Ok, this completely defeats the purpose of purchasing and traveling with a camera but lately I've been getting sort of gun shy with pulling out the camera. No idea why. I brought all of my gear with me to my brother's for Thanksgiving and didn't even fire off a single shot of my one year old nephew. I've had some people in the past get camera shy with getting their picture taken and I feel it has carried over onto the shooter Anyone else go through this?
i think when i have a really quiet camera its a lot more confidence inspiring. the AE-1 P is not really stealthy and sucks. does your camera have a quiet setting, try it it makes a mental diffrence
I only pull my camera out if I see something worth taking a picture of. I've gone weeks without taking a picture. I don't just pull the camera out and try to get something. I don't take snapshots, so I don't really pull the camera out. Yes, I've missed a few photo opportunities, but thats my own fault, and I don't beat myself up over it.
I, too, suffer from this at times. You bring your stuff out with you somewhere only to get gunshy to take it out and take pics. I think for me it is part embarrassment that I an ghey enough to own this shit and part that I am going to be told that I am ghey enough for owning the shit.
i don't mind at all that i've become "THAT GUY" amongst my friends. they love me for it because my pictures populate most of their facebook pictures. though, i have to rag on them to get photo credits
I don't see why you would be embarrased, even if anyone were to make fun of you which they won't, they would forget by the next day. if anything you would have people come up to you and ask you to take their pictures, just gives you more practice. I personally don't take my dslr if I go to events like that, usually i'll just bring a P&S since it's much easier to use in those drunken hectic times.
I can see this problem when trying to do candids of people you dont know and out at bars, but with Family? Just think of it this way, you are recording memories for everyone. Its your own way of freezing moments in time, to be shared with others and future generations.
yeah. I'm the same way sometimes. When ppl see you shoot with a DSLR, they expect more out of your pictures. You just have to get out there and do it!
maybe it is me but i am worse around famiry. out and about, I can shrug off the looks and never recognize these people again. Family is always there and once you bust out the cam, they ask about it everytime there is a get together. and then there is a ton of technical and price questions about how things work and when did you ever get so smart but I just show a pic or 2 that has been heavily processed and then all of a sudden my camera "takes great shots" as stupid as it may seem, my new years resolution for 2009 is to get more comfortable using my camera around others. I think it is easier to hide in the guise that you are being paid to have your camera and great as it is. Not so much I think for the casual shooter who everyone recognizes as not just "THAT GUY" but THAT GUY with a PROFESSIONAL CAMERA" I hate hearing that! Now be THAT GUY at your 7 year old daughters cheerleading competitions where you are taking pictures of of other girls ages 4-8 in short skirts on a mat with a peeping tom 70-200 lens. ANd tell me that you would not feel creepy or would not be creeped out seeing THAT GUY taking pictures while your kid is on the mat. This year I made sure that I made friends with all the families that are on my daughters squad and gave them all images of their kids from the football games and competitions I shot at. by the end of it all, I was expected to have my camera out and taking pictures. It helps that I would show up face painted in school colors and giant white afro wig and gold goatee. So I was more of THAT IDIOT who takes pictures. And when I got one of the girls photos in the paper, we gat calls from the parents, saying that their kid scene their picture and is so exicted that they are now "famous" (since they had a tough year). I have been learning the importance of not only knowing yor camera and how to use it well but also that networking with people is equally important to keep from being the town pedophile what a fucking wall o text I typed here
That happens to me every once in a while. Maybe i should just take the head first approach and make sure i have my camera with me whenever I'm out doing stuff (not getting groceries and shit, but actually out with friends and stuff)