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Are photographers "in the wild" such a rare sight in the States?

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aerts1js said:
Has anyone living in the States noticed the complete lack of photographers in "the wild" these days ? Outside of the couple of major cities (NYC, Chicago) I rarely, if ever, see another photographer taking photos out and about.
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I'm relatively new to photography. In the past two years I've seen one other person with a dslr or mirrorless while out and about in areas known for good shots. I live in a small big city and I think we have the same definition of "in the wild".

A few weeks back I went to an implosion. I was seriously shocked by how many people I saw with dslrs and more than the kit lens. How many serious tripods were out there. I'd put total dslrs in the hundreds not counting the people hired to be there.

Perhaps most people have moved past the stage were it's interesting for them to go out and take photos. Now it only comes out when something planned is happening.
 
NetMage said:
Only to the excessively paranoid.

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Perhaps. I know that is out there. However, I think there is more to it.



I generally shoot in rural areas around me and am the only one with a DSLR (or MILC) out. I've yet to run into another person with one even though I know there are a few enthusiasts and a couple commercial photographers around.

Usually at events, such as small car shows, in these areas I get asked by other patrons what am I taking the photos for.. as if I need to be with a newspaper or some media source.

But I think that is because in these rural areas money for DSLRs just isn't around.. photography as a whole isn't seen as a hobby. So when I show up with my camera people automatically assume I have some commercial purpose (generally with the media) for taking photos. (and I am there just as a hobbyist).



OTOH, I have seen the paranoids. I get honked at, yelled at, people slow down to peel out beside me when I'm walking alongside a roadway or in a park with my camera... all kinds of aggressive, rude behavior. I think paranoia is part of that for sure.. but I still think there is more to it than JUST paranoia.
 
aerts1js said:
Has anyone living in the States noticed the complete lack of photographers in "the wild" these days ? Outside of the couple of major cities (NYC, Chicago) I rarely, if ever, see another photographer taking photos out and about.

I actually feel like people are staring at me while I'm taking photos in the smaller areas around Pittsburgh. It's not like I have a giant system (A7RII 35mm). I think it's just that it's such an uncommon sight.

Before I get the snarky responses like "they all use cellphones!" I wanted to make a comparison to other places that I have lived.

I lived in South Korea for four years (arrived back to the states a couple of years ago) and during my time there I would often take photos around the countryside and it would be very common to see other photographers taking photos. I have also spent time in other countries (China, Russia, India, Romania) and it would also be pretty common to see photographers there as well. I don't feel like it's simply due to me visiting touristy sites either as I've been to a lot of really random locations.

Not sure if there is an overall point to this thread. I guess I was just wondering if anyone else out there has noticed the same observation as myself?

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Jeremy Aerts
www.jeremyaerts.com
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I would say photographers in the wild have always been a rare sight. Pros love their studio spaces. Hobbyists don't go where I go at least when I am there. I did not have access to a studio in my youth so I became accustomed to road trips. It helped to differentiate my work- but very rarely has any one been there shooting. From Death Vally to Malibu just my gang.

The one exception always been Balboa Park, which always seems to be a prime spot for family work on the week ends.

I do do recall seeing a couple 4x5 guys working along side the road in Joshua Tree years ago c. mid 90's for sunsets but usually like this day when I was there- not a soul in sight. Early mornings, which are nirvana for scenics with or with out a boy- no one has ever shown up at Barker Dam. Always surprises me to be alone. But I am always grateful.

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... has photographers. I see plenty of folks with cameras in other parts of the state as well, like on the coast. I feel like with cell phones there are many more folks at any given moment taking photos than ever before, but about the same amount of folks (if not a bit more) with "serious cameras." Here in the NW USA I see lots of folks out and about with cameras, mostly DSLRs but a few other kinds of cameras as well.
 
aerts1js said:
Well, yes, "events" always have photographers. I'm just talking about some guy walking around the city taking street shots. Outside of Mt. Washington, it's uncommon to see a photographer in this region taking random shots compared to other places I've been to. It sort of surprises me because Pittsburgh, as a whole, is pretty scenic.
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They're still around, but as others mentioned, in general, there were never that many in the past either. That said, I know quite a few photogs who are out and about in the area shooting work, so they're there if you look for them. Get involved with something like Pittsburgh Filmmakers and it's kind of like finding a key to the castle, so to speak.
 
