Wow, Your Camera Takes Really Good...

[mikoyan29]

I have a fairly nice camera (Canon 50D which is the midrange Digital SLR) and I like to photograph. I think I'm a pretty decent photographer but I think there is room for improvement (as always). But it seems like when I get some nice pictures, I always get the line of, "Well your camera takes nice pictures". Yes, the camera is a tool but you still have to line up the shot, get the right timing, right light, etc.

I guess the reason this bothers me is when I got out photographing and see people with nice cameras doing stupid things. For instance, night shots of buildings or stuff and I see flashes. I guess their camera didn't help them there.

[Andara Bledin]

Yeah... gotta love the people who are too stupid to know the range on a flash and that they should turn the bugger off when it's not going to be any use. >_<

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[Ginger Tea]

I have a fairly nice camera (Canon 50D which is the midrange Digital SLR) and I like to photograph. I think I'm a pretty decent photographer but I think there is room for improvement (as always). But it seems like when I get some nice pictures, I always get the line of, "Well your camera takes nice pictures". Yes, the camera is a tool but you still have to line up the shot, get the right timing, right light, etc.

Yes my camera takes excelent photographs, I just give it a packed lunch and send it on it's merry way

Yes you are the one taking the shots, but in a way the "your camera" line is true, you could use a different camera with less mega pixels, not as god ISO range or zoom and the same framed shot might not look as good, but you in the end are the one setting up the shots.
But its a tool, if you had a pocket digi cam, then you would work within it's limits taking your shots.

I guess the reason this bothers me is when I got out photographing and see people with nice cameras doing stupid things. For instance, night shots of buildings or stuff and I see flashes. I guess their camera didn't help them there.

Never use flash when taking photoes of bands on a stage, all you do is illuminate the backs of everyone infront of you's heads.

I made a comment in another forum (not about photography, but it did come up), Someone asked if the Uncle Frank's of the world with their camera's at weddings devalued the work of professional photographers, probably not as when I helped out with my dad on weddings in the early 90's most I encountered used pocket camera's with no zoom or even those disposable ones. Yes you can get good results with a pin hole camera, but you normaly have to know what you are doing.

I made a comment that DigiCam's spoil average users and they never truely learn how to take photographs, they could just fill an SD card and come out with only a hand full of good shots purely by chance and delete the rest, never understanding why the rest were in their's or other people's eyes crap.
Some how my posting this observation and that alot of people I spoke to did this, seemed to him that I also did this, I re read what I wrote and scratched my head.

Myself I love that I can fill an SD card with countless shots of a band on stage (providing my camera doesnt spaz out with the changing of the lights) I used to limit myself to only a few shots per band or I would spend hundreds in processing alone, once the mega pixel/zoom/cost's were more to my liking I got a prosumer/bridge type camera, no SLR interchangeabilities, but it's lense was rated way better than my old 200m SLR.

I try to frame my shot's, but with the lighting changing screwing up my camera (only use it once or twice a year so haven't looked into the settings) I try and get it right first time, the LCD preview is a boon as film camera's obviously without it could prove costly when you find that one shot you took marred by something you didn't see in that fraction of a second, in my case hands in the air or someone walking infront of a mostly seated audience, although they are more easier to spot at the time, so I always took another shot just in case.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

A corollary to that.

You tell them that yes it indeed takes nice pictures so they then get the model number and make of the camera.

Then they go and buy one and since they are not all that good at the basics of photography or even took the time to learn how the features on the camera work, their shots suck.

Now it's your fault that you told them to chuck their old crappy camera in the bin and held a gun to their heads to buy the new crappy camera. Thus leaving you in a situation where you're hated and loathed for their stupidity, or having to sit there and grind your teeth because you now have to teach these people how to do something that they have neither the patience nor the innate talent to do.

So when someone asks me how to get such great shots, I tell them...at great length and boring detail. I'll rattle off about f-stop, ISO, framing, lighting, setup, shutter speeds...until they either indicate that they have a clue what I'm talking about (being somewhat knowledgeable about photography themselves) or they give up and say "Gee! That's complicated. I'll stick with my point and click." whereupon I (in my mind only) give them a little pat on the head and send them on their way.

[mikoyan29]

A corollary to that.

You tell them that yes it indeed takes nice pictures so they then get the model number and make of the camera.

Then they go and buy one and since they are not all that good at the basics of photography or even took the time to learn how the features on the camera work, their shots suck.

