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Having to shoot for family and friends
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Just a rant here (sort of).
So, I'm going through my photo's of my holiday's now. 2700 photo's, and the thing that really annoys me is how many family pics there are.
My sister and mum are constantly asking me to make 'a nice picture with your better camera', and so I end up having to go through a ton of photo's I normally wouldn't even bother taking. Like REALLY boring photo's no-one would ever look again, but just say it's to 'remember the moment' (for example: photo's of us having lunch...how exhilarating!)
Now of course I don't bother taking pictures now and then, but I see that I think I have to take too much useless pics. Of course I like capturing the moment, but they want me to capture feeling IN that moment, which is absolutely insane.
Anyone else also feels that because you're 'the photographer' you are the one that always should take pictures, even if you don't want to?
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I don't really get this dude.
Capturing the feeling of a moment is what event photography (family events included) is all about.
The general complaint I know of when it comes to photographing family is how most parents want everyone to pose for every picture. To me, this is dumb because you end up with a bunch of the exact same photo with a different background.
It doesn't capture the "feeling" that you clearly don't want in your photos.
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Ok, I maybe formulated wrong what I meant. You're absolutely right about capturing the feeling.
It's just that they want to take pictures of everything.
You know like when you're in a museum and there's tourists taking picture of literally EVERYTHING without even looking at the object that's being displayed? It's like they actually bring the museum home and there is where they're going to watch it's content (except for that they're never going to). That's a bit how I feel about it. It's not like they're not enjoying, it's just that they're way too often asking me to take pictures when they instead should be enjoying the moment.
And the pictures that are taken are always of no meaning, really.
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Okay, that makes more sense now. Well if you enjoy taking photos, taking photos should only add to whatever experience you are having with your family.
So maybe tell them that you will take the occasional group family photo, but also spend as much time as you please taking spontaneous photos of your family and whatever else you please.
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Shoot on auto mode and .jpeg, send them the photos and forget it. It's nice to have the photos but there's really no point in spending time to edit all those photos. make a camera setting for the bullshit, medium quality jpeg with higher saturation and sharpening and just send it.
Also, all those actuations aren't worth it. I just have people hand off their POS and take pictures with that. You camera is a tool and an investment, no need to waste it's life. I just stopped taking my camera places.
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I actually enjoyed it, I did it on my trip to marthas vineyard last week so that we could put something together for my grandparents. I took a picture of each family (all six were there at one point so it was very nice to get everyone in the same settings) and most of the pictures came out very well. It can be annoying, yes, but I found it was definitely worth it and my family is extremely grateful i spent my time doing it.
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I personally enjoy shooting with friends and fam. Good way to spend time with them and I always have fun when I got a camera in hand.
I think it's also a good feeling to make photos and videos for them just because people always enjoy having photos or videos of themselves.
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sometimes it's fun, but others i just get the SD card from their p&s and put it in my camera, turn it to auto, and hand it off
Posts: 4849
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That's a good idea! Too bad I use CF cards.
Hahah, mixed replies so far.
Don't get me wrong, I really like taking pictures of my family and friends, but not all the time. I don't mind setting up the shot and all, but only when it's a worthwhile picture. Not when it's some kind of POS setting with horrible light and not really anything fun to capture.
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I understand this. And in these situations, the biggest thing that I hate is that I feel like me being 'photographer' takes away from my own experience.
Like someone else said, I just don't bring my camera places unless I'm down to do it.
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i feel you, my mom always says that too. and specially uses the classic line, "you have the fancy camera"
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i think i know what you mean, its the same reason why i dont take my camera to family events. i take pictures for me, not for them. i dont like being told to take a picture of a flower "because its so pretty" when the light sucks and the background is crap
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thats the same with me, i went to an art gallery with my family, and i left my camera in security under lock and key in the lockers and my dad kept asking why i wasn't taking pictures of the artwork, it was a classical art museum btw, and i don't think he understands that theres really nothing special about taking photos of that stuff
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