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Photographer Crashes Your Shoot, What Do You Do?
A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, in my OMP days, this happened to me. Just curious how others would have handled it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was running a four-model/two-MUAH bridal shoot at a public park one evening when another photographer -- popular young guy with a fairly good reputation in the area -- is shooting on the other side of the park. He decides to come over to visit a couple of our models. He goes from chatting with the idle models to the one on set. And while I'm making changes with the camera, he walks onto the set to talk up close with the model. Not a death penalty case as long as he gets off the set the nanosecond I'm ready to resume. But he's not looking where he's stepping and he snags the synch cable, jerking a lightstand over and the camera clean out of my hands. The model caught the lightstand and I caught the camera by the strap just inches before it hit the concrete. And he tries to free his foot by simply kicking it around, jerking on the camera even more. Once free, he stands on the synch cable and continues chatting with the model. He then talks one of the idle models into going over to his shoot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Say it's your shoot. What do you? Dec 15 19 08:03 pm Link Orca Bay Images wrote: I would tell him to go away but not very nicely. Dec 15 19 08:09 pm Link Jerry Nemeth wrote: At what point do you tell him to vamoose? When he first shows up? When he starts chatting with your crew? When he steps onto the set? When he literally crashes your shoot down around you? Dec 15 19 08:14 pm Link Orca Bay Images wrote: When he starts chatting. Dec 15 19 08:19 pm Link well, it was a pubic space (tragedy of the commons anyone?) so, he has as much right to be there as any of us. I would remind the crew, in a friendly way, that we are here to work and not chat with the occasional passerby. then I would give him my card, and tell him that if he wished to contact any of my co-workers, he could contact me and I would put him in contact, if they approve. I would tell him that I respect his work, and that I ask that he respects mine and that he maintain a reasonable distance. if he insisted on disturbing the shoot, then I would turn every light and camera on and photograph him and his disturbance, and let everyone know he was a butthole. that prolly is a good reason to use on-camera flash, to make certain people uncomfortable. when he was tripping on this and standing on that, he was the person in charge. you gotta flip that and be the person in charge. guy chatting up a model you're working with? take a photo and let everyone know you suspect he had the nerve to ask her out for sex while she was working with you on a project. in Mexico, you see signs that read something like, 'no parking" you respect my space, and I will respect your car.' Dec 15 19 08:46 pm Link I would have approached him as soon as he came on set and started chatting. I would introduce myself, give him my card and tell him to call or text me anytime he would like to be put in touch with any of the people working. Then I would politely ask him to leave. If polite didn’t work then I would be more forceful and less polite until he got the message. No way I allow him around cables, sync cords, lights or cameras under any circumstances. If he caused damage there is a good chance he gets physically and forcefully removed and embarrassed by the language I would be directing at him. Dec 15 19 09:04 pm Link I have an unfortunate history of cords leaping up and getting snarled up in my shoes without me noticing. Cords are bad. So, I'd have to let him slide on that. Sort of... Being an exceptionally charming gentleman (and of course having the luxury of just making stuff up since I wasn't there), I would proabaly go up to him, point out that he was standing on my cord and interrupting my shoot. I'd use the old "fellow photographer" crap and act nice. I would mention that he already had nearly smashed my camera and my light. Then I would nicely mention in no uncertain terms that I would be much happier if he would leave now and not fuck anything else up. Or, I would be unhappy. Nobody can be happy if I am not happy. Then I would ignore him, take control of the shoot again and get back at it. I wouldn't say a word to anybody about it at the time, somebody is going to spread it no matter what you do and it looks better if it isn't you. Watrer under the bridge now, and a great topic for a thread, this could be fun! Dec 15 19 09:19 pm Link Orca Bay Images wrote: THIS is the point where you should have put a complete stop to this. I wouldn't care who this bozo is, that's disrespectful and unprofessional. Next time, don't be such a doormat. Dec 15 19 11:56 pm Link Shot By Adam wrote: I guess you missed the part where I said this happened a LONG time ago. Since then I've had several interruptions to shoots and have dealt with them early and decisively each in its own way. Dec 16 19 01:17 am Link I would have told him to fuck off Dec 16 19 02:08 am Link Depends. If someone I know and like well, not an issue, unless the models seem put off by his presence. If not a good friend, “hey there, we are working here. Do you mind?” Probably long