Now it's your fault that you told them to chuck their old crappy camera in the bin and held a gun to their heads to buy the new crappy camera. Thus leaving you in a situation where you're hated and loathed for their stupidity, or having to sit there and grind your teeth because you now have to teach these people how to do something that they have neither the patience nor the innate talent to do.

So when someone asks me how to get such great shots, I tell them...at great length and boring detail. I'll rattle off about f-stop, ISO, framing, lighting, setup, shutter speeds...until they either indicate that they have a clue what I'm talking about (being somewhat knowledgeable about photography themselves) or they give up and say "Gee! That's complicated. I'll stick with my point and click." whereupon I (in my mind only) give them a little pat on the head and send them on their way.

That is part of the reason why I cringe when someone asks me to suggest what camera they need to buy or they should buy? First question out of my mouth is, "What do you intend to shoot with it?". If their answer is along the lines of, "Well friends, going out to places, etc.", my answer is along the lines of, "You might want a lower end point and shoot". If their answer is a little more involved, then I will ask, "Have you used a 35mm camera before?". If the answer is, "No", I will then follow up with, "Do you want to learn all the various settings?". If the answer is, "No", I will say, "You probably want one of the midrange point and shoots" again depending on what they want to do. If they want to do sports photography or nature photography, I'll point them in the direction of one of the cameras with a higher zoom. I will also point out that those are good transition cameras to an SLR should they want one later because generally they have the various settings like setting exposures and f-stops and what not.

But anyways....flash is the devil....

[AdminAssistant]

Someone asked if the Uncle Frank's of the world with their camera's at weddings devalued the work of professional photographers, probably not as when I helped out with my dad on weddings in the early 90's most I encountered used pocket camera's with no zoom or even those disposable ones. Yes you can get good results with a pin hole camera, but you normaly have to know what you are doing.

Here's an article about that: http://offbeatbride.com/2011/06/unplugged-wedding

It's become such a problem that more and more couples are asking people to turn off their cell phones and cameras during the ceremony, as well as having an enforcer to shoo away Uncle Bob during the posed formal shots.

[mikoyan29]

Here's an article about that: http://offbeatbride.com/2011/06/unplugged-wedding

It's become such a problem that more and more couples are asking people to turn off their cell phones and cameras during the ceremony, as well as having an enforcer to shoo away Uncle Bob during the posed formal shots.

On the photography forum I visit, they were talking about this very issue. It depends on the photographer. Some of them have a problem with it because they are using their expertise to set up the shot and what not. So who knows.

[LewisLegion]

I hate that. "You take wonderful pictures, you must have a really nice, expensive camera!"

My friend told me about an anecdote that fits, where a woman said this to a guest at her house for dinner. He just nodded politely when she said it, then after dinner he said, "Dinner was wonderful, you must have really expensive pots!"

[Evandril]

The one thing I would say is any photographer can take *better* pictures with a better camera...and depending on the shot, it can be almost as much camera as photographer (Mainly macro shots and the like)

That being said...Yeah, if you're a good photographer, you're going to get good shots, no matter what you're using....and the same, inverted, for a poor photographer.

Edit to add: I'm used to using a DLSR, and was forced to use a disposable for a few months...and could *seriously* tell the difference in my shots...and how much better they were again when I got my baby back

[Hyena Dandy]

So when someone asks me how to get such great shots, I tell them...at great length and boring detail. I'll rattle off about f-stop, ISO, framing, lighting, setup, shutter speeds...until they either indicate that they have a clue what I'm talking about (being somewhat knowledgeable about photography themselves) or they give up and say "Gee! That's complicated. I'll stick with my point and click." whereupon I (in my mind only) give them a little pat on the head and send them on their way.

I totally understand the sentiment of being annoyed that people think that high-quality hardware will mean high-quality results, but that sort of seems like an asshole way of saying that. It sounds like you're trying to intimidate them out of trying to get good. If they wanted to take really great shots, that should be a good thing, and you should either try to teach them or (since you don't have the time, or you aren't good at it) send them somewhere they can learn.

I don't mean to be rude, but the way you put it it sounds like you only want people who are already at least fairly good at photography to know how to take good pictures.

Fortunately I don't deal with that, because my art is generally text based, so nobody's saying "Wow, that story's great, you must have written it on a really great computer!"

