Why are some photographers so rude??

~*~ElmoHolz~*~

~*~ElmoHolz~*~

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Holly
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I was very lucky yesterday and got the opportunity to shoot at the start of the Tour of Britain. I was sent to shoot the riders in front of their tour bus and there was only this one other photographer there. When I arrived he sneered down at me when he looked at my camera (a D80), not surprised as he had a couple of Canon's and large lenses so I didnt think anything of it. but what really annoyed me was as soon as I moved a tiny inch he kept pushing my legs back (he was crouched down of the ground - I was standing). I dont understand what right he thought he had to keep pushing me...let alone even touch me!

Thoughts anyone?
 
A D80 might not be very heavy, but if it dropped on your head, say when you were forcing yourself backwards needlessly, it would hurt. ;)

I've come across some right pig photographers. They're mostly gear heads, the types who turn up to every other event, usually uninvited, with 3 or 4 cameras swinging out of them, and take over the place. I have hard elbows, I've learned.
 
Dan_H said:
Think gramps is right. I'd have perhaps lost my balance a little.
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Maybe, he was leaning on a fence though. Did it approx 8 times, even though isn't it just decent to apologise if that was the case :shrug:
 
As you get older you'll come to realise that not everyone has manners nor are the polite. Unfortunately they are everywhere and its one of those things. Just have to do your best to ignore it i suppose.
 
Cagey75 said:
A D80 might not be very heavy, but if it dropped on your head, say when you were forcing yourself backwards needlessly, it would hurt. ;)

I've come across some right pig photographers. They're mostly gear heads, the types who turn up to every other event, usually uninvited, with 3 or 4 cameras swinging out of them, and take over the place. I have hard elbows, I've learned.
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Maybe I should of just 'accidently' stood on his fingers :whistle:
 
joking aside i have met loads of photographers some who i am good friends with even now, others who i have come to realise that they do photography because they can afford the top equipment and do photography more for the money you can get from it then because they enjoy photos ever that or there rather scared that your photos may be better then theres so they feel they need to try and ruin your chances
 
A knee to the back of the head, followed by "Sorry mate, some <sweary> knocked me off balance".
 
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Benefits of being a girl haha.

Would blokes get away with doing it to another bloke though?
 
To be honest, I havent been in that situation, but I'm a pretty solid guy at 6'2" so they'd have had to have taken their brave pills before shoving me out of the way for a photo.
 
Also being a girl/woman I find that some male togs try to intimidate at times!

I was shooting at a gig last week on behalf of the main act, and had been in prime position since the start of the show, 10mins from the end they allowed the Press in to shoot the end of the event, one guy barrelled up to me and tried his best to shove me out of position, I shoved back (at the same time he was mounting his 24-70), it dislodged and rolled back into the crowd, cue sweet smile and whoopsie! didnt touch me again after that..
 
It's normal. You just have to stand your ground.

If I'm concentrating I don't always notice what is going on around me so I can understand when someone is busy taking photos they aren't paying much attention to others and can seem very pushy. I probably walked in front of countless shots just as others did to me...
 
Ignore every single post telling you to "accidently on purpose" injur the guy.. or anything like that.. A) The moment has passed so its stupid advice.. B) half of the people advising wouldnt say boo to a mouse and C) Its not really going to happen is it.. or you would have done it anyway..

There is only one thing you can do about photogrpahers like that.... Make sure you dont become one.. I ahve met some pig ignorant people. I started out wiht the camera in my avatar .. a nice silver olympus digital... i got sneered at and 90% wouldnt give you the time of day.. but now and then I would meet a gem. Seriously you could see the change in the way people look at you when i forst got my 10d.

Now I make sure I give time and anything else to every photogrpaher I meet.. because I never ever want to be seen in the same light as the people I met on my journey...and they are still around.
 
