All-Ttime Funniest Comment You've Gotten While Shooting

[Gary L. Quay]

It must be pretty common, but my favorite was when I was out on the street taking a 4x5. I came out from under the darkcloth, and someone passed by and said incredulously, "you can still get film for that?!"

No. No, I can't. I'm under the darkcloth when it's 15°F out "for old times' sake."

Yes. The person who couldn't find the LCD display then asked if they still made film for it. I was standing there with the film holder in my hands.

--Gary

[Joakim Ahnfelt]

One with out words
When I was setting up to shoot a landscape in Isle of Skye I heard/felt some movement under the dark cloth and in surprise turned my head only to be face to face with some sort of black and white sheep dog under the dark cloth with me. We looked at each other a second or two, then he looked at the ground glass for a while, checking the composition I presume, before he got out. Funny thing was I didn't get scared. If it had been a fellow human I probably would have screamed my head off.

[Diane Maher]

I was out on the Antietam battlefield, setting up the Canham 5x7 to take a photo of a split-rail fence. A young family walked up, full of curiosity. I let everyone take a peek under the darkcloth. The mother of the brood turned and exclaimed to her husband, who had not yet looked, "It's like Hi-Def TV!"

Imagine what she would have thought if you'd been shooting with your 5x12!

[SamReeves]

Santa Cruz last month…

"Does that camera still work?"

Well it wouldn't be if it weren't on the tripod.

[Diane Maher]

With an 8x10 camera on the tripod, I have gotten two things fairly often. See below.

Person: "Is that digital?"
Me: "No."
Person: "Can you still get film for that?"
Me: "Yes."

or

Person: "Wow, what a big camera."
Me: "Um, yes."
Person: "I'll bet that's expensive."
Me: "Um, no." (whether it is or not, I figure that it's none of their business and I'm better off if they think it is a cheap thing).

[Gary L. Quay]

Person: "Wow, what a big camera."
Me: "Um, yes."
Person: "I'll bet that's expensive."
Me: "Um, no." (whether it is or not, I figure that it's none of their business and I'm better off if they think it is a cheap thing).

I do lots of night photography in a major city. Admitting to owning an expensive camera to a stranger could be my last mistake.

--Gary

[Diane Maher]

I have to make sure that my non-LF shooting friends don't open their mouths and say something about how expensive my camera is. I've explained why since I don't want any trouble. Although I don't shoot in the cities alone (you just don't do that here unless you're a man), I do have a few places that I do go alone to do my photographing. It doesn't matter what time of day I'm out shooting, I don't need any trouble.

[tmastran]

Newfound Gap At Dawn
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
4x5 mounted on tripod in back of pickup truck
Temperature 32F

Park Ranger eyeing me suspiciously: "That's not an instatmatic, is it?"
Me: "Noop."

[tmastran]

Downtown Hanyeville, AL
4x5 setup in town park square
Daisy resting near by.

Bum: "Does that dog bite?"
Me: No response. Situation controlled.

[seabird]

Newfound Gap At Dawn
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
4x5 mounted on tripod in back of pickup truck
Temperature 32F

Park Ranger eyeing me suspiciously: "That's not an instatmatic, is it?"

And they say Americans dont do irony !

Great story !