way to share ideas & pick up info & suggestions from more experienced guys.

07-13-2011, 03:23 AM - 2 Likes	#10
Lloydy Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Shropshire, UK Posts: 1,114	I live in the World Heritage Site of Ironbridge, so it's tourist hell for us locals at this time of year, but we don't complain, it brings trade. Often there are coach tours, and earlier this spring there were three coachloads of Japanese tourists in town, nearly all with the newest and top spec cameras from the major players. I was walking through town with my battered K10 with the tiny Industar 50-2 on it when I was besieged by young Japanese people who were fascinated with it. Most of them didn't speak English, I certainly can't speak Japanese, but I spent nearly an hour sat on a bench taking the assorted Takumars and other old lenses out of my rucksack and mounting them on the K10 so they could take pictures of them. A few had Pentax camera's so they got to try some of the PK mount lenses I had with me, which pleased them no end. There was much pointing and gesturing, bowing and shaking of hands, and lots of smiles and laughter. It was a wonderful meeting of people with a shared interest, it didn't matter that our languages were different, we understood each other. I often get talking to other photographers around here because there are so many who come here, it's a photogenic place, and I always enjoy a chat with them.

07-13-2011, 03:13 PM	#11
TomK Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NJ USA Posts: 281	Quote: non-photographers interrupting...... as in "hey nice camera how much did it cost"? Or "I have a Canikon, why don't you have a real camera like mine?"

07-13-2011, 03:38 PM	#12
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	The people I meet in most instances are fine and I've had a few nice discussions with other photography people. But not when I am shooting. I'm not about to loose a good shot chatting. Someone interrupts me while I am in the middle of getting some that's too bad. I just say "One sec. I have to get this. " and I don't stop to chat until I have. If they don't like it too bad. No serious shutterbug is going to interrupt me in the midst of framing a good shot anyway, if someone does it's not someone who's interested in my photography but someone interested in my gear and most of the time I could care less about that unless they're also sporting a Pentax in which case I might smile, hold up a finger, and then have a chat after I am done. Honestly unless I am in a camera club or something into discussing our gear I don't care about doing that much. I don't like to hear "Nice camera!" nearly so much as I like to hear "Nice shot!" Similarly I really don't make an issue of what camera or what lens I used when I am discussing my photos. To me that's pretty irrelevant data, what camera or what lens I used. All that matters is the end results, the pic itself, IMHO.

07-14-2011, 05:27 AM	#13
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,553	My encounters with other photographers have been generally positive. Yeah, there are some snobby fanboys but more often than not, I usually end up having a rather nice conversation. I bumped into a Nikon guy this week while hiking in the mountains and we were both shooting some nesting herons in the treetops surrounding a beaver pond. Our conversation revolved more around finding a way to get in closer and get better shots than our gear.

07-14-2011, 09:20 AM	#14
RoxnDox Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Gig Harbor, Washington, USA, Terra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,494	I've been on hte other end of that conversation. On a business trip to DC, I was waiting around for a few hours before my flight home, at park on the banks of the Potomac River. With just my little K100d and kit 18-55 (traveling light) walking about, I ran into one guy with a really nice Nikon rig setup waiting for the right light on hte monuments across the river. We had a very nice chat about scenery, settings, and getting good shots. He took a look at the shots I had collected on the K100 and liked the results, just as I liked the shots he had gotten. Nothing disparaging was said about any branding... I think a lot of it depends on how we start or respond to others. Good interactions beget good responses, bad begets bad.... Just my $0.02 Jim

07-14-2011, 12:18 PM	#15
Steinback Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: GTA, ON, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,673	I get a fair number of questions from strangers when I'm using my Pentax 645. The size and shape of the body aren't what people are used to seeing carried around. I've run into several artists who were interested in the system even though they aren't currently shooting film. The viewfinder tends to impress anybody who has only used APS-C DSLRs.