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~*~ElmoHolz~*~ said:
I was very lucky yesterday and got the opportunity to shoot at the start of the Tour of Britain. I was sent to shoot the riders in front of their tour bus and there was only this one other photographer there. When I arrived he sneered down at me when he looked at my camera (a D80), not surprised as he had a couple of Canon's and large lenses so I didnt think anything of it. but what really annoyed me was as soon as I moved a tiny inch he kept pushing my legs back (he was crouched down of the ground - I was standing). I dont understand what right he thought he had to keep pushing me...let alone even touch me!

Thoughts anyone?
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Two thoughts:

Why were you standing so close?

If you get in the way of, or around, a press photographer when they are working you are likely to get shoved. It's usually nothing personal so get used to it.
 
Dan_H said:
As you get older you'll come to realise that not everyone has manners nor are the polite. Unfortunately they are everywhere and its one of those things. Just have to do your best to ignore it i suppose.
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I was going to say the world is full of <sweary> but your post is probably worded better.

I think the reason it appears that the world if full of <sweary>, is because they stand out more than normal people. Every now and then someone does something nice (like the guy who stopped and gave me a push when my car broke down) and it makes you realise there are some nice people in this world.
 
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KIPAX said:
Ignore every single post telling you to "accidently on purpose" injur the guy.. or anything like that.. A) The moment has passed so its stupid advice.. B) half of the people advising wouldnt say boo to a mouse and C) Its not really going to happen is it.. or you would have done it anyway..

There is only one thing you can do about photogrpahers like that.... Make sure you dont become one.. I ahve met some pig ignorant people. I started out wiht the camera in my avatar .. a nice silver olympus digital... i got sneered at and 90% wouldnt give you the time of day.. but now and then I would meet a gem. Seriously you could see the change in the way people look at you when i forst got my 10d.

Now I make sure I give time and anything else to every photogrpaher I meet.. because I never ever want to be seen in the same light as the people I met on my journey...and they are still around.
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Don't bet on it. I never advise anything I wouldn't do personally. Try not to speak for others that you don't know personally. If someone's being overly rude on purpose, in my book they deserve a little nudge back. Let them know you'll not be bullied.
 
Not excusing the guys actions but a quick question but where was the sun when you were shooting?

If it was behind you there was probably a reason when he was on the floor to prevent his shadow being in the photo, your standing behind him could result in your shadow being in his shot. He would have been better to tell you that though but I maybe he thought you would be aware of that?
 
DemiLion said:
Two thoughts:

Why were you standing so close?

If you get in the way of, or around, a press photographer when they are working you are likely to get shoved. It's usually nothing personal so get used to it.
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Going to have to adgree dont take it personal,just get the shots you want and move on :)
 
DemiLion said:
Two thoughts:

Why were you standing so close?

If you get in the way of, or around, a press photographer when they are working you are likely to get shoved. It's usually nothing personal so get used to it.
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This. Just how it happens.
 
If you were a fellow pro, maybe you wouldn't have got in his way.
He sneered at your D80? It sounds to me you had made your mind up about him, or why mention this?
not surprised as he had a couple of Canon's and large lenses so I didnt think anything of it
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Sorry, he may well have come across an arse, but we only have your side of the story.
 
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Oh, and Ipswich is a nice place, dontcha think? :D
 
Dan_H said:
To be honest, I havent been in that situation, but I'm a pretty solid guy at 6'2" so they'd have had to have taken their brave pills before shoving me out of the way for a photo.
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^this^ :LOL: I am a big bloke too, cant say I have ever had the problem with someone trying to push me around :D
 
When I started photography I noticed rude photographers ! No-one ever pushed me but they never got close enough!
I made a post about rude photographers at the time.
Now I just go out and shoot away without a care in the world. I'm there for me and no-one else! Just enjoy it
 
~*~ElmoHolz~*~ said:
I was very lucky yesterday and got the opportunity to shoot at the start of the Tour of Britain. I was sent to shoot the riders in front of their tour bus and there was only this one other photographer there. When I arrived he sneered down at me when he looked at my camera (a D80), not surprised as he had a couple of Canon's and large lenses so I didnt think anything of it. but what really annoyed me was as soon as I moved a tiny inch he kept pushing my legs back (he was crouched down of the ground - I was standing). I dont understand what right he thought he had to keep pushing me...let alone even touch me!

