Will you be willing to talk about your camera?
- Thread starter renzokuken
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I see alot of these photogs at zoo and bird park. I'm wondering where do they come from. They don't seem to be working for the zoo and bird park but they look organised (wearing some kind to common shirt). :dunno:
Anyway, most of them uses D200 / D300. Collateral sponsorship with their organisation?
Anyway, most of them uses D200 / D300. Collateral sponsorship with their organisation?
renzokuken
Senior Member
so i guess it is a custom, to not ask about a professional's camera
i won't do it again then i promise
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CS TAN
Senior Member
It will be a bit sad that photographers are being seen as unfriendly, uncaring and stuck up people without the usual courtesy of a human being.
Everyone has a job to do and a family to feed. It is not an excuse to be rude to another person. Perhaps I have high expectation but imagine everyone give you black face simply because he does not need to report to you, only the one that pays his salary. Are we at this stage already in Singapore?
Well, how rude was that person, we may never know? He was asked a question. How he chooses to answer that question is his prerogative. He did answer though. I think a lot of things are subjective here. We won't know for sure unless we were there when it happened. So I guess we have to give him the benefit of the doubt.
It is true, that we all get black face all the time in SG and that is the sad fact in SG. Around 1990 I was working part time at harborfront (called WTC back then), NUS was using the expo halls there to conduct NUS exams. I was having lunch in a very packed Macdonalds with 2 colleagues. A NUS girl slammed her big heavy file on the table we were eating on. Her friend was trying to tell her that is not the best thing to do, she said loudly, no doubt for our benefit, that "nevermind cuz they will be finishing their food and leaving soon". It still scares me to think our hopes for the future of Singapore lay in the hands of these brats.
Yes, we have reached that stage long ago, and have gone beyond that. Along with the other "unfriendly" traits we hear so often, we have truely become "Uniquely Singapore!" :cry:
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See what I mean, talk and discuss here , everyone dial onto relax mood, ask and talk anything also can, no time constrain.
Sometimes, when one is not in the shoe, will not be able to understand the feeling of the other.
Remember some years ago, before Star of the Zoo - Ah Ming retire, there was a promo of him having breakfast kind of thing. I was with this Harrison guy who was in charge then. Shooting to be in large format, instruction...no flash no reflector, else will annoy our STAR and he will not co-operate. And he got specific time for that short short session, no coaxing, let him have his way...so how ? There is no so how..you find your own solution, since you take up this assignment.
Whole session is so very stressful, where got time to talk, can't even afford to take eyes off the STAR. So whenver the STAR eats something, start shooting...hoping that he got a good appetite that morning.
It's all over within less than half an hour.
Jus like covering a soccer match... if one start talking ( the competitors sure hope that you talk thro the whole match ).
Sometimes, when one is not in the shoe, will not be able to understand the feeling of the other.
Remember some years ago, before Star of the Zoo - Ah Ming retire, there was a promo of him having breakfast kind of thing. I was with this Harrison guy who was in charge then. Shooting to be in large format, instruction...no flash no reflector, else will annoy our STAR and he will not co-operate. And he got specific time for that short short session, no coaxing, let him have his way...so how ? There is no so how..you find your own solution, since you take up this assignment.
Whole session is so very stressful, where got time to talk, can't even afford to take eyes off the STAR. So whenver the STAR eats something, start shooting...hoping that he got a good appetite that morning.
It's all over within less than half an hour.
Jus like covering a soccer match... if one start talking ( the competitors sure hope that you talk thro the whole match ).
so i guess it is a custom, to not ask about a professional's camera
i won't do it again then i promise
So now if you see some bungla doing surveying along the road, you can go up and ask him.. excuse me, are you using a nikon or olympus ? See what's his reply or expression to your question.
Another point to consider is...
for professional who earns a living, the camera, to him/her is just a piece of working tools.
If he/she can use a $500/= camera to do a $5,000/= assignment and get his/her client to accept it and pay the bill, then I would consider he/she is smart, using a penknife to cut an oak tree.
On the other hand, there are amateurs who willingly spent $5,000/= on a camera, but just to shoot some amateurs models or carshow girl.
So these two people see their camera differntly. One is a tool, others a prized possess.
for professional who earns a living, the camera, to him/her is just a piece of working tools.
If he/she can use a $500/= camera to do a $5,000/= assignment and get his/her client to accept it and pay the bill, then I would consider he/she is smart, using a penknife to cut an oak tree.
On the other hand, there are amateurs who willingly spent $5,000/= on a camera, but just to shoot some amateurs models or carshow girl.
So these two people see their camera differntly. One is a tool, others a prized possess.
CS TAN
Senior Member
True, there are always two sides of a story and we will never know what exactly happened without the story from the other side. I am not really talking about this incident but in general if people get to accept that photographers in Singapore are a bunch of stuck up people with no general courtesy whatsoever, then it will be truly sad for us that are associated with this industry/hobby.
If that is really the case, our educational system and family have truly failed. We are too concerned about how to teach our students/children on how to ace the exam but forgot to teach them on how to become a real human being.
