Lazy Photographers

I know that simple questions can be annoying, but we're all here to help each other. Hopefully anyway. ;)

If you find a question 'too' simple, rather than write a snotty reply, ignore it. If you can't help, or more specifically don't want to, keep your nose out. Works for me. :shrug: There are loads that I ignore for various reasons.

If you can't be bothered to read in which section a thread has been posted, then that is just you being lazy I'm afraid. :shrug:

The threads asking for help with school/college assignments are particularly annoying, especially when you think the person should know the answer, or at least if they're in full time education, have peers to confer with, or at least know how to research. It is one of the things they are in such establishments to do anyway. :shrug: One could say that that is what they are doing by asking the question, but they seem to want the complete answer ready to hand in.

I think an email to new members pointing them in the direction of tutorials and threads about the basics would be a good idea. There would still be people who would ignore such things because they want the exact answer to 'their' question 'now'. :(

The other annoying thread is the 'what camera' threads with little or no information, or apparent prior research by the poster. These questions depend on how the question is asked for me, but again pointing people towards the search function when they join would be helpful. But again, people want answers to their question now. :bang:


The recent thread from someone wanting to start a business stunned me for two reasons, firstly that someone would put themselves in a situation where they now virtually nothing about photography, but were willing to start taking money from people. Secondly the amount of help they were being given. I was expecting diagrams of where to put the lights and all the settings to use. Some may have just as well offered to set up all the gear so they could wheel in their 'customers' while the lights gathered dust from not being moved, and the camera gaffa taped to the settings that 'worked'. :bonk:

People have to start somewhere, but you don't start by taking money off people imho. You start by learning how to use the equipment, and even if you don't know how everything works, you should be able to produce quality images and be able to adjust setting should something go wrong. I know a Pro that used to post here a lot, and when I first met him he didn't know the difference between multi and spot metering, but he has the 'eye' and knew how to use the camera to get the results he wanted. He seems to be making a good living out of it, but he had the images if not the technical knowledge.

You may say that if they offer bad work they will not be in business for long, but the person willing to put themselves in that position with no knowledge or experience is usually willing to get money in anyway possible, no matter how many bad experiences they leave behind them. If we all give people the know how to set up the kit to start a business, without the individual learning the underlying knowledge, are we not aiding and abetting should people feel they have been ripped off by the 'photographer'?


Sorry to waffle, but feeling bored again. :LOL:
 
leftcurl said:
come on guys... where do you draw the line? we don't want a situation where people are asking questions in fear that it's too simple.

you can ask me whatever you want.. if i know the answer i'll tell you (unless someone else has beat me to it). if i don't the know the answer... i'll wait and read what someone else puts, that way i learn too.
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Well said Leigh. I would love to be able to say that I am an experienced photographer, but I still need questions answered, not by Google, but by people who may have more knowledge than me in a relevant forum.
It is a bit sad to see some of the replies here, some people clearly dismissive of newcomers who require help.
One of the first headings on this forum is: "Talk Basics", and it states that no question can be too silly.
For those who do not want to give any help, then the answer is simple - do not look at the "Talk Basics" section.
 
Yv said:
...quick idea - in terms of actual camera skills - is it just me that wonders why manufacturers have never bothered to include a basics book in with the packaging?
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They do kind of...

Look at the first section of any Nikon manual and it's the 'easy-peasy' guide to taking photos...the main section is the in-depth section that tells you what all the buttons do...:nuts:
 
i find it very hard to read a whole big manual, small letters (combined with a bit of dyslexia) makes it very, very hard

and sometimes its nice to get that personal touch ;)

Just playing devils avocado :p
 
feeb said:
i find it very hard to read a whole big manual, small letters (combined with a bit of dyslexia) makes it very, very hard

and sometimes its nice to get that personal touch ;)

Just playing devils avocado :p
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Mmm... Guacamole...
 
Right..... I've not read every single post on here but I get the gist and I think I understand where the OP's coming from.

From my relatively short time on here, it does seem there are a few people that have just bought or are just about to by their first bits of kit and seem to think they can make money overnight without really know what they're doing.

I've had my kit for 3 years now and know I couldn't make a living out of it now or in the near future without improving my kit and technique.

I think what compounds the problem is when people ask questions, don't like the answers so they start questioning people who really know there stuff and that's really not going to go down well!

The thing with photography is there's more than one way of doing something correctly and you only find out what works for you by trial and error and building up experience.

Even experts have differences of opinion and photography is very subjective too, what works for one person is another's worst nightmare!

The great thing about this site is there seems to be such a wealth of knowledge and a willingness to help newbies but I completely understand how frustrating it is when people ask very basic questions without even a quick google or search of the forum.

From a personal perspective, I've recieved some very good advice regarding kit, some harsh but justified critique and some very useful tips on how to improve so that's a big win in my book!