Thoughts anyone?
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who says he was the press photographer and Holz was the 'girl in the way' :shrug: Sounds from the OP that it was one man for him/herself
 
I made a few trips to this year's Edinburgh Fringe and apart from the performers, I amused myself watching the photographers and, I hate to say this but the rudest all seemed to be using Canons.

Now this isn't an attack on Canon owners, I know many and they are really nice people but it just seems strange that so many seem to behave like that.

They were sneering at other people's cameras, pushing, complaining because people get in the way, jamming their cameras into people's faces when they were playing instruments (although in the interests of balance I saw a Nikon owner I know do that too), it was amazing how some behaved.

I mentioned this to my neighbour and he said he'd been there and was standing on some steps when he suddenly was sent flying. He turned to see someone standing in his place and when he asked him why he was pushed the "photoghrapher" told him it was because he had a better camera and deserved a priority.

My neighbour suggested that he might find his camera being used for a colonoscopy and the photographer skulked away muttering to himself.

I asked my neighbour one question: Did he have a white lens?

The answer was "Yes!"
 
If you weren't a girl I'd tell you to man up.

You describe a small press call and those can and do get a bit pushy as you have a limited window to get the right shot.

If you are shy and bashful and not prepared to get in there you won't get the shot, it will end and your boss will chew your backside.

It would be nice to be all pleasant and have all the time in the world, but that doesn't happen.
 
The thing is this type of situation is repeated all over, from people pushing in at a cue, people barging into you on a Train,tube..etc..

It's how you deal with those people, yes it would be very easy for some us to either drop the F***er, barge back into him making sure he is aware you are prepared to be as nasty and ignorant back.

Sometimes though it is more rewarding to just look at them and laugh, be the bigger person, That is not to say you should allow anyone to try and intimidate you though.
 
People make excuses for rude people they don't even know on here!?? Yup, really worth telling your story/ experience. A lot of photographers are pompous gits. That may seem ironic. But I'm not pompous, just straight up, and a bit grumpy ;)
 
Cagey75 said:
People make excuses for rude people they don't even know on here!?? Yup, really worth telling your story/ experience. A lot of photographers are pompous gits. That may seem ironic. But I'm not pompous, just straight up, and a bit grumpy ;)
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Likewise people making assumptions that they know what happened based on a few lines posted on a forum is a bit silly.

You don't know the full facts and nor do I. Since Holly hasn't seen fit to enlighten us, I'm not going to guess.

No one has made excuses. Simply pointed out the facts of life.

If you want to play at being a press photographer, then be aware of the consequences.
 
No-ones actually advocated talking.
"Excuse me am I causing you a problem?"

Sometimes (such as in the shadow idea) you don't realise you are causing an issue, other times you just meet a rude person.

I also shot a local gig where I'd arrived early and got in a good position. Half way through the first set another tog, who I sort of knew produced a local music mag, shoved her way right beside me between me and the artists, blocking my shot. A polite word explaining is she stepped back half a pace we could both get our shots was all it needed.
 
You say you were "sent" to the spot to shoot? By who? Sounds like you wouldn't have put yourself there willingly?
And if he was already crouching down and he managed to bump into you then i would say you were encroaching his space,
And the whole looking at your camera thing, well im guessing he makes a living through photography and what you thought was a sneer was probably him just working out if you were in the same "club" as him and perhaps a little jealousy from you? I don't know so its only a guess.
But seriously, any event, happening, moment or location in public where people can gather to observe you will get pushing and shoving, its just in our nature to get to the front get the best spot and see the whole thing. Its only through being civilized we deem this behaviour as uncivilized or animal like. Common courtesy is the key but its not the law to be nice and the truth is, the world is full of not very nice people.
Im sure he ment nothing by it though and should you have confronted him about it then maybe you both might have learned something.
 
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