what do u think of official photographers' etiquette?

[kennethw]

... you can see, it's not that the "professionals" are not courteous but when you are the official photographer for an event, ...

That's what I was saying. The general public needs to give way. It's a social grace thing.

Official photographers shoving other official photographers is stictly based on their internal code-of-conduct; but unofficial photographers (professional or otherwise) should simply recognize that there is someone doing a job and give way on own accord.

 

[pokiemon]

more food for thought...what if there are two official photographers...fighting for same space?

 

[reachme2003]

then, better learn to work side by side. otherwise, disaster looming.

more food for thought...what if there are two official photographers...fighting for same space?

 

[canturn]

more food for thought...what if there are two official photographers...fighting for same space?

If they are hired by the same event company, they would have long communicated what they need to cover.

Even big events involving ministers, where various press photographers are around, you'll just have to get your way around to get the shots.

Sports events are the worst, if you've ever seen official photographers with their cams over their heads to get the shots amongst 20 other professional photographers.

It's a jungle out there :devil:

 

[yqt]

more food for thought...what if there are two official photographers...fighting for same space?

This have already been answered. Please read my post 46 para 2 & 3.

To cut a long story short, the offical photographers know their job and need to deliver, most of the time, if the suitation allows it, they'll try to make space for each other ie; stand side way so that others can shoot from next to me, stand lower so that others can shoot from behind and above my head, etc... If no time or space than it is every man for himself but if we get push, feet get step on or head kana slight knock, we take it as part of our job. The last thing we need is another shooter to fight with us. If you're another offical photographer, OK you're also here to do a job, if you're not, please give way or else when you feel that you're "unfairly treated", SUCK IT UP AND DON'T COMPLAIN.

 

[yqt]

then, better learn to work side by side. otherwise, disaster looming.

Most pros/press who have paid their dues covering events will know what to do. Many a times they will meet each other covering the same event so for most pros/press it will not be a problem.

 

[jOhO]

hmmmm....I'm trying to side you Official Photographers, but you seem to be shooting yourself in the foot with the Taxi thing. So, if YOU feel that Taxi drivers are the professionals and we all should NOT give way, then you are also saying that we should shove the Official Photographers aside.

BTW, I was thinking more about Buses. In many countries, people automatically give way to buses as they pull out, but because they are bigger, but because it is the right thing to do. As for taxi's, I hate them anyway as the majority of them in most countries are overzealous idiots.

As for the high horse thing, you just demonstrated what I was saying.

Also, stop trying to play with the english language and twisting what I'm saying, you are not that good at it.

I was trying to point out my non-understanding of how u relate driving to to photography. thanx for pointing it out.

as for not giving way to taxi drivers, it's not about giving way or not, it's about SAFETY. as you have already agreed and stereotyped, they aren't the safest drivers out there (sorry, u used the words "over-zealous idiots" i just had to fill in the blanks myself, and this is wat my interpretation is, pardon me again). i was never referring to giving way.

i take it you are accusing me of sitting on my high horse. may be my limited understanding of your communication again. but if you are, perhaps you might wanna be more objective. being personal isn't gonna take this discussion very far.

perhaps we share the same thoughts that non-official photogs should give way to officials, but why do you have to drag singapore into this, even to the point of being ashamed to be one (sometimes)? i've already mentioned, this official/non-official thing is not country specific, together with your example of taxi drivers in most countries.

lastly, i'm not "playing". as i mentioned, i have better things to do like drinking coke-light in front of the TV rather than playing with you (or the language you use).

 

[kennethw]

Jon, apologies and truce. In my original post I was not targeting at anyone specifically, but as a general comment.

However, having lived and worked for extensive periods of time in different cities, I would rate Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai are by far very low on the social graces scale which translates to daily life including photography and driving.

But as you said, this is a seperate topic.

I shan't post in this thread any longer....

 

[jOhO]

kenneth, it's all cool man no worries!

well perhaps you're not entirely wrong about the social graces of certain countries/societies, but i guess for me, if i'm in that country, i better learn to live with it. in a way, i almost become oblivious to the "mis-behavior" of our society (if any) and even perhaps adopt a "if you can't beat em, join em" mentality, which well, is no good!

i am a PR in australia (migrated with my family since i was 13) but chose to come back to sg 12 years later when i could have stayed there. there's gotta be something here for me to come back to.

given, most pple say i'm dumb. oh well....

 

[kennethw]

Thanks, Jon.

OK, I'll break what I said about posting....and also being OT.

In one part of my life, I was out of Singapore for 18 years. I came back too, and as you said, there must be something here. From a safety and economic point-of-view, Singapore is the place to be in. We may dislike some of the policies and other entics of this country, but we are all still here; and as the Government always says, they never restrict our movement if we really wanted to go to another country. I guess that's a testimonal to Singapore.

MM Lee in a speech about 10 years ago at NTI (or somewhere I can't remember) once said that it was way more important to teach the people to feed themselves first and social graces were secondary. I wholeheartedly agree with that statement; what's the use of being polite if you were dying from starvation (a little extreme but you get the jist). If you look at some other countries, they once were all hoitie-toitie, but when people started to starve due to natural disasters, all social quorum went down the tubes.

For anyone who is old enough, Singapore has definitely changed for the better from 27 years ago when I left the first time.

 

[snowspeeder]

One of the important etiquettes in photography is to learn to respect the official photographer. If I'm not the official photographer and the fella is trying to take an important shot which requires the subject to look into his lens; I will lower my camera for a few seconds so that the VIPs would not be confused in the moment. On the other hand if I'm the official photographer, I expect to have the right of way to get the angle I wish to acquire for that desired shot.

Once I covered a D&D for govt body with 128 tables in the ballroom. There were also 2 other official photographers. They were old birds. So we played by the gentlemen's rule...be polite and respect one another. Things worked out fine. We even had the time to talk about equipment at stuff and exchange name cards.

For events, I normally use my hammer head flash with battery pack. So if there are unofficial photographers cramming next to me, the sharp corners of my battery pack serves as an excellent bumper!! Hmmm....maybe for crowded events I should wear elbow guards as well? :bigeyes:

 

[2100]

yeah i would do that, but i think i'll leave my bag on the ground. my weight + my equipment's weight, i scared something untoward might happen. :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

Difficult to leave it on the floor lar, get stolen etc.... I heard someone's 70-200 just got stolen because he left it on the stage for the march-in, 1 min and it's gone.

 

[Clown]

official photographers will show etiquette to each other in the event.. but dont start blaming them for not doing so to u if you dont event know wat's the protocol..

 

[highfever]

For events, I normally use my hammer head flash with battery pack. So if there are unofficial photographers cramming next to me, the sharp corners of my battery pack serves as an excellent bumper!! Hmmm....maybe for crowded events I should wear elbow guards as well? :bigeyes:

Snowspeeder, whats a hammer head flash?

Thanks

 

[Spectrum]

Snowspeeder, whats a hammer head flash?

Thanks

Go check out Metz website. Heard they are releasing a few flashes for digital purposes. But don't know true or not. Lastly, sorry for the OT.:what:

 

[snowspeeder]

Snowspeeder, whats a hammer head flash?

Thanks

Can be used for....:bigeyes: :bigeyes: :kok: besides its sheer power in flash.