How do you reply when others say...

LOL! Good one!

I saw your ducks-taking-off-from-pond photo. If you're not getting the same questions I'm getting (and more of them) then you're not showing off your photos enough.
--
Lance

lehill said:

..."You take great pictures. What camera is that? I want to buy one." Or, "How can I take pictures like yours?"

In my mind, my reply is to violently shake them by the shoulders and yell "It's not like that!!"

I'm flattered I get questions like this about my photography, I don't believe I deserve them (yet). But I had to work at talking some guy out of buying a copy of my setup that he can't afford. He thought that's all he needed to take good "pictures".

There are plenty of better photographers than I in this forum. They must get plenty of naive questions like this. How do you answer?

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I'm not going to say I am better than anyone - I know better. But a few years ago (10) I had gone on a school trip with my son to Italy. I brought my Minolta Maxxum XTsi (Dynax 505si Super) and 2 lenses (28-105 Sigma - not the best in the world, and the Minolta 50 f/1.7). I brought a few types of film (Kodak Portra 400 EC, and Supra 400, Fuji Superia 400 and 800).

I was the only one with an SLR. The rest just had P&S. A couple of weeks after the trip, 12 of us (adults and kids) got back together for an Italian dinner and to show/swap photos.

I got that question a lot (there had been a number of comments during the trip about the guy with the camera bag). So I gave them a couple of answers.

1. P&S are easy to carry, but small apertures in dim spaces (no-flash allowed) results in long shutter speeds and blurred shots (and yes they knew what aperture and shutter was).

2. Use of high ISO film (like 800 and even 400) with underexposure results in grainy shots - I under rated film back then.

3. Sometimes P&S cameras miss focus. With TTL viewing you can see if the camera got it right.

4. Consumer films (particularly high speed) don't have the best color or sharpness.

5. Most P&S don't have the ability for the user to compensate exposure, leading to under and over exposure for some scenes.

We swapped shots - most of mine that were requested were with saturated colors, dim lighting, and detailed scenes. On the other hand I requested a few shots that had fantastic composition (unfortunately color and grain weren't so keen.) In the following decade, I worked to improve my composing skills, but I still don't feel I come close to some of those folks who have either a natural ability or come from an art background. Combined with a good bridge camera or even an entry level SLR they could have made stunning photos.

I recommended that they look into an inexpensive SLR or, if they didn't want to carry and switch lenses, a bridge camera and learn to take control of their shots.

Some people at work ask me the same question - I use some of my shots as screen savers and wallpaper on my computer. In those cases the answer isn't as helpful since most of those shots required special equipment such as bellows, multi exposure capability, or IR film or modified camera.

tom

"Thank you. It's not the camera, mostly"

-Carl
--
http://www.AlphaMountWorld.com

no text

CARDRAF said:

I AGREEEEE 10000% It's not the cookware that makes great food ... It is all just the Chef! He can create Dinner on a $75,000 Wolf Stovetop with Emerilware or on a $100 Grill in his back yard with a aluminfoil & a Rubbermaid container.... YOU would never tell the difference. This is true with great Photographers.

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But just watch him prep the food with his dulled $10 set of knives (no sharpeners allowed.)

tom

Forgot the comment on polarizing filters and blue skies v white.

tom

Something similar has been my standard answer: "It's not so much the camera than knowing how to use it."

It's funny, some people are incredulous when I say that. Like I'm keeping some big secret from them.
--
Lance

I tell them that they sure have a nice deck and then ask them where I can buy the hammer...

When I am asked about a photo a person likes, and asks what camera I'm using...I tend to instinctively just offer up the camera model I am using...my mind doesn't go towards sarcasm or frustration over the question, at least not right away. After telling them about the camera, I do find myself thinking about it after the fact - do they honestly believe it's all the camera? I don't think so - in general, I think it remains a compliment to the photographer, and a natural desire to consider owning or buying the same type of tool that an accomplished photographer in their eyes is using.

It is still the photographer overall, though obviously the tool helps...especially in expanding the types or limits of photographs that can be taken. A Ferrari 458 is a better performance car than a Toyota Camry, and even driven by a complete amateur, it can go faster and perform better than a Camry can. Just as an amateur photographer stepping from a compact P&S to a DSLR has a superior tool for getting better results and likely will do a little better with it. However, the Ferrari 458 will really come into its own driven by a professional driver, who knows how to get everything out of it and push it to the limit. Similarly, the great photographer will really make the DSLR sing and know how to get the most out of it; far more than the amateur would be capable of.

I say, take it as a compliment. They recognize that your photos are superior, and they aspire to shoot as well as you do. They think the tool you are using might be stepping in the right direction, and will learn quickly enough how much, and how little, the camera was contributing to your results...which will lead them to an even greater appreciation for your skills!

--
Justin
galleries: http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

I make an analogy to playing guitar. You can buy an expensive guitar with great sound quality, or you can buy an inexpensive guitar with okay sound quality acoustically. It's the person playing the guitar that's going to make it come to life, and that comes through hard work, practice, talent, discipline, and a passion for the instrument.