But nevertheless, while its an unintentionally insulting way of putting it, the response to try to insult back by making the person feel stupid isn't necessarily the best one.

[powerboy]

I totally understand the sentiment of being annoyed that people think that high-quality hardware will mean high-quality results, but that sort of seems like an asshole way of saying that. It sounds like you're trying to intimidate them out of trying to get good. If they wanted to take really great shots, that should be a good thing, and you should either try to teach them or (since you don't have the time, or you aren't good at it) send them somewhere they can learn.

I don't mean to be rude, but the way you put it it sounds like you only want people who are already at least fairly good at photography to know how to take good pictures.

Fortunately I don't deal with that, because my art is generally text based, so nobody's saying "Wow, that story's great, you must have written it on a really great computer!"

But nevertheless, while its an unintentionally insulting way of putting it, the response to try to insult back by making the person feel stupid isn't necessarily the best one.

I agree with you on this. It does seem as he is coming off as being an ass about it.

[Skunkle]

Gotta agree with Hyena, Mongo.

I have an acquaintance who's a bit of a pompous twit, and he's a serious photographer. He LOVES to ask people, "Does that camera take good pictures" just so that, when they say 'yes,' he can reply, "Wrong!! Your camera is only a tool, YOU take good pictures...or you don't." When I hear him say that, my response is usually to tell him (not holding a camera) to take a good picture. Oh, you can't? That's because YOU AND THE CAMERA TOGETHER are necessary to take a good picture. Middle ground on this, c'mon.

He loves to bitch when people take a long shot with a flash... which usually ends up being a cheap point-and-shoot that automatically, and ONLY automatically, turns on the flash - it isn't necessarily just the user being an idiot.

We also spar over his insistence that snapshots are NOT photographs - that you CANNOT call it a "photograph" unless it is done properly and artistically, with all the right settins, proper composition, etc. I no longer show him vacation photos because he snrrrks and chuckles and snorts derisively, and when asked what's funny he'll say, "These are NOT!! photographs. The lighting is wrong. And you know nothing about framing your shot." Well I'm glad every photo you must shoot on vacation requires a tripod, two minutes of setting, and exactly proper composition, but I take shots just to recall where I was and what I saw.

[protege]

I totally understand the sentiment of being annoyed that people think that high-quality hardware will mean high-quality results, but that sort of seems like an asshole way of saying that. It sounds like you're trying to intimidate them out of trying to get good. If they wanted to take really great shots, that should be a good thing, and you should either try to teach them or (since you don't have the time, or you aren't good at it) send them somewhere they can learn.

But, some people though...simply *can't* be helped. There are a couple of that sort on the model car site I help moderate. These guys, constantly bitch and moan about how bad their paint jobs are, and usually post messages asking for help. I'm no painting expert either. Some of my paint jobs suck...and I've been building models for 30 years

That's why we have various tutorials, and why most people post shots of whatever we're working on now. Most of those tutorials and other things...were done by either learning from someone else, or from figuring it out ourselves.

Anyway, these guys either don't read the tutorials or cut corners on supplies. There's a reason that Alex Kustov (whose work has been featured in magazines--his Ferraris are freaking awesome!) doesn't buy cheap spray paint. I've used the same stuff he does, and after a polish...comes up just fine. These guys though, want to be an expert *immediately* and bitch at *us* when they can't follow directions. Sorry, but how the fuck is that our fault?

We've put the knowledge out there, but we can't force them to use it

[Hyena Dandy]

I know, but the way Mongo put it it wasn't "I try to explain photography and they just suck at it." It sounds like he's intentionally trying to to turn them off by going right into complicated, as he put it, 'excruciating' detail.

[Andara Bledin]

He loves to bitch when people take a long shot with a flash... which usually ends up being a cheap point-and-shoot that automatically, and ONLY automatically, turns on the flash - it isn't necessarily just the user being an idiot.

I have yet to ever see a real camera that could not suppress the flash. The only one I've ever held that falls into that category was a $2 vending machine toy.

The vast majority of people know jack shit about how their flash even works and don't know that past, say, 15 feet, it does sweet fuck all. If I cold have caught up to the woman who took flash pictures the entire time through Pirates of the Caribbean (despite there being a loudspeaker announcement specifically directed at her stupid, self-centered ass), I would have slapped her silly for being an annoying, ignorant twat.

I'm not a photographer. I hardly ever take pictures, really. But I have an excessive hatred for useless flash. >_<

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