Play Nice!!!!!
Please indulge me in some rambling thoughts! I was talking to another gentlemen of my age, (crotchety old man talk!), and we agreed that things sure are different than when we grew up. I’m not saying that people are courteous, or nice, or hospitable anymore, that would certainly be stretching my point, but….. things are different. While I am not the arbiter of what is good behavior, I would like to make some suggestions to my fellow photographers;
1. When in-the-field, treat other shooters as you would like to be treated. Don’t step in front of someone else blocking their shot. Don’t make a loud noise while someone is trying to photograph a skittish animal. If you need to work close to another person’s spot, ask permission to “squeeze” in! Let me offer an example. One of the locations I do a lot with groups is Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park. It is almost always crowded so I encourage my groups to get there plenty early since the best spot to shoot from is not a very large space. If you arrive and others have the good spot you’re out of luck. Now its a decent hike in and you do it in the dark so I have a suggestion. My last time there my group got in early and we had secured the best shooting spots. Just before the light was going to get terrific, and it did that day, another group about as large as out (a dozen people) arrived. At first they were verbally upset that we had the good spots. Here is where playing nice comes in. I went over to their leader and said, “listen the light is about to happens, why don’t we try to squeeze your guys in with our group so everyone get a chance at the good light!?” It was tight but everyone got the shot, even some of my folks, after they knew that had the shot left their spot for some from the new group. Everyone left happy, and an ugly confrontation was avoided, and we did the right thing. Play nice!!!!
2. Share what you know! A few years ago a photographer who will go un-named (no reason to be ugly – play nice???!!!) did a beautiful book on a very scenic area in America. The book had many stunning images and it was of a place few people knew anything about. Many photographers questioned the author about where these beautiful scenes were photographed. The photographer steadfastly refused to reveal their “secret” spot. I have to be honest, it frosted me. If a scene is on public land, and going to it, to make photographs, does not in anyway harm the environment, I can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t gladly share your information. The area in this book has now been discovered by many and I’ve seen hundreds of images from this location, so the photographer did not protect their work!!!! They should have Played Nice!!!!
3. Never harm any living thing just to make the shot. If you have to harm an animal or put it in danger, or harm or destroy a plant, flower, or tree to make the shot, walk away. No image is worth destroying the subject!!! Play Nice!!!!
4. Be honest about your images. I once heard a photographer tell a long bloated story about lying under dead leaves for two days until the bear got close enough to make an image. First I don’t believe him, and if it is true, he’s an idiot for allowing a wild animal like bear to get that close! Hairy war tales are not needed, just make wonderful images that require no story at all! Play Nice!!!!!
5. Share your toys! Have you ever been making a shot and have a fellow photogpraher say I would love to make that shot but my lens is not wide enough or long enough!!!??? When you are finished hand them the lens you are using, (if it will fit their camera!) If I get the shot and you don’t, it doesn’t make my shot any better!!! Play Nice!!!!
6. Offer to help. If you see someone struggling to make a shot and you can see the mistake their making, offer a little help. Maybe it’s because I teach workshops, or maybe I’m just observant, but I see people all the time having trouble making a shot and doing something wrong. I try to be gentle, and offer to help. I’ve never had anyone say bug off. Most people appreciate a hand. Same goes for a family group wanting their picture made in front of some scene, offer to shoot the picture so everyone in the family gets to be in the image!. It’s just embarrassing when a 45 year pro shooter (me) can’t find the button on their camera!!! Plays Nice!!!!
7. Be careful how you critiques other’s work!!! You don’t have to draw blood, to help someone see how they could have made a better image! Almost all images have something positive to say about them, start there, and acknowledge that the photographer had a good idea, then start showing how a few changes would have brought that image to fruition more successfully. If your goal is to help people get more excited about making good images, don’t crush them in the process! Play Nice!!!!
8. If you think you’re the best photographer in the room, you may be wrong!!!! If you are sure you’re the best photogpraher in the room, never say it! Today one thing is very true: Even if you are an exceptional photographer, there are a many, many more just as good or better than you! Today great shooters are a dime a dozen. It’s the fact of photography today, we enjoy more wonderful shooters than ever before, So the next time you start feeling like you can’t be beat, step carefully, pride goes before a fall!! Remember, Play Nice!!!!
9. Don’t be a snob about your gear! We invest a lot in our camera gear, and we are proud of our choices, but be careful not to put to much stock in your gear. Rod Planck said it best, “Technique trumps equipment overtime!” Want to find something to be proud of? Be proud of how careful you are in your execution of this craft!!!
10. Don’t put to much stock in what others say about your work! You’re probably not as good, or as bad, as they say you are! Play Nice!!!!!
Have a blessed day!
the pilgrim
…..and Play Nice!!!!!!
