The Oddest Question You Have Been Asked, While Taking Photos? (Page 3): One question I have been asked many times over the years when shooting with a long lens, "How far can you see...

Bill_de Loc: US

One question I have been asked many times over the years when shooting with a long lens, "How far can you see with that?".

I always look toward the sun and say at least ninety three million miles.

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turp77 Loc: Connecticut, Plainfield

Feiertag wrote:

Here is mine. While vacationing last year, in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, I was taking shots from the Government Wharf. The passenger in a beat up pickup truck leaned out his window and yells, "Hey buddy, how many watts is your lens?" With a straight face, I told him it was a Nikon 200-400 watts. B^)

Do have a story to share?

ctsteps5

I have got tis a lot of times. Taking pictures and someone comes up "do you do weddings or family portraits. I always say No Babied No Brides!

NormanTheGr8 Loc: Racine, Wisconsin

While taking pics of the sunrise over lake michigan a jogger stopped and asked "What are you taking pictures of?" I said fish 😆

sroc

I had my camera and tripod set up on 72nd street and Broadway in NYC taking a photo of the full moon over the 72nd street station. A woman came by and looked at my camera and then up at the moon and said, "Oh wow is that an installation?" I said it was the moon. She replied, "Oh. I though it was an installation," and walked on.

aaciolkowski Loc: Sugar Grove Illinois

While taking a picture of a barn a woman came up to me and asked do you take pictures of barns.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Feiertag wrote:

Here is mine. While vacationing last year, in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, I was taking shots from the Government Wharf. The passenger in a beat up pickup truck leaned out his window and yells, "Hey buddy, how many watts is your lens?" With a straight face, I told him it was a Nikon 200-400 watts. B^)

Do have a story to share?

While showing close up images of birds on my phone I was asked, " Did you take those with your with your cell phone."

rayr

Feiertag wrote:

I had a similar circumstance, near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. An elderly man rushed out of his house and asked me what I was doing? I told him that I was from British Columbia and I was taking pictures with my camera! He was satisfied with my answer and went back inside. People are funny but I'm starting to like animals more and more, as I get older. B^)

and that's the reason I quit doing portraits and weddings and went to wildlife and landscapes.Nature is easier to deal with than people.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Feiertag wrote:

Here is mine. While vacationing last year, in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, I was taking shots from the Government Wharf. The passenger in a beat up pickup truck leaned out his window and yells, "Hey buddy, how many watts is your lens?" With a straight face, I told him it was a Nikon 200-400 watts. B^)

Do have a story to share?

You might have answered him with "it is a Nikkor 200-400 joule lens" or "... kilocalorie" or "... horse power"! (I know, they are not all the same, work, power, energy, but is was a non-sense question to begin with.)

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Feiertag wrote:

Here is mine. While vacationing last year, in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, I was taking shots from the Government Wharf. The passenger in a beat up pickup truck leaned out his window and yells, "Hey buddy, how many watts is your lens?" With a straight face, I told him it was a Nikon 200-400 watts. B^)

Do have a story to share?

I can't think of a story of me being asked a strange photo question like that. Though it may have happened. I'm usually the one who has to bite my tongue when I see another photographer doing something wrong. The most common dumb thing I see buy someone using a camera, not a real photographer is leaving the on-camera flash turned on while photographing something half a mile away or into a mirror or glass. I remember seeing people with flash turned on trying to photography Niagara Falls from the shoreline or observation tower.

Starphotog

I was shooting traffic on a major hwy in my area when a car came by, the driver slammed in his brakes, turned into the parking lot I was in, came up and asked "whats you doin, takin pictures?" My reply "no I'm cuttin grass" his reply "what kinda lawnmower is that?" Duhhh.....

Ed Walker Loc: Eclectic, Alabama U.S.A.

I was using my Canon EOS 5DSR, when a teenager approached and commented on my nice camera. "I'll bet that cost 200 or 300 dollars." I gently told him the lens cost 3 times that amount. I was in the Smoky Mountains, lying on the ground to get a shot of a rippling stream when a lady approached and asked if I was ok. As Art Linkletter said, "People are Funny."

turp77 Loc: Connecticut, Plainfield

lamiaceae wrote:

I can't think of a story of me being asked a stran... (show quote)

I agree it so hard not to step in but every one learns different. If they can't afford lessons, mistakes can be a great learning tool. I have made many but have learn from each and will very likely make many more until I quit shooting. I have also gotten some fabulous shots by doing some strange and untried setups. I started shooting in 1960 with a 1957 Leica M2 (still have it and it still works) and was lucky to have a great teacher to give me a good start.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

I did residential real estate appraisal for a few years. The standard appraisal method requires you to take street-view photos of 3 recently-sold houses, similar to the one you're appraising, as a comparison and basis for your value calculations. People get very, very nervous when they see someone standing on the road taking pictures of their house and while most simply walk out and ask the standard, "Can I help you?", a fair number assume you're a private investigator hired by their spouse or something similar (they must have a guilty conscience!). They either try to tell you it's illegal to take a picture of their house without their permission (it's not; I'm on the street, remember) or they tell you outright to stop taking pictures or they'll sue you. Some ask, "Hey; what're you doing?" and I was always tempted to answer something like, "Flying the space shuttle; can't you tell?"

SonyBug

CO wrote:

I was taking photos at the the Virginia House in Richmond, VA. I was in the garden area behind the house. The office manager came out and was angry with me. She thought, since I was using a tripod, that I was a professional photographer and would be using the photos to put together a calendar. I had to convince her that I was not a professional photographer and I was only taking the photos to show at my camera club. She finally went back into the office. Here is a photo I took there.

Really nice shot. You must have an expensive camera! haha just joking.