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This was a comment yelled out to me from a Taxi driver driving past behind me with an empty taxi.

I was taking a photo of the buildings at night in Brisbane city, I wasn't shooting along the roads, I was shooting 90 degrees to the road so I was no way looking like a speed camera cop, not to mention I was standing on a little road as well, not the main road.

Which makes me wonder, how are we as photographers being perceived by the general public?

I know that the taxi driver shouted out this comment from the safety of his own car, a coward's way out to confront people, exactly the same as people that writes offensive and ignorant messages in the cubical of public toilets. I know I shouldn't be affected though... Also reminds me of a time walking through Southbank holding my camera walking around the pool area and got a comment of "Must be taking photos of the kids in the pool."...

take it all with a grain of salt.

I know that depending on the area that i go to shoot at incident, there is always remarks in the background about "here's the paparazzi" etc etc.

Best thing is to just ignore the comments and continue shooting.

cheers

Me thinks the irony of drive-by comment was lost on the taxi driver himself

I ignored him, but still wanted to follow him...

"Here's the paparazzi." is a good one too.

I think he was angry because he had an empty taxi. Also he can yell out things in safety because of no passengers.

I think usually I/we are perceived as relatively harmless geeks (if we're clambering over and on walls with tripods to get photos of buildings or sunsets, or taking photos of weird stuff in an attempt to be 'profound'); or obsessive perfectionists (if we're taking portraits and having to set up everything perfectly before and during); or perhaps a vaguely menacing nuisance (if we're loitering around 'dangerous' places like beaches or swimming pools).

I've only been approached once in a negative way (at a soccer game where there were kids under 18 playing), but when I explained myself there was no problem. But on the positive side, around tourist attractions, people wanting photos of themselves or their party taken seem to always approach somebody with an SLR around their neck first

As a reversal, though, I've come to personally dislike the proud 'unprofessionalists' - people who travel thousands of kilometres to get in front of the spectacular views of the Great Wall of China or the Grand Canyon, and feel that the 'best' way to immortalise the moment is to whip out their freakin' mobile phones with their 1.2 megapixel cameras and snap away . Morons.

Grev


You are lucky that you could understand the taxi driver .Here in Sydney it's a lucky day that you get a cab driver that can put two words together in English

LOZ

The fact that you are out and about with a "hobby" (obsession?) is proof that you have got a life. I think there's often an element of jealousy in these remarks. Of course, when the detractors see a stunning photograph, they ooh and aah and wonder how anyone could produce such a thing.

I think the taxi driver thought he was a radar trap....

...funny...I get this all the time at work.....

Personally, I only bother with a taxi driver's opinion if I ask for it.

whiz wrote:Personally, I only bother with a taxi driver's opinion if I ask for it.

I only bother with a taxi driver's opinion if I've given it to him.

maybe the taxi driver didn't like the mugshot with the serial number in the taxi

Grev wrote:This was a comment yelled out to me from a Taxi driver driving past behind me with an empty taxi.

You should have shouted back "Get a fare!"

Cheers
Steffen.

No offense to any taxi drivers here but don't they have to work stupidly long hours, and at times have other jobs to supplement their wage (based on a friends father who used to be a taxi driver). So how they can say to amateur photographers who are doing it as a hobby to get a life, when most of them probably don't get to have much of a life themself.

Well, cowards trying to be heroes make me angry.

In my PoV:
He may suffered with the PP or PJ in the past with some of his personal things, now he look at any photographer with a decent gears, he felt sick, coz he thought they are under the same roof.

I was once a PJ and I learned it too, I got abusive language, action, sign from many cases, my feeling was hurt at the beginning, but then I got used to it and my skin became thick. Who cares??????

This does not make me surprise, due to many factors made people happy or unhappy and get stuck with that for a while. It's life!!!!!!!

I live with it and feel comfy, coz I know I'm doing the right thing and enjoying my life, whatever people say as the taxi driver, I don't reply, answer or ignore it and they will getting bored soon.

Get the job done and go!

You're not going to make the whole world happy with you!

Its just something that happens.. But I think the TAXI driver needs a life.

I have a freind who used to work for Brisbane City council as an electrician.Whilst working on on a road consrtuction and trafic light upgrade , he would constantly get yelled at from cars...

"Get a real job" or"Council bludger",
What they failed to realise was he worked mainly nights and Saturday mornings, was paid danger money,and each night it was job and knock.. So Started at 11.00pm home at 3-4am and taking home between 1400-1600 each week..

Doesnt seem to bad to me.

Just ignore them and enjoy what you do..

MATT

Raskill wrote:...funny...I get this all the time at work.....

you're lucky - I cop this at home!

Frank

i've gotten, "you must be a terrorist if you're taking photo's of buildings at night, who takes photo's at night.."

mR_CaESaR wrote:i've gotten, "you must be a terrorist if you're taking photo's of buildings at night, who takes photo's at night.."

You need one of the OCAU's I'm photographer not a terrorist Tshirts...


MATT

Who konws, you may have misheard him. He may have yelled out:

"Get a wife"
"Get a knife"
"Get a Leica" or
"Set a wide...er angle for the photo you're composing"

People often criticise others for their own short comings or in this case"lack of life." Taxi driving is a really hard way to earn a buck..I'm sure a lot worse has been said to photographers over the years. Or maybe it was, "I regret my life"....as he sped past and thinking..."why dont I have the time to take photos?"

Or maybe he says that to everyone and you just took him literally.

Regards

Peter Mc

Nothing unusual there. 90% of people do not understand why people create things.

I do get angry with rude ignorant people some of our SES traffic controllers have ben spat on and insulted for stopping people during road accidents.

birddog114 wrote:I live with it and feel comfy, coz I know I'm doing the right thing and enjoying my life...

Well said and a fantastic attitude to have.

This story of the cabbie reminds me of a time a few years back in Melbourne, had been raining and the roads were all wet and greasy, on High Street approaching St Kilda road (heading west), dodging the tram tracks on my motorbike with my wife on the back. There were a couple of cars in front of me.
There was a cabbie on the other side of the road, stopped. The two cars in front went passed him then he did a U turn in front of me. I was ready so was able to avoid an accident. If I hadn't noticed him stopped, I would almost certainly have not been able to avoid him, due to his stupidity.

I pulled up beside him and said a few unpleasantries, not rude but more along the lines of Why don't you watch where you're going...
His reply, with a smug look on his face, and a half grin -
Blah Blah Blah Blah.
That's all he had to say.

My summary on the whole thing?
I think you had a slightly more intelligent cabbie giving you "advice".
At least he could talk!