A walk in the park or unsocial behavior?

[pnodrog]

My wife and I were near the Auckland Botanical Gardens so decided to go there for a walk. I am under the impression it is polite to walk with my wife and have a meaningful conversation. Unfortunately even though I left the tripod in the car I mistakenly took my camera with me. Photography and social conversation do not coexist. At times we would walk together only for a few minutes before I stopped or wandered off to peer through the camera before having to catch up or have to workout which path my wife had taken. I was pretty good today in that I never had to resort to having to use the mobile phone to ask her where she was.

I assume this is a problem shared by all photographers and their spouses. To do real photography I need to be alone with my tripod. Anyway I managed to do enough shots to realise I will have to revisit the place with a macro lens and in selfish solitude.

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[Donald]

Photography and social conversation do not coexist.

That is one of the known knowns (thank you Donald Rumsfeld) of photography. Indeed, for me, photography and the presence of any other person, whether talking or not, is completely untenable. Which is why I politely decline or make up some excuse if anyone suggests that we could go on a photographic trip together.

Lovely images to start (in north-west Europe) the day.

[pnodrog]

That is one of the known knowns (thank you Donald Rumsfeld) of photography. Indeed, for me, photography and the presence of any other person, whether talking or not, is completely untenable. Which is why I politely decline or make up some excuse if anyone suggests that we could go on a photographic trip together.

Lovely images to start (in north-west Europe) the day.

Thank you for letting me start your day as the same day draws to an end here.

It does puzzle me to see on a local facebook photography page requests or invitations to go on photographic outings. In the past I have been on a few but generally in photographic terms they are fairly unproductive. Talking about equipment or techniques over a few beers or coffee is not the same as actually concentrating on taking some images.

When I am taking photographs I am a "go away I am concentrating" type.

[John 2]

My wife and I were near the Auckland Botanical Gardens so decided to go there for a walk. I am under the impression it is polite to walk with my wife and have a meaningful conversation. Unfortunately even though I left the tripod in the car I mistakenly took my camera with me. Photography and social conversation do not coexist. At times we would walk together only for a few minutes before I stopped or wandered off to peer through the camera before having to catch up or have to workout which path my wife had taken. I was pretty good today in that I never had to resort to having to use the mobile phone to ask her where she was.

I assume this is a problem shared by all photographers and their spouses. To do real photography I need to be alone with my tripod. Anyway I managed to do enough shots to realise I will have to revisit the place with a macro lens and in selfish solitude.

Days out are bad enough but holidays, particularly when shared with friends...…………. Love the dogs and Bees BTW.

[DanK]

Great shot of the bees.

As a general rule, I don't take a tripod with me if I am out and about with anyone but other photographers. I do sometimes carry a camera, often my little Lumix, limiting myself to shots I can do relatively quickly and handheld. It helps to be with a group of people; they can carry one while one tarries with the camera.

I go out from time to time with two different groups of photographers. No sitting around talking about equipment over beer. I find that sometimes, people trade interesting tips and suggestions, mostly helping relative novices but sometimes getting into more complex things. However, most often, we end up spreading out and largely ignoring each other much of the time. Still, it is an interesting way to find new places to photograph, as there are suggestions from numerous people in the group.

[Tom Barry]

Even so, you did well.

[tbob]

I do not even carry a cell phone camera with me when I am out for family walks. Photography and socializing are two disparate activities for me. I seem incapable of combining the two

I have never done a group photographic activity so I have no experience with how that would go. However from the infrequent interactions I have had with fellow photographers in national parks or in Vancouver, I would rather hammer red hot nails into my feet than do this. Not that photographers are bad (gear heads and techies excepted) but my flow is disrupted

[skitterbug]

Reading your post from the perspective of a wife of 48 years, I don't mind at all if hubby wanders off in his own direction. We are comfortable knowing that we both are enjoying the outing. I did chuckle about the mobile phone because yes, I've used mine for hubby location purposes!

Lovely photos! I especially like the rose.

[billtils]

Love the story and the rose - one for Mrs P perhaps?

Just noticed you are leaving the land of the long white cloud for "the mainland". Tut tut.

[Manfred M]

Not a problem for me. I just make sure that my wife has her camera along and we both end up wandering around and more or less staying in the same general area for much of the time. One of us usually gets distracted and we end up having to look for one another. That's what cell phones are all about; not only can you take pictures with them, but they are also handy for locating a missing spouse...