before the sync cord issue, too. Dec 16 19 03:39 am Link DCurtis wrote: Freudian slip ? Dec 16 19 04:46 am Link I would have accidentally spilled a large beverage on him from head to toe, hopefully something sticky. Dec 16 19 05:35 am Link Thank goodness we are now living in the age of cordless. I couldn't stand using cords on location. I think now even broadcasters are cordless. Even tho cords could had double use as a lasso. Dec 16 19 08:50 am Link Eric212Grapher wrote: This. Dec 16 19 10:08 am Link Are you sure this post wasn't originally written as an April Fools' Day prank? It's hard to believe anyone, and especially another photographer, would be so grossly intrusive. But, if anyone behaved that way in the middle of my shoot I would likely lose my temper big-time and quickly run him off at first offense. Dec 16 19 12:33 pm Link Modelphilia wrote: I assure you I did not compose this OP as a prank. Dec 16 19 01:30 pm Link Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war. If it even has a chance of screwing up my shoot it's DefCon2. Dec 16 19 04:43 pm Link Vector One Photography wrote: Amen! I would not have put up with any of it. Not from photographers or models. And I damn sure would not disturb another photographer's shoot. Even if I were invited I would not even speak without permission. Dec 16 19 05:09 pm Link My day job is security, when I see photographers working I HAVE to keep an eye on them due to the nature of where I work (terror threats), as well as client direction (not allowed to take photos of clients logo). As parts are open to the public there is a fine line, so I usually nicely inform the group, and then end up talking about photography for a minute. I have yet to have issues. In your situation, when he walked up and started to talk to the model you were actively trying to work with is when I would have said something. Dec 16 19 05:39 pm Link Shooting attractive models in public places is a magnet for drawing unwanted crowds. One of my experiences involved more than one photographer. I was photographing a model in my city's botanical gardens for a Spring Festival feature. It was early morning and for part of the time we had the gardens to ourselves. Then out of seemingly nowhere this lovely old gentleman appears and starts watching us from a distance. At an opportune moment he approached and kindly asked if it was okay to take a few pictures. I thought where's the harm in saying yes. My only proviso was he must also ask the model. He went over and got her permission and then walked off. The model and I shrugged out shoulders at each other and continued on with our shoot. A short time later, a tour bus pulls up and out comes old mate with a bus load of all his camera club buddies. I already had the shots I needed, so my model kindly continued on and made their day. Dec 16 19 06:32 pm Link FYI: That shoot happened at Sacramento's state capitol rose gardens. Great place to shoot. Early evening, I was expecting problems from the public but they were amazingly well-behaved. A few looky-loos but they kept their distance. Even the uninterested passersby seemed to try to stay out of the shots, though one middle-aged dickhead in Bermuda shorts tried to be in the background of the shots. Not a problem. He apparently never heard of shallow depth of field, cropping, and Photoshop. Dec 16 19 07:15 pm Link I expect it's unlikely he'd step in like that without first observing your patter/demeanour; and he wouldn't have done so if he wasn't certain he would get away with it. So I'd say you need to learn how to develop a demeanour which commands respect. That's especially valuable when in the company of women as every dick and his bro will want to muscle in given half a chance. The girls don't need it and neither do you. Dec 16 19 11:07 pm Link K I M I L Y wrote: Conidering that he didn't notice the cords and nearly destroyed valuable equipment, it sounds to me more like he was just high. Certainly oblivious. Dec 17 19 09:22 am Link Back then, networking with models and photographers was a big plus for me. Sat in on several other photographers' shoots and kept silent and out of the way. Had several phototgraphers watch mine with no problems and some good vibes and technical exchange. To this day I don't mind another photographer watching as long as he or she behaves. Talking with an idle model is still okay in my book as long as doing so is not countermanding any of my instructions (there's only one director), disrupting the MUAHs from their work, or causing a distraction to the model on set. For clarification: The clod's transition from [okay] chatting with the idles to [unacceptable] stepping on set to chat with the active happened in a matter of seconds. I was changing memory cards and I'd already used the level-one civil voice on him to zero effect. Before I got a chance to use level-two, the camera got jerked out of my hands before I got the card cover shut, which is when I shot straight to level-three military voice. The problem had escalated in seconds from breach of etiquette to a threat of equipment damage. I guess I'll just continue to differ with some photographers on the issue of allowing another photographer to chat with the idle members. Unless he's causing a problem behind the scenes, my concern is the active set. Since I don't see any multi-model/multi-MUAH shoots