I'm learning how to use Lightroom at the moment so there may be some very "noob" questions soon :LOL:
 
I understand where the OP is coming from

I'm new here so naturally went straight to the FAQ's section (I'm not new to forumming but it always helps to know how a particular forum rolls) and noticed in one thread, about 5 or 6 people asked near enough the exact same question (I think it was 'how to post pictures in a thread), despite the fact that the question had already been answered in the OP :bonk:

People just don't seem to want or know how to read anymore :(
 
I don't think i've read any of my camera manuals all the way through, i find them boring and i lose concentration, maybe that's why i'm still not much good at it :LOL: but seriously i'm very much a hands on person, i can read forever and not learn much, however if someone shows me how to do something once i never forget it, and i find the forum acts in this way for me, i've cringed with embarrassment at some of the basic things i've asked on here in the past, but the alternative is not knowing which in the long run is worse, i think this forum has got an excellent balance now for questions, particularly since the newer sections started up, i for one am very grateful for the many things i've learnt from here, and am yet to learn :)
 
Theres definitely a difference between being lazy and needing a helping hand.
Like anywhere in life, this forum is going to have both types of people.
I didnt feel like the OP was generalizing anyone, seemed like a perfectly reasonable post to me.
 
There is also the fact that ideas change technology moves on firmware updates etc.

I have never had a bad, annoyed or frustrated answer to any question I have asked from a member on TP, in fact they will normally bend over backwards in trying to help. I still believe that a wiki with all the basic stuff in would be an asset to TP and if it is a simple question asked then a polite point to the answer would be a doddle. For a more technical answers then I agree ask away. As said if you don't feel up to answering then just ignore the question and move on.
 
Key thing for me is that no matter how hard the more established photographers try, I think it's nigh-on impossible to think like a beginner and see the whole jargon-infested minefield of photography. It's no one's fault, it's one of those things, but we have to remember that being a beginner in anything is daunting.

I don't think the OP is wrong in posting what he's said - sometimes it can seem like the questions are so basic that they're almost taking the ****** - but you just have to grit your teeth a little and try to explain things as simply as you can so the point hits home.

Unfortunately, there is rarely a definitive answer and when we all want to help, things do get a bit convoluted and messy.

I do agree with what's been said about terminology; say it right and it makes the point clearer and easier to follow. Use words that don't suit and that's when things start to veer off course and the waters are muddied.

If there is one thing I would ask, it would be that people stop calling 50mm lenses 'nifty fifty'..... annoys the hell out of me :)
 
it's when it's beyond simple and just lazy that i have issue with :)

as pointed out earlier in the thread it also applies to "i've got 2 shoots this afternoon and i'm a glamour photographer, so where is the on button for my lights?"

perhaps i'm not as nice as i'd like to think i am and don't want to spoon feed people who can't even be arsed to put any effort in
 
I work in Jessops on a part time basis. The majority of SLR buyers want one because 'their mate has one and it takes awesome pictures'. They have spent months researching the different buttons and features, which has a slightly higher pixel count by 0.00001MP etc etc etc. Yet, these very same customers have not spent a moment reading about the basics of how a camera works or what makes a good picture. Most would rather buy e.g. a 7D with the cruddiest possible kit lens than a 1000D with an L-series for the same cost. I'm not entirely blaming them, having spent 12 years as a professional IT consultant before making the break, I've watched the computer industry train people into viewing 0.2GHz as a selling point over some other, better quality PC for the same price. It is such a shame that the camera market has gone the same way. This has trained people to look more at spec than look at their own ability. Scarier is that we see a vast variance in the 'professionals' bringing their work in to be printed. As I run the lab in our store, I get to see a lot of these results. We have one guy with a couple of Canon 400Ds who gets amazing results. By comparison, another 'professional' customer who is loaded and charges thousands for her work, has two 5D Mkii's, just about every L series lens going and complained to me that her pictures were not coming out right. I asked her to show me what she meant and she pulled out a photo from a magazine. She asked me why the background in her pictures were not nicely blurred out like the one in the magazine. I explained that she needed to use a wider aperture to get a shallow depth of field. "Oh,", she says... "What's depth of field, and what's the aperture?"... She had never taken the camera out of auto...

Then, once in a while my day is brightened by someone who has never touched an SLR before but is eager to learn, asks the right questions and is happy when I suggest a nice, simple 1000D and spend the difference between that and a 60D on some decent glass. They ask where to read up and I recommend a nice old 35mm photographer's handbook from the second hand book store round the corner, ignore the first few chapters on film types etc and get into understanding how to train their eye...
 
Davec223 said:
Sorry I really think you have missed the point that the op was making, he was not talking about a newbie or hobbiest asking basic questions, but someone offering photography as a service and charging for it, then asking the same questions as the newbie, surely this is just wrong, charging for something when you do not know how to do the service to a basic level.
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I have just scrolled back to the original post and re-read it. What you said above is totally opposite.

Yes the original post was talking about newbies asking basic questions, and having read it a third time I see no references to someone offering services and charging for it.
 
Quaker said:
I have just scrolled back to the original post and re-read it. What you said above is totally opposite.