Grain Silo, Wall, South Dakota
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 at 7:22 pm
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Great advice from a great friend. And … play nice works well applied to the rest of our lives, also.
You bet! My great friend!
Great thoughts. I will add a suggestion:
11. If you offer a critique, be prepared for backlash — justified or otherwise. I photograph a lot of waterfalls. Sometimes someone will say, “I would have” or “I would like to see” followed by a little to the right, a little to the left, etc. Duh. If you did it that way you might be lucky if you get to the E.R. instead of the morgue. Sometimes the shot you see IS the best possible one under the conditions. My rule no. 1 is: NO PHOTOGRAPH IS WORTH ENDANGERING THE SAFETY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER! Play nice.
And I especially like the comments about sharing and offering to be of help. I was shooting Great Falls of the Potomac which except at daybreak is almost always crowded. The crowd is usually quite diverse and I am usually the minority present. One time there was a Muslim family there including several teenage/college age girls in their traditional dress. I gave them some photo advice and they began opening up with a lot of good questions as I was photographing and it was quite unusual to have a conversation with people who “looked so different” but underneath really weren’t. It was kind of cool.
That is cool! I also love your # 1 rule, protect the photographer!
Couldn’t agree more!
Thanks!
Great advice. I would like to add one thing to number three, Leave No Trace.
Yes, that was a good tag line for the National Park Service, I agree!
Your rambling thoughts are better than the ‘considered opinions’ of many others.
Thank you, kind Sir!
I never think I am the best photographer in the room. I usually figure I am the worst. 🙂
Great article!
I doubt that!
Thanks for posting these points, and I hope every photographer reads them. I can especially relate to #6…I have such a hard time using cellphone cameras!!!
Me too Don!
The gear discussion forums are really bad regarding people that stop by to say something rude about various subjects. Anything from people scolding others for asking simple questions that could have been answered by a search of the existing posts to people critiquing other’s photos that didn’t ask for a critique. I really don’t understand the attitudes of some people. I don’t participate in the forums as much as I used to because of all the garbage there. I still look, but hardly ever post or reply.
Shame it’s that way, but I think the internet gives some people the feeling that they can say pretty much anything because they’re not staring the other person in the face when they say it.
Yes, the face to face thing is how I was raised!
Bill, see my reply from your most recent post. The birds were there but I didn’t see any babies. The weather was awful. How long are you staying? Clyde Butcher is giving a talk in Sarasota on 3/14 & has an open house and dark room tours at his Venice gallery the following weekend.
Thank you for your thoughts and wisdom. It would be nice if we could all learn to play well together.
I am planning a trip to the southwest in the spring. With regard to number 1, sharing. How far before sunrise should I plan to arrive at mesa arch if I want to get a “good Spot”? I promise I will let someone squeeze if need be.
Thank you
Andy Kaufman
I think abhor before actual sunrise is not a bad idea. You may be there on day when no one else shows up, but if you are it’s rare!!!
Playing nice works both ways also, not that we do it for that reason. We do it because that is how we are called upon to act towards others but there may be a time when our group gets there second, or when we forget something. Just this past week I was down at the Venice Rookery to test a new to me but old Nikkor 600mm AI lens that I recently acquired. A retired fellow who drove an hour down got there and had forgotten his camera battery in the charger. Needless to say he was a little upset. When traveling by car I always have a spare battery but I have different body so I offered him my D3s because I was using a different body , and then he only had SD cards, so I loaned him a CF card. Then he had a poor connection between his aftermarket TC and the D3s & kept getting error messages, so I wound up loaning him my Nikkor 200-400 which I had brought for a backup, and monopod. He did not have a CF card reader so I took everything home and transferred his images from my CF card to his SD card. He stopped by my office Monday to pick it up. I tell this not because of what I did, but I could have easily been him in that circumstance. At least he was able to salvage his day and it looks like I made a new friend as well.
Joe, you stand a sa model to playing nice!!! You may never know how profoundly you affected him, few would have gone that far, I salute you!!! I’m headed to Venice next week, are any of the birds back?
Back in the film days I was shooting in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone on a winter Saturday morning when a dental crown came off. Tom Murphy, a local photographer, had a workshop across the road. I went up to Tom and asked, “Do you know of any dentists in Livingston who might be working today?” One of his group said, “I’m a dentist. What happened?” I showed him the crown. He went back to his truck, popped out a bag, mixed a little cement with bottled water and recemented the crown. Then he says to me, “Now I have a problem. My camera battery is low.” I had six spares in my camera bag and said, “How many do you need?”
That crown is still in place today.
Great story! I love that there are so many quality folks out there! Good for him, and good for you!
I don’t do #7 or #8 so I guess I would make an 80 on the test if graded. On second thought I think I got a 100!
Sounds like 100% to me, Johnny!
An hour ahead sounds great, Thank you
Andy