CS TAN
Senior Member
I think you are the type who don't want to talk while working but that is fine. But how hard will it be if you just return a smile and then continue your work? I think 99% of people will understand that you are busy and want to concentrate with your work. No need to give black face in this situation. As for that 1%, well, there is always that 1% in life.
As I have said before, it might be the Eq of a person that determine whether he is good in handling people and the ones that always give black face might be lacking behind in that category.
Sad but true. It is survival-of-the-fittest attitude in SG nowadays. Even many people in service industry have no sense of good service.
Well, put cameras into the hands of nasty people and you get nasty photographers (or wannabes). It is too much about showing off here. The best car, the best gear etc.... See your stuff is not as good as mine... :bigeyes:
if you want to find out more about cameras, it is better to go to places like DP review or here, you can find more information of what you want..so i guess it is a custom, to not ask about a professional's camera
i won't do it again then i promise
if you intend to talk to a professionals more in depth, don't start the conversation while they are at work, I'm sure many professionals will be very happy to help you when the situation is allow.
it is so funny to see people slamming others without knowing what is happening actually, anyway, I will get agitated if somebody ask me "what camera is good/best" or, "recommendation of cameras" when I on assignment too.
Hi, personal experience here, was at Sentosa (Butterfly & Insect Park) over last weekend and there's this zoo staff asking tourists whether they want their pics taken with macaws and he's using a Nikon (not sure what model). He deliberately ignore me and ask my gf whether she wants her pics taken! I was then busy trying my best to shoot this elusive butterfly! Haha...... :bsmilie:
it really depends... once there was this tai-tai who asked what kind of camera i was using.
i didn't have my camera with me, and it was a friend who introduced for future reference. the tai-tai was a photographer herself and it seems it was more like she was trying to show off her gear or put down what kind of gear i had.
i found it a little odd, but it was probably the only occasion i felt a little uncomfortable with someone asking me what gear i had.
i didn't have my camera with me, and it was a friend who introduced for future reference. the tai-tai was a photographer herself and it seems it was more like she was trying to show off her gear or put down what kind of gear i had.
i found it a little odd, but it was probably the only occasion i felt a little uncomfortable with someone asking me what gear i had.
Belle&Sebastain
Senior Member
during work, i be slightly annoyed if others make comments such as my camera is better than yours, can take better photographs because of gear etc.
I be quite offended when people come up to us and ask how much are we charging for our package. I'm working my friend, not selling and I do not value such clients when no effort is made to understand what we do and all they do is to keeping asking what I use, how much I earn/ charge etc.
Next time I ask them what is their salary, how much is your car, watch, dress, handbag. see how they feel.
Be polite, if you want to compliment, do so, but not by the value of the product.
I be quite offended when people come up to us and ask how much are we charging for our package. I'm working my friend, not selling and I do not value such clients when no effort is made to understand what we do and all they do is to keeping asking what I use, how much I earn/ charge etc.
Next time I ask them what is their salary, how much is your car, watch, dress, handbag. see how they feel.
Be polite, if you want to compliment, do so, but not by the value of the product.
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You can hand him a card and do the usual:
"Call me and make an appointment. I will be happy to discuss pricing on your photography needs." ;P
No body is right or wrong here, from what I see, base on the following observation...
TS is there with friend on a casual, leisure, free and ez night, plus curiousity of the gear of the photographer is using, that's why he asked.
At that particular moment, this guy is still slotting his way round ( don't know since when he started, could have a mixture of fatique, tireness and hungar), while TS is already well taken his dinner and was having a good time.
Both are having a different situation.
One is thinking of quickly finish up his work and go home, while TS can enjoy talking all night long.
One thing TS misses out is... he didn't ask : Excuse me, can you spare two minutes with me, I'd got a few questions about photographic equipments and related.
We often come across such request along Orchard Road pedestrain mall or over the phone didn't we ? That they wanted to do a survey.
As answer to Mr. Tan, in service trade, showing off black face is uncall for and also against the code of practice as professional.
My common answer to such question is....
Actually I don't like to use this camera, you see, big, cumbersom, heavy and slow ( not to mention the cost ). then I will whisk out from my side pocket a p n s camera, and say , I'd prefer this to that. But this big guy can help me to pay my housing loan and other utilities bill, this small one cannot. Any wise guy with brain should understand what I am putting forth.
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Zoo is a low budget ( or no budget ) organisation, since day one, loosing money all the time, cause one of my NS buddy is working inside. Tha's why they need company to adopt their animals. If their staff can do the works, there will be no out sourcing, this is inline with streamlining expenses.
Belle&Sebastain
Senior Member
100% of the time, clients that ask prices are price sensitive, not quality sensitive. I never had any signup(s) when they ask start the conversation like these, not when I was charging $1500 nor now when the rates are higher.
Many people romance the thought of hiring us when they see as work but many do not understand what we really do.
Most of these clients are impulse buyers. I do fear them to a great degree as they many not like what we produce for them at the end. I like to understand my clients needs first before accessing our services to them if we match their thoughts.
Many people also romantic the fact with the same kit or gear like the professionals, they too can be the next best thing for our profession. Power to them! I still profess more love for photography than tools. I get more excited in the act of photography than the photographic equipment itself.
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