How silly do you look while taking pictures?

[mistyt]

I've come to notice while walking around the parks and playing with my new camera that in order to get some of the shots I'd like to take I need to get into some strange positions (Crouching down, standing on benches, etc).

My question to you is, how silly do you look when you are taking pictures? Did it take you awhile to get used to the fact that others might be staring at you while you are doing something out of the norm? :crazy:

[photo_chick]

People look at me funny all the time when I'm shooting.

I'm not quite 5' tall, so I'm always standing on stuff, ducking under things and getting into strange positions. It's never really bothered me, bit then again I've never exactly been a "normal" person. Sometimes other people will get wherever I am, and stand like I am and take a shot, and then I'll see that light bulb go off when they look at their LCD and they realize I actually know what I'm doing.

[ChiSoxKeith]

I've gotten some strange looks from my family, but I really don't care how silly I look. Except for my family, I'll probably never see any of those people in the parks ever again so who cares? As long as what I'm doing isn't harming myself, someone else, or doing something against the rules - it doesn't bother me in the least.

[YEKCIM]

I look silly all the time anyway, so the only ones who notice are strangers.

[2Tiggies]

You can't look nearly as silly as the people who walk around at a fair pace, spot something, whip their compact camera or cell phone out, hold it up in the air and "snap" without even slowing down. I am always amused by this and more so that most of them put it right back in their pocket or bag without even checking to see how it came out. That to me is funny. Getting into position for a great shot? Perfectly normal.

[cpbjgc]

What Yeckim said.

Usually the response I get from strangers is they ask if I can take a shot of them with their camera. So no matter how silly I may look, they will still trust me with their camera!

[SrisonS]

I can only imagine all of the looks i probably get. I'm constantly kneeling down, and tilting the camera in all types of funny angles... Leaning over and shooting through railings.... Standing in spots where it looks like I'm probably not taking a picture of something good (I have seen people kinda look around like 'what is he even taking a picture of'). I still feel ackward sometimes. But I also know I have to get over that feeling to get the shot I want.

You often here models mention that the most uncomfortable poses are oftentimes the best. I guess that kinda applies to being behind the camera too.

[Suburbanmom]

I once layed on the ground in front of the Sorcerer's Hat at MGM.
People actually stepped over me rather than walk around and my sister made me use hand sanitizer when I was done. She even wiped down my camera.
So, yeah....I get stared at. :)

[mistyt]

I once layed on the ground in front of the Sorcerer's Hat at MGM.
People actually stepped over me rather than walk around and my sister made me use hand sanitizer when I was done. She even wiped down my camera.
So, yeah....I get stared at. :)

LMAO...I LOVE THIS :worship:

Those are the type of things I want to be able to do! Pretty sure my mom wouldn't want to be seen with me when I'm doing that! I'll have to go to the parks on a day and leave her at home!

[Quicklabs]

It was well worth it! :thumbsup2
I once layed on the ground in front of the Sorcerer's Hat at MGM.
People actually stepped over me rather than walk around and my sister made me use hand sanitizer when I was done. She even wiped down my camera.
So, yeah....I get stared at. :)

[shawn68]

I have laid on the ground so long in front of CInderella Castle that several people asked me if I was ok.

[zackiedawg]

I'm probably not one of the more nimble and brave types lying around on the ground all over the parks - I'd look more silly getting up than lying on the ground! I take advantage of live view and a tilting LCD screen on my DSLR when I want to get some strange angle, shooting by my feet, through fences, over heads, etc...so I still look a bit silly holding a camera down by my feet, or way over my head, but probably not as dedicated looking as the ground-dwellers.

I have many times had folks walking past me wonder what it was I was taking photos of, like SrisonS - that's usually the most common look I get - not that I look silly, but that I seem a bit naff in that they think I'm taking a photo of nothing, or a blank wall, or a garbage can.

[NateNLogansDad]

I'll try to act a little goofy while I'm standing high on something, that way the position I'm in doesn't look so weird, it's just me. As for laying out on the middle of the street......I'm just not that.....ummm...well.....I'll say dedicated :rotfl2:

But, if you want the shot......:confused3

[DoleWhipDVC]

I have to agree with the other posters on this one. I get into all sorts of contortionist positions sometimes to get a shot I think I or my family will like. I truly don't care what others think of me. However, I make it a point to not get in another's way or strike a pose that would be "offensive" when I'm going for a capture.

