Helpful hints from strangers...

[esther_a]

I've had some funny discussions with other photographic enthusiasts at sporting events recently. Today I took 550 photos (ack!!) at an event. I had the camera on aperture priority (probably ideally should have had it on shutter priority but no matter), checked the shutter speed was high (1000th sec) turned the aperture down a little for slightly greater depth of field, had focus on center point and continuous focus and continuous shots. I was trying very hard to get my focus spot on - not easy with moving targets.
Anyhow a couple of elderly gentlemen I was standing next to got chatting about photography and asked if I had it on sports mode and showed me very kindly where the running man was on the auto side of my dial. I smiled sweetly but was somewhat lost for words. What do you say to such kindly strangers?!

[carollee]

Ahhh Esther, be honest, the elderly gentlemen ... it was their best pick up line!!!



Okay, I guess you thank them ever so much, actually come to think of it, I don't exactly know what I'd say without hurting their feelers.

[Amson]

Carol now I have spilt my wine on the keyboard

[esther_a]

Carol, you're cracking me up!! I *would* like to clarify that these were not predatory insects with "feelers", just kindly retired folk who were enjoying a chat and sharing their worldly experience! One of them actually said "I ducked out of your way so you could get a good shot. I see you're a Cannon man." and then I could see from the look on his face that he was thinking "whoops, wrong gender"!

[DonnaNJ]

What a funny story :-)

[krystav]

Aww, how sweet, and how funny too ^^
I would be at a loss what to say, would be afraid of hurting their feelings

[Britgirl]

You should of told him the running man is for losers and smiled sweetly and given him a lesson on manual shooting... would have left him speechless dont you think Of course we're far to nice to ever say these things out loud !

[connieg]

I had a simular experience, only mine happend at a tractor pulling contest. Two elderly gentlemen struck up a conversation with me about photography, using it to break the ice. In the end, it turned out the father was trying to find a date for his son. The son was in his 60's. LOL.
So I do believe Carollee hit the nail on the head, it was their best pick up line.

[carollee]

Connie, you are a wise woman.

Told you Esther!

[mugsbigsis]

heehee Loving this thread. :O)

[PaulaSG]

LOL on the pick up line!

[earlofoxford]

What a great story, Esther, and I love Carol's response! When I was taking pictures of my son and his family after our candlelight service at church on Christmas Eve, our pastor walked by just after I snapped and said, "No flash." I just smiled sweetly.

[HeatherPrins]

oh that is so funny!

[Jen D]

Smile and nod, smile and nod

[anke]

keeping yourself from responding in a negative way is the best way to practice humility LOL. Cracks me up, Carol you are a riot!

[dugarner]

Esther, that is a riot. I would have smiled and nodded, and said, "What does the little sports guy do?" Then after they explained it, I would have started spouting everything I know about aperture, shutter speed, the exposure triangle, the poor lighting inside. Hopefully they would have just walked off nodding their heads.

I took our school's basketball team pictures back in January (inside, really poor lighting) and I used my 50mm on the widest aperture I could and still get everyone in focus. Three times the boys' coach said, "Your flash didn't go off." Three times I said, "I know. I have it set not to go off." I could hear---by telepathy---everything he thought in the next thirty seconds. Fill in the blanks.

You have much more restraint than I do!

[maureenreynolds]

And then there is the response...."Oh REALLY!!! do you have time to have coffee/tea and show me more??? I could tell you how I do it. "batting those eyelashes. Now they may have had a heart attack with the double entendre, but they would have gone out happy.

[home in ottawa]

Too funny ladies! Mel reminded me of the quote on her blog, that "politeness is sorting through the real thoughts in your head".

[amcmillian]

Oh this thread is too funny! I too get someone telling me my flash didn't go off all the time. I always say I know and when they prod further I go into a long explanation as to why I don't need it and they become uninterested really fast...lol. Thanks to Katrina I look and sound like I know what I'm doing.