Though it hasn't occurred yet, I figure if I ever found myself in a position where I had to clear a crowd quickly, I would start by coughing as if I had the plague. I think that would do the job.
Though it hasn't occurred yet, I figure if I ever found myself in a position where I had to clear a crowd quickly, I would start by coughing as if I had the plague. I think that would do the job.
I'm surprised no one has talked about what to do when kids (ages 5 - 15) wander into your camera's field of view. That does add a different level of difficulty to the process...
I was taking a shot inside the bunkers at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, WA. Exposures were in the range of two and three minutes. I had a kid come down some stairs, look at the camera, turn around and run back up the stairs. Less than 5 sec. and it didn't show.Originally Posted by djdister
The redwoods are infested with the little beasties...
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
First off I shoot digitally for commercial work and 4x5 film for my personal work. Generally when I teach I don't shoot (except as a demo) and when I am seriously shooting I don't try and teach. They are completely different head spaces for me and I can't readily switch back and forth between them. I am a very gregarious warm teacher and an aloof cantankerous hermit of a shooter.
If I am shooting LF (only for my personal work) I oftentimes will not even setup if there are other people around-particularly digital shooters. I could absolutely care less if they understand why I am still shooting film and have no patience for their inane distracting questions. Nor am I particularly fond of engaging tourists as I am not in a marketing head space or ever really in the mood to just chat. If I am out shooting I am chasing light and that pretty much always commands my full attention. One of the reasons my personal work is so important to me is that it gives me the chance to be alone, on my own schedule, and just do what I want to do for a change without the need to be social with clients, family or students. They get the vast percentage of my time anyway. LF is very meditative and precious to me. Leave me alone so I can enjoy it!
Thanks,
Kirk
at age 73:
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep"
I just hide under the hood.
I don't know about kids, but I once met an elderly Chinese gentleman while I was making a 20-minute exposure, one night. I had the stopwatch set, so I didn't mind chatting and explaining what I was doing. After showing him another lens and a film holder from my bag, the gent did a complete tour of my camera, stopping right in front of the lens and peering inside the camera. He stayed there for some time before I could gently explain to him that I was actually making an exposure and he was, shall we say, obstructing it. When I developed the film, there was no trace of his presence. To be honest, I was more concerned about him jostling the tripod, he got very close to the camera.
It really doesn't take long to say that you've been waiting for the light and that you have a very short time to make an exposure and that you need to concentrate for a few minutes...then you can chat. I've never had someone fail to respect this, although obviously you are under no obligation to speak to onlookers. I don't mind, I figure anything I can do to foster goodwill towards photographers these days is a good thing. Also it might prevent them from reporting me as suspicious to the authorities. So I don't mind being approached but again, if I need to concentrate on my work I just say so.
Getting my tripod bumped, which can mess up my composition and/or a long exposure, is more of a problem for me. But mostly it's a problem when I'm shooting in very crowded urban environments, and often I'll have a fixer with me who can help with crowd control. Like here in Dhaka, the trick is often keeping the onlookers behind the camera instead of in front of it. My fixer, the guy on the left, did a great job here:
I talk to them..what the hell? If I'm under a darkcloth..I'll wait till I get out though
people are interested
I might even put them to work: 'here...hold this'
With beggers I've found that if I ask them for a cigarette before they I me for one, they will leave me be.
Paul Ward
First real camera: Nikon F2, gift from gandfather (1980), still have and use it.
Wista m45 4x5
Calumet Green Monster
Agfa 8x10 Field Camera
“A big negative is really a positive…”
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