If a picture is worth a thousand words, here are several thousand words.



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Nice shots but those photos are pretty meaningless without some context. Where were those taken? Also, this is common? haha I haven't seen that many photographers in one place in years.
 
The sky? Seriously, he has a diffuser on the flash and does little in that situation except to add a tiny bit of fill and some catch lights in the eyes of his subjects.
 
aerts1js said:
Nice shots but those photos are pretty meaningless without some context. Where were those taken? Also, this is common? haha I haven't seen that many photographers in one place in years.
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An astute observation!

Most cosmopolitan urban dwellers balk at flaunting expensive gear in front of the toothless banjo-playing denizens of rustic backwaters. These include wide swaths of Tennessee (have you read James Dickey's "Deliverance?"), Appalachia (the inbred "blue" people--a myoglobin mutation), Louisiana/Alabama (swamp-dwellers), West Virginia (the brother-sister photographer duo whom local boors accused of photographing their children and molesting them).

And that's only the Eastern half of the country!
 
If there's a good sunset, the beaches out here west of the Bay Area will have guys with tripods ready to shoot. Sometimes, too many! Don't see many tripods in the touristy areas of San Francisco though.
 
aerts1js said:
Has anyone living in the States noticed the complete lack of photographers in "the wild" these days ? Outside of the couple of major cities (NYC, Chicago) I rarely, if ever, see another photographer taking photos out and about.

I actually feel like people are staring at me while I'm taking photos in the smaller areas around Pittsburgh. It's not like I have a giant system (A7RII 35mm). I think it's just that it's such an uncommon sight.

Before I get the snarky responses like "they all use cellphones!" I wanted to make a comparison to other places that I have lived.

I lived in South Korea for four years (arrived back to the states a couple of years ago) and during my time there I would often take photos around the countryside and it would be very common to see other photographers taking photos. I have also spent time in other countries (China, Russia, India, Romania) and it would also be pretty common to see photographers there as well. I don't feel like it's simply due to me visiting touristy sites either as I've been to a lot of really random locations.

Not sure if there is an overall point to this thread. I guess I was just wondering if anyone else out there has noticed the same observation as myself?

--
Jeremy Aerts
www.jeremyaerts.com
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What do you mean by "in the wild". If you mean street shooting, then I do see photographers in Pittsburgh. There is an active meetup group also.

I see most of the national parks and landmarks are over crowded with photographers. May be people want to shoot subjects that could be sure shot winners.

If you are talking about rural scenes, then no. I do not see many photographers there. It's difficult to find interesting subject there and it requires time and dedication. But I do shoot landscapes close to home. If you need a companion then shoot me a message. I am free on some weekdays also.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rajesh_b/
 
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DenWil said:
I would say photographers in the wild have always been a rare sight. Pros love their studio spaces. Hobbyists don't go where I go at least when I am there. I did not have access to a studio in my youth so I became accustomed to road trips. It helped to differentiate my work- but very rarely has any one been there shooting. From Death Vally to Malibu just my gang.
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This.

SLR photographers have always been a sight that garners attention. I'm particularly aware of it if I'm slinging an SLR, and always have been - to the extent that it affected how I would shoot and when. The sight of an SLR has always implied "serious photog or pro, straighten your appearance". There's a whole school of technique on how to engage with your subject to put them at ease. That seems to be a quintessentially "traditional camera" problem.

In the more touristy areas SLRs have been more prevalent - always. In the non-touristy areas they haven't, simply because most people don't take pictures of things that they don't consider important. At least, until cellphones came along. And there, the experience of capturing an image is more social and casual - the capture device doesn't interrupt the flow of the social situation.

The last 20 years of digital photography have been an anomaly in the photo industry. The replacement of film point and shoots by digital point and shoots didn't change useage dynamics much, but the creation of relatively cheap DSLRs did create a temporary explosion in demand by casual users wanting something that took better pictures. But that demand rapidly waned once cellphone manufacturers fielded adequate quality cameras with easy-to-use picture sharing, and buyers discovered that that was what they were really looking for in a picture-taking device. Both classes of traditional camera collapsed as a result. We're back to the film SLR days, with the sight of a DSLR, or anything you squint through to compose a shot, frequently eliciting a comment like "wow, that's a serious camera. Bet it takes great pictures.".

Japan and Korea are cultural anomalies with respect to photography, but they have not been immune to the call of the cellphone camera.
 