My biggest peeve is when I'm shooting and someone comes by and gives advice or criticism. One man told me I was "never going to get that shot" in the Pirates que of my friends in the barred window across from the skeletons playing chess (it came out great). A woman came up to me in EPCOT at night as I was shooting the imagination pyramids and started telling how to get the shot. I explained to her that I had set my ISO and aperture settings for what I thought would work and she told me she had no idea what I was talking about. Good stuff.

Bottom line - do what is reasonable to get the captures you believe you and your audience will like. Then sit back and enjoy looking over the results.

[MarkBarbieri]

It doesn't matter to me. I'm behind the camera, so I don't show up in the picture. I do whatever it takes. That includes lying on the ground, standing on trash cans, putting my kids on my shoulders so they can shoot from a higher vantage point, leaning over fences, or even pressing my camera against windows. Probably the least socially acceptable technique I've used was passing gas as a way to encourage some loiterers to move on. In my twisted world, it's too rude to ask them to move but not too rude to provide some natural encouragement.

[mistyt]

It doesn't matter to me. I'm behind the camera, so I don't show up in the picture. I do whatever it takes. That includes lying on the ground, standing on trash cans, putting my kids on my shoulders so they can shoot from a higher vantage point, leaning over fences, or even pressing my camera against windows. Probably the least socially acceptable technique I've used was passing gas as a way to encourage some loiterers to move on. In my twisted world, it's too rude to ask them to move but not too rude to provide some natural encouragement.


Thanks for giving me the laugh of the day! :rotfl:

[networktek]

at disney i have not really gotten any funny looks cause alot of people are taking some funny pics so we are all use to it but when i do it back in Toronto i get all of people trying to see what kind of pics im taking

[Marlton Mom]

Probably the least socially acceptable technique I've used was passing gas as a way to encourage some loiterers to move on. In my twisted world, it's too rude to ask them to move but not too rude to provide some natural encouragement.

Being a delicate woman who has never farted, this method was previously unavailable to me.

Now I travel with FARTACUS!
FARTACUS, don't leave home with out him!!!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/5144569000_59bceed375.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5144569000/)
Behold FARTACUS!!! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5144569000/) by Marlton Mom (http://www.flickr.com/people/marlton-mom/), on Flickr

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5144569374_ab41ae2dd4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5144569374/)
Rear end of Fartacus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5144569374/) by Marlton Mom (http://www.flickr.com/people/marlton-mom/), on Flickr

[+Rosetta+]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2487/4195691927_23e90c5032.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_wendy_bird/4195691927/)
England, Epcot (http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_wendy_bird/4195691927/) by the_wendy_bird (http://www.flickr.com/people/the_wendy_bird/), on Flickr
Not the most amazing photo I've taken, I admit, but and entertaining story:

I was laying flat on my back in the toy shop in England for this one. Thankfully it was in the morning before the characters, but the CMs were definitely giving me a "what the heck" face as I scooted around on my butt to get it centered.

I'm sure I've been stared at plenty of times at the parks while in odd positions. Though usually having a large camera makes it a little less weird, I think.

[funkychunkymonkey]

My favorite funny look was when we went to a lighthouse and they had this tower thing that was open on the bottom with poles going up (ok I cant find the picture). I wanted to do somthing differnt so I laid down on the ground under it and took a picture looking up. It was neat looking and a little 5 year old joined me to see the "neato" veiw!

[rock_doctor]

What Yeckim said.

Usually the response I get from strangers is they ask if I can take a shot of them with their camera. So no matter how silly I may look, they will still trust me with their camera!

I get that a lot. Have you noticed this last year (compared to previous years) the cameras have changed from cheap point and shoots to quite expensive dSLRs???? I was getting a lot D7s and high end Nikons over the Christmas holiday...

[karoman]

I really loved this post. Very admirable and informative.

[SC Mouse Fan]

I got a strange look this summer while getting a picture for the summer scavenger hunt. I needed a picture of body art. We were walking around on the marsh dock at Murrells Inlet. While there a boat was getting a load of ice before it went out fishing. The ice truck had the dock blocked so we and a few other people had to wait for it to finish. I noticed the man who was pushing the ice into the machine that feed the ice into a tube had full arm tatoos. I was snapping away with my 18 - 270 lense fully extended. When I was finished, I notice he was staring at me. I looked away but I am sure he wondered what that crazy lady was doing. I was glad when he finished so I could move along down the dock.