[Shadowman]

Paul,

To me you are discussing two different types of photography, any suitable use of a tripod doesn't include walking/talking unless you are walking to the next setting, once the tripod is planted you are indulging in a procedure that perhaps includes visualizing, setting up your gear, experimenting, and reviewing. Photography on the move can still be done with your spouse and talking shouldn't be a deterrent; at least for me as I usually talk to myself when out on an excursion.

[pnodrog]

Days out are bad enough but holidays, particularly when shared with friends...…………. Love the dogs and Bees BTW.

On holidays I am absent from family and friends during both dawn and dusk. For the rest of the day I am relatively social.

The dog shot was the first one I took as they approached but they never arranged themselves so well again. Did not really have the right lens on for the bee photo but I was a bit lucky to get them together so I took a chance.

[pnodrog]

Great shot of the bees.

As a general rule, I don't take a tripod with me if I am out and about with anyone but other photographers. I do sometimes carry a camera, often my little Lumix, limiting myself to shots I can do relatively quickly and handheld. It helps to be with a group of people; they can carry one while one tarries with the camera.

I go out from time to time with two different groups of photographers. No sitting around talking about equipment over beer. I find that sometimes, people trade interesting tips and suggestions, mostly helping relative novices but sometimes getting into more complex things. However, most often, we end up spreading out and largely ignoring each other much of the time. Still, it is an interesting way to find new places to photograph, as there are suggestions from numerous people in the group.

Thanks Dan. I was a bit lucky with the bees. The tripod is used less and less now days. I think moving from 50 ISO Velvia film may have a lot to do with it. Most modern DSLR's can go to at least 800 ISO without any great penalty and coupling that with 2 to 4 stops of image stabilization thankfully makes a tripod redundant in a lot of situations.

[pnodrog]

Even so, you did well.

Thanks Tom.

I do not even carry a cell phone camera with me when I am out for family walks. Photography and socializing are two disparate activities for me. I seem incapable of combining the two

I have never done a group photographic activity so I have no experience with how that would go. However from the infrequent interactions I have had with fellow photographers in national parks or in Vancouver, I would rather hammer red hot nails into my feet than do this. Not that photographers are bad (gear heads and techies excepted) but my flow is disrupted

Trevor the sacrifices you make for your family astonish me...(however for your -15 deg C walks in two meters of snow, not having a camera or cell phone and hammering red hot nails into your feet somehow seems logical)

[pnodrog]

Reading your post from the perspective of a wife of 48 years, I don't mind at all if hubby wanders off in his own direction. We are comfortable knowing that we both are enjoying the outing. I did chuckle about the mobile phone because yes, I've used mine for hubby location purposes!

Lovely photos! I especially like the rose.

Thank you. Sandy I suspect my wife also enjoys the outings and so long as I follow it up with a visit to a cafe is more than happy to let me have time to pursue my photography.

There was a water sprinkler sweeping past the roses and I gallantly timed guiding my wife past them to safety. To photograph the roses I had turn my back to the sprinkler and it viciously took the opportunity to attack me with a shower of water.

[pnodrog]

Love the story and the rose - one for Mrs P perhaps?

Just noticed you are leaving the land of the long white cloud for "the mainland". Tut tut.

Stealing roses is frowned upon as much as leaving the long white cloud. At this stage it looks as if we will be spending almost equal time in NZ and Australia. However it will be another 7-8 months before the Australian accommodation is ready.

[pnodrog]

Not a problem for me. I just make sure that my wife has her camera along and we both end up wandering around and more or less staying in the same general area for much of the time. One of us usually gets distracted and we end up having to look for one another. That's what cell phones are all about; not only can you take pictures with them, but they are also handy for locating a missing spouse...

When we go shopping the shops we want to browse in are so vastly different and my time keeping so undeveloped that cell phones are a must. I don't know how our marriage lasted so long before they invented them...

[LePetomane]

When we have taken photo walks my wife usually takes her point & shoot with her and takes shots along the way. If our dogs are with us she takes one and I take the other. Our little dog is pretty energetic while the big one is pretty mellow. We compare photos at the end of the day.

[NorthernFocus]

Photography and spending time with my bride are not compatible activities. Thank goodness she is now content with "selfie" shots taken with a cell phone for the obligatory documentary shots when we travel. Setting up a tripod for shots of us in holiday spots was always an exercise in frustration at best.

Generally speaking photography is a solo activity for me as well. Certainly having non-photographers around is annoying. On occasion I do enjoy sharing space with other serious wildlife shooters. Much depends on the situation.

Since my wife and I are both retired, living life together is now our job. But it's long hours and the pay stinks. So even though neither one of us will utter the words, I'm sure we both enjoy a few hours off every now and then.