I believe it's much easier to take pictures with a camera, but photography is also about going to locations, being in the right spot at the right time, AND doing what I just described above in trying to play guitar better. Yes, a better camera will give you better image quality on a technical level, but a lesser camera in the hands of a master photographer will outshine the other everytime.

For example, for anyone who knows anything about Fingerstyle guitar, I'd rather listen to Tommy Emmanuel play a cheap guitar, than an unknown player with a $5000 guitar - it's that simple. I know I should go to Acoustic Guitar Forum, but my favorite Fingerstyle guitarist is Ewan Dobson from Canada, and that's saying a lot to put him in the same sentence as Emmanuel.

zackiedawg wrote:
(snip)

zackiedawg said:

It is still the photographer overall, though obviously the tool helps...especially in expanding the types or limits of photographs that can be taken. A Ferrari 458 is a better performance car than a Toyota Camry, and even driven by a complete amateur, it can go faster and perform better than a Camry can. Just as an amateur photographer stepping from a compact P&S to a DSLR has a superior tool for getting better results and likely will do a little better with it. However, the Ferrari 458 will really come into its own driven by a professional driver, who knows how to get everything out of it and push it to the limit. Similarly, the great photographer will really make the DSLR sing and know how to get the most out of it; far more than the amateur would be capable of.

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(snip)

Justin, as an old race car driver, I think I can assure you most complete amateurs would make a pile of expensive scrap iron out of that Ferrari and the Camry driver would have the last laugh. ;-)

--
Busch

Take the scenic route! Life is too short to do otherwise.

http://www.pbase.com/busch

busch said:

Justin, as an old race car driver, I think I can assure you most complete amateurs would make a pile of expensive scrap iron out of that Ferrari and the Camry driver would have the last laugh. ;-)

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Hey, even Ferrari's manumatic F1 transmissions have an 'auto' mode! But yeah, you're right - it's easy to get in trouble with a car like that. Though right before they hit the tree, the amateur driver will be going faster than the Camry can!

--
Justin
galleries: http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

Thanks man!
--
Canon 7D w Sig 150-500 OS
Sony a700 with HVL56AM
Sony a55 ( Wife )
Sigma 10-20mm
Minolta 50mm F1.4
Minolta 28-75 F2.8 Japan
Sony 18-55 ( Kit )
Tamron 70-200 F2.8 Di
Tamron 28-105 F2.8
Tamron 28-200 3.5-5.6
Tamron 200-500 5-6.3 Di

I think you reply by saying the following;

"for a small fee of say $100 I will tell you my secrets."

then after you get the money, tell them you either have the talent or not.

If it is a friend or someone I know I might actually talk to them about cameras. Explain some advantages and disadvantages to SLR vs P&S. Discuss that they want to do with their camers, etc. In the case of my brothers, I recommended Nikon DSLRs becasuse of uncertainty surrounding Sonys future in quality cameras--this was before the current path was known.

If it's a complete camera I thank him for the praise and tell him it's a Sony and may even mention the Minolta AF heritage. It doesn't hurt if people buy Sony DSLRs--we need to advertise the brand more anyway, especially since Sony doesn't seem to see fit to do so!
--
Dave

"Your mouth makes nice compliments."



--
http://www.dvincentphotography.com
http://www.kefkafloyd.com

It's normal.

It the learning curve segregation. That's all.

People are often separated by knowledge, totally normal.

Once you set yourself on a path to learn how to do a particular thing, educate yourself, your perspective is often much different very quickly than when you started.

If you never start, your perspective stays the same.

C
--
http://www.AlphaMountWorld.com

lehill said:

..."You take great pictures. What camera is that? I want to buy one." Or, "How can I take pictures like yours?"

Click to expand...

lehill said:

How do you answer?

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I would answer 'Yep, my setup takes great pictures.' And allow the fool and his money to be soon parted. His money, not mine. He will learn from the experience.

--

The greatest of mankind's criminals are those who delude themselves into thinking they have done 'the right thing.'

• Rayna Butler

There are many types of camera to suite the many types of individuals who choose to express what they wish to convey photographically.

If ego is not part of the equation, then suggesting their inclination type is not only helpful, but part of nurturing photographic enjoyment.

Astounding images captured by people just being in the right place at the right time [and they happened to have any type of camera ] is a wonderful thing in that we all get to witness and share something we'd possibly never enjoy in our lifetimes.

Its all good ........just share the knowledge so everyone can benefit and enjoy......

I'm surprised there is not more in this thread about seeing.

1) Camera. People have covered that some cameras make certain things easier or even possible, like shallow DOF (but others make wide DOF easier!). Lens focal length makes certain photographs possible.
2) Photographer knowing certain techniques.
3) Post processing
But maybe most important 4) What you take a picture of and how you frame it

I'm astonished at how poor many people's photographs are and not necessarily because of any failure of the camera. Some of us seem to be born with "a good eye" and others of us have to work at it. A perfectly exposed image does not necessarily result in a good photograph.

It is a difficult question to answer without going into a long story... Maybe the best answer is one can take good pictures with any camera. I believe that statement is true (but maybe not as simple as it sounds). But there are all those people out there who believe that if they only could afford an expensive camera...

--
Judy
http://nichollsphoto.com/