[ColleenG]

It doesn't matter to me. I'm behind the camera, so I don't show up in the picture. I do whatever it takes. That includes lying on the ground, standing on trash cans, putting my kids on my shoulders so they can shoot from a higher vantage point, leaning over fences, or even pressing my camera against windows. Probably the least socially acceptable technique I've used was passing gas as a way to encourage some loiterers to move on. In my twisted world, it's too rude to ask them to move but not too rude to provide some natural encouragement.

LMAO!!!:rotfl: That is great Mark! Maybe I can enlist my DH to "clear the area" when I want to get the people away from me when I'm trying to shoot fireworks and they stand right in front of my tripod! I'll make sure DH gets up wind from them!

I too have actually laid on the ground to get a shot. On our last trip I got on the ground to get the ceiling of the Temple of Heaven. The rest of the family thought I was nuts. I will do what I have to do to get the shot I want no matter how weird I look. It's usually just my family that gives me the weird looks and comments.

[ColleenG]

Being a delicate woman who has never farted, this method was previously unavailable to me.

Now I travel with FARTACUS!
FARTACUS, don't leave home with out him!!!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/5144569000_59bceed375.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5144569000/)
Behold FARTACUS!!! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5144569000/) by Marlton Mom (http://www.flickr.com/people/marlton-mom/), on Flickr

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5144569374_ab41ae2dd4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5144569374/)
Rear end of Fartacus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlton-mom/5144569374/) by Marlton Mom (http://www.flickr.com/people/marlton-mom/), on Flickr

LOVE it! :lmao: If he needs more troops I have 4 "Fartacus's" here I can send your way!

[mom2rtk]

LMAO!!!:rotfl: That is great Mark! Maybe I can enlist my DH to "clear the area" when I want to get the people away from me when I'm trying to shoot fireworks and they stand right in front of my tripod! I'll make sure DH gets up wind from them!

I too have actually laid on the ground to get a shot. On our last trip I got on the ground to get the ceiling of the Temple of Heaven. The rest of the family thought I was nuts. I will do what I have to do to get the shot I want no matter how weird I look. It's usually just my family that gives me the weird looks and comments.

I think someone recently suggested complaining about your recently diagnosed stomach flu. That would also tend to clear a safety zone for your tripod!

[ColleenG]

I think someone recently suggested complaining about your recently diagnosed stomach flu. That would also tend to clear a safety zone for your tripod!

:thumbsup2

[Marlton Mom]

I think someone recently suggested complaining about your recently diagnosed stomach flu. That would also tend to clear a safety zone for your tripod!

Those stomach flu farts are truly evil. When you gross yourself out AND the dog gets up to move to another room you know you've got it bad.....

Marlton Mom
pixiedust: < ---- This isn't pixie dust, it's Febreeze!

[ThurlFan]

I tend to look a lot sillier when I'm IN the picture....

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z77/MagicTripsCat/gatorattack.jpg

(BTW, the photo was cropped so as not to show DD sitting on the bench and rolling her eyes at me...boy was she embarassed!)

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
I can top most of you! I'm handicap so I'm usually laying or sitting on the ground with my cane next to me trying to get that perfect shoot. Sometimes I'm crawling and I leave the cane behind forgetting everything but the picture (not in Disney). People usually think I'm hurt and I spend time explaining. Then, when I'm standing (my legs are pretty useless and I have no balance), I'm leaning on a child with the cane up against me (or I'm somehow leaning on the cane) with one eye closed telling the kids to move so I don't have too. I'm sure I'm a sight!

The best part is I have a hard time getting up so I then have two kids pulling and pushing!

[Marlton Mom]

Hi:
I can top most of you! I'm handicap so I'm usually laying or sitting on the ground with my cane next to me trying to get that perfect shoot. Sometimes I'm crawling and I leave the cane behind forgetting everything but the picture (not in Disney). People usually think I'm hurt and I spend time explaining. Then, when I'm standing (my legs are pretty useless and I have no balance), I'm leaning on a child with the cane up against me (or I'm somehow leaning on the cane) with one eye closed telling the kids to move so I don't have too. I'm sure I'm a sight!

The best part is I have a hard time getting up so I then have two kids pulling and pushing!

