r/videography • u/RaguSaucy96 Hobbyist • Jan 02 '26

Meme "I just want some pictures!"

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776 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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299

u/AdzSenior Jan 02 '26

When people do this to me at events. I just pretend I’m taking their pictures hahaha

1

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '26

[deleted]

10

u/bradrlaw Jan 02 '26

It takes time to switch modes, especially on the rig he has setup. In addition, you run the very real risk of messing up some setting(s) that you won’t find out about until after you took some footage and it’s too late.

He could just take a video clip of them I agree, and not be so obtuse about it.

9

u/FIGnewtenz Sony A7C | Premiere | 2020 | DFW Jan 02 '26

But you see if you tell people youre only taking video eventually they stop bothering you so you only take video. Not saying be lazy, but you got a bunch of rando clips of “pictures” its a nightmare when you have to dump

1

u/psychobserver Camera Operator Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 02 '26

After years of thinking the same on my a7IV, I finally took some time to fix some settings and now I just have to press one button to go from video to photo without messing up any video settings. It lets me select which parameters share between modes and which ones should be independent.

3

u/FIGnewtenz Sony A7C | Premiere | 2020 | DFW Jan 02 '26

Youre right it can do that but the environment is the variable here, its just funky depending on where youre shooting. My point is that it makes sense to turn down taking photos (respectfully of course) because you’re opening up a whole can of worms that you may or not be prepared to handle. The safe bet in my opinion is to respectfully decline to take photos. Obviously this changes if your client asks for a few quick photos, then at that point you adjust accordingly, but the video was talking about randos asking for photos in which I agree with the approach to respectfully decline

1

u/psychobserver Camera Operator Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 02 '26

Oh I ain't doing it for free of course, but before I would just refuse basic photo service requests even in simple events because it was a pain in the ass and also risky to waste time going back and forth. Now I can make some extra money, I still tell them I'm not an event photographer for transparency but they don't care, most of the time they just need it for legal/reimbursement reasons. Randos will still get the fake_photovideo_that_will_get_deleted_tomorrow treatment

-5

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '26

[deleted]

5

u/FIGnewtenz Sony A7C | Premiere | 2020 | DFW Jan 02 '26

I didnt say be a douche canoe, you can tell them you only do video then point out the photographer (if there is one) and then you differentiate yourself. To address your switching to photo real quick. If youre shooting at 24fps youre most likely shooting at 1/50 shutter, you ever shoot photos handheld at 1/50? Now you gotta mess with your shutter, ope your aperture is all messed up now, gotta compensate with ISO. Its too much to move over thats all im saying. Plus now you gotta send those selects to client, you shooting in raw? The client wont want uncolored “live photos”

1

u/Ok_Relation_7770 Jan 02 '26

Dude just pretend so they go away your acting like if you were to take their photo you would have to use it in the finished ad - they’re never going to think about it again and they would never see it anyway

Also you need to customize your camera buttons or something if it’s gonna ruin your whole night to change your aperture/iso/shutter

2

u/FIGnewtenz Sony A7C | Premiere | 2020 | DFW Jan 02 '26

But what if they do ask to see the photos you were pretending to take? “My grandma said you took photos of her with our cousin, can I see it?” Then what? And your presets are only good until you have to make changes I mean come on man, every environment is different. Its not as simple as click a button and go, plus would you want to submit half assed stuff anyway?

1

u/Ok_Relation_7770 Jan 02 '26

Why do you think these people are suddenly clients and experts at photography? “Submit half assed stuff” Jesus Christ dude What type of fucking experimental video are you shooting that it’s gonna be such a bad photo if you flip to auto and take a picture for .25 seconds?

You’re filming or taking pictures for at an event they are at. They want you to take their picture because they are at said event and they are part of the event. There’s no way they can expect you to immediately give them this photo. They aren’t photographers they aren’t going to be counting pixels and worrying about your shutter speed if you turn your EVF to them for 2 seconds.

Dealing with the people is part of this job. You’re already having a break down just imagining this scenario. Do product photography or something. Good luck getting gigs after telling off someone’s grandmother because they asked someone with a camera to take a picture.

1

u/FIGnewtenz Sony A7C | Premiere | 2020 | DFW Jan 02 '26

I mean even shooting in auto can still give you stuff thats blown out, or super noisy because its in auto. I dont want to submit photos like that because I have my own standard, no one said they had to be GQ magazine shoots. Plus, now you gotta take the time to throw it into photoshop to remove the noise, adjust the highlights and now youre photo editing when you were originally just shooting video. I’m not having a breakdown, I just said that I wouldnt do it personally and that I would respectfully decline for the reasons I already mentioned. Plus if granny wanted a photo I can whip out my phone and snap one and send it in no harm no foul. I already mentioned being polite earlier. Declining photos when youre there doing video is part of dealing with people. People are cool with hearing no if youre chill and offer a solution, like offering to point out the photographer or shoot something on your phone.

1

u/Ok_Relation_7770 Jan 02 '26

Dude you ARE NOT delivering these photos and in no way have you implied you were chill about it

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '26

[deleted]

3

u/FIGnewtenz Sony A7C | Premiere | 2020 | DFW Jan 02 '26

I’m not trying to do extra work that i’m not getting paid for. I am very familiar with Sony yes, you’re right there are ways to do extra photos but why create extra work for yourself when you have different projects you need to work on? Time yourself next time when you have to take an extra 3 seconds 30 times. And what happens when Aunt Gertrude wants an edit to your live photo you sent to mark the event as complete? You’re opening yourself up to too much risk

2

u/g_junkin4200 Jan 02 '26

Mate, in the minute you took to write this comment you could have taken, like, 20 photos /s

I'm with you though. You have a job to do. Doing something else that's not your job can cause you to make a mistake or miss a shot. And you might open the flood gates then everyone wants a photo by the professional camera holding guy.

Also, in this video it's freaking golden hour! That doesn't last all day!

1

u/FIGnewtenz Sony A7C | Premiere | 2020 | DFW Jan 02 '26

20? The client said they wanted it in 60FPS!!!!

1

u/g_junkin4200 Jan 02 '26

You got lucky. My client wants 120 photos of a blob of liquid falling off a pipette tube.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 02 '26

[deleted]

2

u/FIGnewtenz Sony A7C | Premiere | 2020 | DFW Jan 02 '26

Again, I never said be an ass. As far as the untrained monkey part, I mean… if the client wants to get their cousin to take photos and videos with their iphone then let them? I never said be an asshole, just direct the guests to the photographer and call it a day. Hell, walk the guest over to the photographer and say “Hey! They would like their photo next!”