Introduction

I took my kids to a State park for a little last minute camping this weekend. It was actually my son’s idea. When I asked him what he wanted to do with the Weekend, he said, “Camping”. I laughed, told him I loved him, and then checked the weather. Free and clear. My wife just had knee surgery, so it would be good to get the kids out of get hair.

I was excited, the kids were excited, we headed out to Huntsville State park, about an hour. And a half outside of Houston, Texas. I was looking forward to getting the kids (and myself) outdoors for some hiking, fishing, and s’mores.

One of the things I like most about getting kids out in the outdoors is all the opportunities for photography. Kids lose their minds in the outdoors. There’s no rules, nothing really to watch out for, no streets to stay out of, they can be loud without disturbing anyone, they can run, they can get dirty.

What’s good about this is that, while they’re about the serious business of playtime, a savvy photographer can be about the business of candid portraiture. Some of the best pictures I’ve taken of my children have been when they aren’t paying attention to me.

The Scenario

This is the sort of thing I envisioned when I decided to take them camping, and that’s pretty much what ended up happening. The hiking, the running, the yelling, the campfire, the s‘mores, etc. We went to bed exhausted at around 7pm and I woke up around 4:00 in the morning and went fishing. I had only cast my line in the water thrice (yes, thrice) before I landed my first bass. I decided to go and wake up the kids. I was hoping to have them each reel in their first fish. We ended up running into another cold-blooded creature: an angry photographer.

The Interaction

I went back to the tent. I got the kids up. I got them dressed. I put their shoes on. I put on their jackets, and we got the tackle box and headed out towards the pier. On our way, I saw a photographer at the entrance to the pier. His entry level DSLR was perched atop his cheap-o tripod right in front of the entrance to the pier.

I intentionally slowed our pace. Being a photographer myself, I wanted to give the guy a few moments to get whatever shot he was trying to get. I saw his screen flicker a few times, so I thought he had it.

We head towards the pier. you know, the thing made for families to fish on.

He sees us coming and lets out an exasperated sigh, while simultaneously giving me the dirtiest look his 5’3” balding frame could muster. As we approach he snatches his tripod up, stomps off to the side of the pier and slams it down. He made such a show of it, such a hissy fit, I couldn’t help but engage him.

“Did we get in the way of your shot? If so, we could...”

He cuts me off.

”I just got set up and I don’t want any people or kids in my shot, so that’s just great.”

I won’t print my response, but I figured, THIS is a teachable moment.

The Correct Response

Had the guy done anything else, almost literally, anything else. I would have tried to work with him. I’m a photographer after all. The kids and I could have run around for five minutes while he got whatever shot was so important to him. It was the rudeness and dismissiveness that set me off.

I understand what it’s like trying to get a great shot only to have some person wander across your frame and ruin it. You don’t act rude. You don’t pitch a hissy fit in front of children. You don’t act like a douche.

This would have been a great opportunity for the guy to say, “I know this is a weird request, but could you guys give me another 5 minutes to get my picture? I’d really appreciate it.”

At that point in time, we’d have commiserated about photography, I’d have wandered around with the kids for another 5 minutes, and everything would have been great. Instead, he decided to act like a grown up toddler. He missed the shot. He got scolded by a grownup.

The reason I write this is that people generally don’t want to be rude. They don’t want to get in other people’s way. They want to help. As a photographer, you should learn to work with people rather than seeing them as an irritant. Talking with people and engaging them to let them know what you’re trying to do is a much better way to get that shot than throwing a hissy fit.

Closing

I had planned to write a post about the wonders of state parks and camping for photography. What I ended up writing about is a manners lesson for photographers. I’m sure most photographers don’t need to read this post. I’m sure most people don’t act like this, but it stuck in my mind so much, I had to write about it. First, you have to understand that public places tend to have the public in them. You have to build that into your photoshoot. If people get in your way, you have to interact with them. Let them know what you’re doing, and most importantly, get the shot you want with minimal intrusion upon other people. Most importantly, DON’T BE A DOUCHE!