That's a pretty good story. I'm guessing that assistance from Fartacus is the last thing you need ;)

Marlton Mom

[MinnieForMe]

That's a pretty good story. I'm guessing that assistance from Fartacus is the last thing you need ;)

Marlton Mom

I would love Fartacus to walk around with me! It would be nice to have people staring at someone besides me! LOL!

I can only imagine the looks this year when I have the gorillapod attached to the handles of my scooter with my camera attached! I can see me going to jail when my five year old shouts "please move, my mom is trying to shoot". Actually, I better warn her not to say something like that in public!

[ThurlFan]

Hi:
I can top most of you! I'm handicap so I'm usually laying or sitting on the ground with my cane next to me trying to get that perfect shoot. Sometimes I'm crawling and I leave the cane behind forgetting everything but the picture (not in Disney). People usually think I'm hurt and I spend time explaining. Then, when I'm standing (my legs are pretty useless and I have no balance), I'm leaning on a child with the cane up against me (or I'm somehow leaning on the cane) with one eye closed telling the kids to move so I don't have too. I'm sure I'm a sight!

The best part is I have a hard time getting up so I then have two kids pulling and pushing!

Classic! That's dedication to your craft right there :thumbsup2

[tripodjw]

I often get strange looks due to wet knees or a wet seat of my pants due to kneeling/sitting on wet ground to shoot.

But i think the silliest i have ever looked was when i got down on my knees in a field to take a picture, when i got up there was sheep poop smeared onto both knees of my pants and one of which had a huge chunk of poop hanging off too.

Thankfully the locals didn't seem too bothered, after all what is a sheep going to say, they have the poop stuck to their wool too.

[DVC Jen]

It doesn't matter to me. I'm behind the camera, so I don't show up in the picture. I do whatever it takes. That includes lying on the ground, standing on trash cans, putting my kids on my shoulders so they can shoot from a higher vantage point, leaning over fences, or even pressing my camera against windows. Probably the least socially acceptable technique I've used was passing gas as a way to encourage some loiterers to move on. In my twisted world, it's too rude to ask them to move but not too rude to provide some natural encouragement.

OMG Mark! I laughed so hard when I read that. Called Ian (DH) in and read it to him.. he said "he is committed. He definitely is committed."

:lmao:

[wkrider]

One my wife took of me a couple years ago.
http://wkrider.smugmug.com/Disney-Travel-2007/Walt-Disney-World/Magic-Kingdom-Sept-2007/DSCF0682/457849460_Mmv5C-L.jpg

[Groucho]

Lot of people tend to look silly, making faces and such as they compose the shot (whether shooting a cell phone or DSLR or anything inbetween.)

Now, there's two questions here IMHO. How silly do you look actually taking the photo, and how silly do you look when you are walking around in photographer mode?

I try to not look too silly but I probably do. I generally get the straight-up shots by just looking up rather than lying on the floor, and I am not comfortable standing on benches or other things not meant to be stood on at Disney. I had a few times on this last trip where I was in the rear seat on a ride and I probably looked silly being turned around to shoot what was behind us instead of what was in front...

...and of course, there's the times where I'll have the camera seemingly pointed at nothing when using a fisheye lens, especially when using a tripod. There's nothing like setting up a tripod low to the ground looking almost straight up at one of the Tomorrowland palm trees to get odd looks.

Then there's the matter of looking silly because of the gear you're carrying. Mrs Groucho has pretty much shamed me into only wearing one lens pouch on my belt. I bought a pretty nice photo vest a couple years ago but have only worn it once or twice (and never at Disney) since I feel so silly with it! I also almost always wear my blue bucket hat at Disney, which can look a little silly; it's not the most stylish hat I own but it's great for keeping the sun off my head, for not being in the way during any shooting, and being easily crumpled into a pocket if need be. Plus it's a Subaru World Rally Team hat, which is a big deal to someone like me. :)

Fortunately, any embarrassment I feel about the way I look is easily mitigated by looking at some of the fashion atrocities people happily wear around WDW. I remember one woman this past trip, waiting in line for a ride wearing some outlandish pink "Juicy" outfit that looked like fuzzy pajamas. I didn't know what was most shocking - how hideously ugly it was, that someone would be seen in public wearing it, how great she probably thought that she looked, or how much she must have paid for it. :confused: