Over my Pay Grade: Things I Couldn’t/Wouldn’t Do Photographically…

raydm6

raydm6

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Saw this the other day and couldn’t do this if I tried.

Any photographic scenarios you could not or would not do?

 
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Sports or wildlife; I don't have the right equipment for those types of work. I'm actually pretty good at sports photography, but I'm not going to go buy the long, fast lenses I'd need. Wildlife I don't have the patience for.

Wedding photography: I did a lot of this when I was in college. I don't like crowds of people, and have gotten more socially awkward and uncomfortable around people as I've gotten older.
 
There is a part of me that wonders if I shouldn't have gone into the army for still photography back in 1982 instead of as a tank crewman but I wonder how many assignments would have had me going "ugh" like this. Still the skills would have been good to learn.
 
As long as I felt that the situation was interesting (in a photographic sense )... not really.
For example ,I`ve been a birder most of my life but found that I had no interest in photographing them .
So something in addition to the subject matter seems to have to appeal to me.
Having said that I`ll have a pop at anything once and then consider.
 
I don’t think I could do wildlife also (ok maybe birds and small animals) but definitely not wild game.

No to weddings too - but I have much respect for those that do it.

No to crime/forensic photography (is this still done)?

Anything with heights or danger; out of the question.
 
There are many technical styles of photography that are beyond my experience/pay grade. The first thing that popped into my head when reading the thread title, was Lois Greenfield's dance photography. I understand conceptually what is being done, but her pictures capture fluid motion so beautifully. . . I'd need a whole studio and $100K in equipment just to think about it, and even then I wouldn't have her skill:

Lois Greenfield Photography | New York Dance, Commercial, Fine Art Photographer | Fine Art Prints | Photo Exhibits | Photo Workshops | NYC

Lois Greenfield Photography. Graceful and dynamic photographs of dancers in motion. Fine Art and Commercial Photographer. Dance photography workshop, Dance Photography Workshops, Photography Workshop, Photography Workshops, Photography Seminar, Photography Seminars, Photo seminar, Photo seminars. St
www.loisgreenfield.com www.loisgreenfield.com

Ditto to microphotgraphy, on the skill front, or astrophotography. I'd much rather photograph the astronomer.
 
I've never shied away from trying any form of photography, but trying and doing well are quite different things. EG: I love doing portraits, but my friend Linda is a FAR better portrait photographer than I am—she relates to her subjects openly and instantly, I do not. I do street, graphic abstracts, travel, reportage stuff in ways that I find satisfying. I've done some sports (motor racing primarily) that work well because I love motor racing, but other sports (ball sports) I have no relationship with and thus rarely find I've hit the mark. Wildlife ... well, I'm more of an urban boy than a nature walker, so wildlife if you mean the big pink ugly monkeys is right in there (street... LOL!). Birds on the wing I like to admire and let others photograph, although I've taken one or two that I like ... and so forth. :)

G


Great White Egret In Flight #2 - San Jose 2011
Olympus E-1 + Nikkor-H 85mm f/1.8
ISO 200 @ f/4 @ 1/4000 s
 
I recall watching those mountain-climbing and rock climbing videos years ago. It was always amazing that those people could do that sort of thing. Then I realized someone had to be there shooting the videos! And I was even more amazed.

No. I'm a wuss. I'm too old, too fat, too lazy and too chicken to do a lot of the stuff photographers/videographers do these days.

Weddings? Oh, hell no! Having the responsibility and having to deal with the people would send me up that deadly mountain instead.
 
Dogman said:
I recall watching those mountain-climbing and rock climbing videos years ago. It was always amazing that those people could do that sort of thing. Then I realized someone had to be there shooting the videos! And I was even more amazed.
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This was amazing but I would never attempt to shoot it. Stunning camera work.


www.indiewire.com

At 3,000 Feet, Shooting ‘Free Solo’ Was More Like ‘Mission: Impossible’ Than a Documentary

An inside look at how the crew behind the heart-stopping documentary shot the incredible footage of Alex Honnold's death-defying climb.
www.indiewire.com
 
I have a fear of heights. Many years ago, I had an assignment to shoot a local soaring club (gliders). While I was there, one of the flight instructors, who was my guide around the place, told me that the only way to really experience what soaring was all about, was to let him take me up in a two-seat glider for a spin. I thought he was insane, but after a couple of drinks, I gathered my courage and off we went. It was the most exhilarating and terrifying 20 minutes of my life. I got the shots I needed but I would never do it again.
 
Wildlife and most sports need equipment I don’t have and don’t really want to be honest.

Weddings - done it but too much pressure and, nowadays, expectation. Very hard and expensive to reshoot a wedding.

I’ve recently told my niece that I’m happy to take some pictures and do her an album when she gets married but she needs to get a proper paid photographer to make sure they get the shots they want. That means I can carry a Leica and a few rolls of film, rather than a pair of digital bodies and a load of stress (I only own one zoom lens and that’s wide angle).

Other technical stuff I’ve likely played with or would, if it interested me. Certainly I’ve done a bit of macro and a bit of Astro. I’m very much not big on carefully constructed and lit sets though.

I’m currently umming and aging about focus stacking - I like the simplicity of one shot photographs. The moment!

Mike
 
Nobody's mentioned pet photography. I love animals, but know how difficult it can be to deal with an animal who doesn't know you. Never mind the pets' owners! I wouldn't ever consider it.
And weddings? I'd rather set my hair on fire.
 
Retro-Grouch said:
Nobody's mentioned pet photography. I love animals, but know how difficult it can be to deal with an animal who doesn't know you. Never mind the pets' owners! I wouldn't ever consider it.
And weddings? I'd rather set my hair on fire.
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I had a studio across the street from a pet shop at one time. I did a portrait of the owner with her numerous pets. I know there was a very large parrot of some sort, plus a big dog, I think a cat. I'll have to find the picture sometime to see what else.

For some reason beyond my comprehension now I shot the picture on an old 8x10 studio camera with a 120 roll film back on it. Maybe with a flash synced Packard shutter. Not a bad picture.

But, just say "No" to weddings. Too much drama. Too many drunks.
 
Mark C said:
I had a studio across the street from a pet shop at one time. I did a portrait of the owner with her numerous pets. I know there was a very large parrot of some sort, plus a big dog, I think a cat. I'll have to find the picture sometime to see what else.

For some reason beyond my comprehension now I shot the picture on an old 8x10 studio camera with a 120 roll film back on it. Maybe with a flash synced Packard shutter. Not a bad picture.

But, just say "No" to weddings. Too much drama. Too many drunks.
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I've been to some weddings that even Robert Capa would have been afraid to shoot. After all, he was only a combat photographer.
 
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