This was entirely YOUR fault, not his. You made some incorrect assumptions - a)you were dealing with someone that was playing with a full deck, b)he brought the deck with him, c)he had a basic level of photographic ability and common sense, d)he knew how to operate his tripod either the 3 way pan head or a ball head that he had attached the camera to, e)he understood the primary benefit of a tripod - to provide a sturdy, stable platform to minimize camera movement and blur with slow shutter speeds. You obviously missed all the warning signs.

Just yanking your chain - this guy should take up another hobby, like stamp collecting. He should not be allowed anywhere near camera gear. You were absolutely right to be speechless -

Apparently many do not read carefully. First I NEVER said anything about the individual being old. I just referred to him as a gentleman. Some are embellishing my words. I also said that I helped him after he picked up his tripod and finished by making sure he got a quality image and understood how to do it. I also noted I had conducted training sessions at the various clubs before we went to teach people how to get the shots. While at the shoot I was constantly being asked questions by many people in a limited time frame, as the light was fading. I was helping several people at one time and could not spend unlimited time with each person. At the end of the night the gentleman, (note I did not say "OLD") thanked me for my help and asked when I was going to have another outing.

Finally, I did not laugh out loud an said nothing offensive. I just smiled to myself. You can spend your life worrying about being politically correct or you can find humor in the things around you and enjoy life.

Have a good day, and try to smile just once.

I did learn something out of all this. I'll never share another story. :-(

Apparently many do not read carefully. First I NEVER said anything about the individual being old. I just referred to him as a gentleman. Some are embellishing my words. I also said that I helped him after he picked up his tripod and finished by making sure he got a quality image and understood how to do it. I also noted I had conducted training sessions at the various clubs before we went to teach people how to get the shots. While at the shoot I was constantly being asked questions by many people in a limited time frame, as the light was fading. I was helping several people at one time and could not spend unlimited time with each person. At the end of the night the gentleman, (note I did not say "OLD") thanked me for my help and asked when I was going to have another outing.

Finally, I did not laugh out loud an said nothing offensive. I just smiled to myself. You can spend your life worrying about being politically correct or you can find humor in the things around you and enjoy life.

Have a good day, and try to smile just once.

I did learn something out of all this. I'll never share another story. :-(

I think most of the reactions were to comments that others made, not so much to your original post. While it is true that there are some newcomers who are unable or unwilling to learn, and that can result in some humorous situations, it is also true that there are bullying know-it-alls who spend most of their time ridiculing others on photography forums. Your post seems to have "hit that nerve" so to speak. You did not say anything about "old" or "stupid," but others did.

Sorry the thread "went south" on you. Maybe this will be a step toward more understanding and less bickering around here.

Beautiful work at your website, by the way. I just spent some time there this afternoon. Beautiful images.

Mike