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aerts1js said:
I actually feel like people are staring at me while I'm taking photos in the smaller areas around Pittsburgh. It's not like I have a giant system (A7RII 35mm). I think it's just that it's such an uncommon sight.--
Jeremy Aerts
www.jeremyaerts.com
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Hi Jeremy... I actual hate looking like a tourist with a big DSLR hanging around my neck. I always went for the underarm stealth carry when possible. Not so easy with the bigger DSLRs.

The A7Rii 35mm F2.8 is a great candid camera as it is very small. Have you tried using it with a "gunshot" sling? The short 35mm F2.8 works well with a gunshot sling. You can leave it in appendix carry, lens on your hip, in high risk areas and slide it up for a quick shot. You can also quickly swap out the chest carry strap for a wrist carry strap.

Just a thought,

Jeff
 
Rajeshb said:
aerts1js said:
Has anyone living in the States noticed the complete lack of photographers in "the wild" these days ? Outside of the couple of major cities (NYC, Chicago) I rarely, if ever, see another photographer taking photos out and about.

I actually feel like people are staring at me while I'm taking photos in the smaller areas around Pittsburgh. It's not like I have a giant system (A7RII 35mm). I think it's just that it's such an uncommon sight.

Before I get the snarky responses like "they all use cellphones!" I wanted to make a comparison to other places that I have lived.

I lived in South Korea for four years (arrived back to the states a couple of years ago) and during my time there I would often take photos around the countryside and it would be very common to see other photographers taking photos. I have also spent time in other countries (China, Russia, India, Romania) and it would also be pretty common to see photographers there as well. I don't feel like it's simply due to me visiting touristy sites either as I've been to a lot of really random locations.

Not sure if there is an overall point to this thread. I guess I was just wondering if anyone else out there has noticed the same observation as myself?

--
Jeremy Aerts
www.jeremyaerts.com
Click to expand...
What do you mean by "in the wild". If you mean street shooting, then I do see photographers in Pittsburgh. There is an active meetup group also.
I see most of the national parks and landmarks are over crowded with photographers. May be people want to shoot subjects that could be sure shot winners.
If you are talking about rural scenes, then no. I do not see many photographers there. It's difficult to find interesting subject there and it requires time and dedication. But I do shoot landscapes close to home. If you need a companion then shoot me a message. I am free on some weekdays also.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rajesh_b/
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Ooh, ooh, ooooh, yes!

Ever since my cornea was scarred secondary to chlamydial infection, it's been tough navigating around town (those inward-turning eyelashes can be a real b!tch). To add insult to injury, my hepatosplenomegaly from chronic plasmodium colonization has led to palpable right upper quadrant abdominal distention and postural instability. Ambulation has become markedly impaired, and it's been difficult coping with other long-term sequelae (chiefly neurological), which is why I've been looking for a photography buddy to show me around--blind leading the blind, in a manner of speaking.
 
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Several websites estimate that worldwide we will collectively click off a trillion images in 2015. A very tiny percentage of these images will come from DSLR cameras "in the wild". Standalone cameras, particularly DSLRs are going to become even more niche in the coming years as smaller cameras get better and utilize more seamless Bluetooth, NFC and wifi capability. I have likely purchased my last DSLR cameras because I can get 90% of the results of a DSLR from a smaller camera and be more stealth about it in rural or urban settings. I suspect there are many more like me out there.
 
aerts1js said:
Has anyone living in the States noticed the complete lack of photographers in "the wild" these days ? Outside of the couple of major cities (NYC, Chicago) I rarely, if ever, see another photographer taking photos out and about.
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It is your insecurity. There are more photographers(people carrying cameras everywhere)than ever in history.
 
I don't recall ever seeing very many except around sunset in the Riverwalk in Bradenton. There are even fewer here in Thailand once you leave the tourist areas. The amount of strange looks I get when I walk around with my camera to take pictures in my town is crazy, and on top of that, everyone assumes I am a tourist, when I've lived in this relatively small town for almost two months now. It's hilarious how here "DSLR" = tourist.
 
if you mean photographers taking pictures with non-cell-phone cameras in public places that are not tourist attractions or in situations that are not "Events" or own-family / own-group gatherings. "Street" is not a highly popular genre in the US. Most photographers (including snapshot takers) are not purely image driven, they are subject driven.
 
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