Yes the original post was talking about newbies asking basic questions, and having read it a third time I see no references to someone offering services and charging for it.
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When you go back to when the thread was posted ans saw a few of the thread around you would see where I was coming from, plus see post 27 ( I think) may clear things up a little.

(y)
 
alexkidd said:
Now this forum is friendly which is great but should we be spoon feeding people?

I'm a nice person (i know i know, hard to believe) and i'm willing to help anyone but only if they're willing to put the effort in
And frankly it seems like some newcomers just aren't willing to do the basic footwork, even if it's reading the manual.
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most people are idiots and can't be arsed to do anything. they are brought up spoon fed so it's not really their fault.

we all do it to some degree or other.
 
Oh it's so *tiresome* all these newbies asking stupid questions. If only they could all be as smart as us experienced photographers, life would be so much more bearable!

:p
 
The problems sometimes is the manuals are written by people who know what they are talking about, so it's easy to not fully explain something. Custom functions are a good example.

Sometimes you just need something explained in a slightly different way to understand things.
 
Rictus said:
I work in Jessops on a part time basis. The majority of SLR buyers want one because 'their mate has one and it takes awesome pictures'. They have spent months researching the different buttons and features, which has a slightly higher pixel count by 0.00001MP etc etc etc. Yet, these very same customers have not spent a moment reading about the basics of how a camera works or what makes a good picture. Most would rather buy e.g. a 7D with the cruddiest possible kit lens than a 1000D with an L-series for the same cost. I'm not entirely blaming them, having spent 12 years as a professional IT consultant before making the break, I've watched the computer industry train people into viewing 0.2GHz as a selling point over some other, better quality PC for the same price. It is such a shame that the camera market has gone the same way. This has trained people to look more at spec than look at their own ability. Scarier is that we see a vast variance in the 'professionals' bringing their work in to be printed. As I run the lab in our store, I get to see a lot of these results. We have one guy with a couple of Canon 400Ds who gets amazing results. By comparison, another 'professional' customer who is loaded and charges thousands for her work, has two 5D Mkii's, just about every L series lens going and complained to me that her pictures were not coming out right. I asked her to show me what she meant and she pulled out a photo from a magazine. She asked me why the background in her pictures were not nicely blurred out like the one in the magazine. I explained that she needed to use a wider aperture to get a shallow depth of field. "Oh,", she says... "What's depth of field, and what's the aperture?"... She had never taken the camera out of auto...

Then, once in a while my day is brightened by someone who has never touched an SLR before but is eager to learn, asks the right questions and is happy when I suggest a nice, simple 1000D and spend the difference between that and a 60D on some decent glass. They ask where to read up and I recommend a nice old 35mm photographer's handbook from the second hand book store round the corner, ignore the first few chapters on film types etc and get into understanding how to train their eye...
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Good post. (y)
 
I am just courious , but how does a person who has not had any experience with taking photos know its a stupid question when they ask it , as they are having problems sorting it them selves. Some times even things that might seem simple when you understand it is like reading another language to a newcomer .:thinking:
 
freddisu said:
I am just courious , but how does a person who has not had any experience with taking photos know its a stupid question when they ask it , as they are having problems sorting it them selves. Some times even things that might seem simple when you understand it is like reading another language to a newcomer .:thinking:
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I may be missing the point here but I'm going to say it at the risk of boring the yawners who thought this thread had been done with..........

I thought this forum encouraged people of all abilities to take part. We all, I assume, have one reason for being here - an interest in photography. If those of us who have been at it for years feel unable to help out the 'not so experienced', it's a poor show.

Surely the old adage applies - if you 'aint interested don't answer. Personally I have been taking photographs for nearly 40 years and still actively encourage others to take up the hobby. I'm not interested whether or not you have the latest super duper ten million meg hyper dslr that can navigate you to the moon with a 20 grand lens or a ten quid disposable - you like photography.

If I can help with the basic questions - I will(y)
 
Splog said:
Why is it that when someone asks a basic question they get a dozen answers all saying the same thing :thinking: Seems to me that people enjoy providing the answers. :shrug:
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A brilliant question/observation.

We had a new starter at work - all round he was pretty savvy, quiet and above all he had come from a completely different company so he had a completely different 'toolset' to attack problems. Anyway - I'm rambling - he called it 'Bikeshedding' - you ask a question like "I have an issue with the reverse foobar bazzerator - the dongle is reading 18 but normal range is 8-12, all inputs are normal". You get one reply from some expert saying "I suspect the initrode polariser is plugged in backwards" but If you ask "What colour should the bikeshed be?" you get 100 replies, all with a different colour.

I later found out it's called Parkinson's Law of Triviality. I'm guilty of it. We're all guilty of it. It's fun. My keyboard would gather dust if I only answered expert necessary questions :)

C
 
I like the stupid questions people ask, as it gives me a chance to learn things without having to look stupid by asking. It can be frustrating when typing the same question into google would get the same answer, but the plague of the 21st century is indecisiveness, people want other people to make decisions for them, and people want answers now, from real people, who know things.
 
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