I don't have any stories to tell, as such. I've received a few raised eyebrows, smirks and jokey comments from other photographers and shop staff when they heard or saw that I use Pentax gear, but then I've also had a couple of folks show genuine interest because they'd never used the brand.
But I do have something to say on peer pressure - at least in a non-commercial environment... and that is, it requires two to tango. Peer pressure is stripped of any power it might have had when the party it's aimed at refuses to play along. I don't believe I was ever especially affected by it, but as the years have progressed, I'm even less inclined to listen. For those who have a harder time with it, I offer a nugget of wisdom from Friedrich Nietzsche:
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
Working professionals probably need to look at it differently than enthusiasts, because the motivations are completely different... It's about making money from regular, well-paid work or sales of images. I've never been a professional photographer, but all my working life I've made compromises or done certain things contrary to my own preferences because it was expected or required by my employers. You have to, sometimes, in order to get along. So, if I wanted to work for an ad agency and they insisted I use certain brands, types and/or items of photographic equipment, I'd use them without frustration or argument (or else work for a different agency). That's not really peer pressure, though... It's simply making one's self more employable by removing barriers to engagement - like wearing a sharp suit, starched shirt and polished Oxfords to the office instead of the jeans, tee-shirt and sneakers you feel more comfortable in
Last edited by BigMackCam; 02-05-2020 at 12:45 AM.