in my near future, controlling the smaller shoots will remain not much of a problem. This thread weas mainly to see how others would handle the situation, and I thank you for the responses. Dec 17 19 11:58 am Link Shadow Dancer wrote: You should learn to read more carefully. Dec 17 19 12:50 pm Link K I M I L Y wrote: Speaking of reading more carefully, I also mentioned that in those subsequent events, I did deal with it more immediately and effectively. Dec 17 19 02:20 pm Link K I M I L Y wrote: Hmm... I did read more carefully. It seems some things slipped by you though. Dec 17 19 02:29 pm Link Shadow Dancer wrote: Indeed I do, thanks for reminding me. Dec 17 19 02:52 pm Link Had one chronic interrupter I didn't mind at all. The military voice probably wouldn't have worked on him, anyway. In one my earliest shoots, I was shooting in a teen model's home. At one point the black velvet backdrop was moving. Suddenly a kitten appeared on the backdrop's crossbar. He did a Spidercat leap onto the back of the girl's head. After another leap, we threw him out of the room and then out of the house. Her found his way back in each time. More Spidercat. At one point he somehow got completely entangled in power lines and cables. completely helpless on his back, flailing his legs and tail as he hissed. It was about time for a break and change, anyway, so I did a mini-shoot with the model's little sister, who'd been studying everything so intently and unobtrusively, and the manic kitten. Funny thing, as soon as the kitten was part of the shoot, he settled right down. And was cool the rest of the night. Dec 17 19 02:55 pm Link K I M I L Y wrote: And a Merry Christmas to you as well! Dec 17 19 05:13 pm Link Orca Bay Images wrote: On a group shoot tour, one photographer had this knack for taking a model and himself directly into the background where I was shooting. He was a good distance away, and no use screaming to get them to move. I repositioned to allow easy editing later. When he came back, I chatted with him about looking behind him to see if a model and photographer were lined up in his direction. He apologized, and for the rest of the tour, he never entered my frame. However, I heard a couple of the other photographers commenting about him wandering into their backgrounds. I'm not sure if he was trying to ruin other shots or just walking about without a clue. Inconsiderate either way. Dec 19 19 05:34 am Link Eric212Grapher wrote: That's why I didn't bother asking the guy in Bermuda shorts to get out of the background. I knew it would just make him worse, getting right up on the shot. (As it was, I was able to make him disappear, either in-camera or in post.) Dec 19 19 08:26 am Link "we'll be finishing up here in X time if you want to come back then" If that doesn't get the point across then I stop giving a shit about how it looks, I'm telling them to fuck off. Dec 21 19 10:27 pm Link Laura UnBound wrote: Where's that "like" button when you need it. Dec 22 19 06:42 am Link Around here, it's more an issue of vagrants wandering onto set, or riding onto it with some beater bicycle. Not to mention some bringing along their toys like shopping carts (i.e. "CA pickup trucks"), lug wrenches, bats, and golf clubs. Panhandling for almost anything too. Some cannot even talk, other than saying "gack, gack, gack" - if anyone speaks or understands that. Least we can file for a $170 city photo permit and hire a cop for $83.98/hour (four-hour minimum) to protect the set from them...maybe. Photographer crashing the set might be a means of 'safety in numbers' from keeping the "extras" at bay. Dec 22 19 09:10 am Link If it happened today I'd start shooting video on my phone and post it to IG and everywhere else and obviously include the name of the photographer. Jan 23 20 03:44 pm Link I don't tolerate other photographers interfering with the shoot. One guy tried to talk me, introducing himself as a photographer. I said "I'm sorry but I'm shooting right now." He left. I think I have a killer gaze. When I was eleven I would look at younger children and they would start crying. I have shooed other photographers away when I shoot on permit. "I have a permit for this. . . please get out of the background." Out of the background? They leave the beach. Park rangers don't tolerate me unless I have a permit and then they are shocked. Usually a model has a copy which she hands to the ranger. One model thought I was mean. I agreed and said. "I have a permit. It costs me and it means that I have the right to shoot and I ask a model and a photographer to get out of the background so you look good." Jan 23 20 05:22 pm Link LA StarShooter wrote: Most permits I am aware of do not give you exclusive use. You have every right to tell someone to get out of your background, but they have every right to ignore you, too. They could be holding a permit, too. Jan 23 20 08:17 pm Link it is a public area and unless you have a permit to close it off you really can’t restrict his access to the park. However you booked the models and even if you are adjusting your cameras, they are still at work and it is your shoot. Politely tell him that we are all working and he surely understands how offset distractions can ruin a shoot. Tell him when you will be finished if he wants to come by and socialize with the models then. Feb 08 20 10:48 am Link |
