What drives a photographer mad?

I have no idea what you think but for me there are several things that really piss me off.

Image taken from http://terrywhite.com/how-i-broke-my-d700-by-tethering/

1. The megapixel question.

Number one in my list. I really can't grasp why people somehow conceptualize the megapixels to be equal to good quality photographs. It's the sensor that creates the good quality in a photo and, above all - the person behind the lens. Asking any photographer the megapixel question makes any photographer think that: 

a. You don't know a thing about photography.

b. You don't appreciate their work.

Image taken from http://randolphimages.com/the-megapixel-mania/

2. The gear question

You know,  there is always someone who wants to know 'Is this a professional camera?' as if the can only be photographed by professional gear. God forbid anyone else approach them with something substandard!  An advice - professional is the thing behind the camera - I will keep repeating that. So, don't ask about the gear - if the photographer wants (and believe me,  they LOVE talking about gear)  you'll get the information sooner or later. Asking straight away may insult the person,  as if you are doubting their abilities.

3. 'Is there any Photoshop in that?'

Now this is a painful one. There is no middle ground when it comes to post production. You either use it or you despise it. Problem is that 90% of the photographers use it,  at least 50% overdo it half of the time and there are some 10% -  the vegans of the photographic world - who can ramble for ages about that. I have an opinion but I will share it with you in a different post. Anyway,  unless you want a very long lecture or a scandal - don't ask this question.

Here is an example of what Photoshop can do - and that is a really basic editing you see there

4. 'Is this picture yours?'

As strange as it may sound but you can hear that as well. Let's make it straight - ask that question and the photographer has one more enemy on their kill list. Trust me,  if the picture is not taken by them,  they will tell you immediately. If they don't, the picture is theirs.

5.Copyright

If copyright pops up in the conversation,  just let the photographer talk. If you think that there is nothing wrong in getting a picture from Google images and then reusing it for any purpose,  better keep it to yourself. There is no photographer who thinks that copyright is useless. Believe me,  they have invested quite a lot in every shot they take. So shut up when copyright crops up or you may end up on the photographer's kill list. (again!)

Image taken from http://prophon.org/display.php?bg/новини/121

6. Titles

The title of a shot is another tricky point. If you want to know what the author wanted to say,  ask a literary critic.  What the author wanted,  they showed it on the pic. Nothing more,  nothing less. The title is often chosen to provoke but don't expect profound analysis from the author. They just FELT the title,  they can't put it in words.

7. Giving advice all the time

Ok, no-one says that you should keep silent but if you order the photographer around all the time,  better shut up.  You may have hired them for the job but it is THEM doing it. If you know so much - better do it yourself.

Image taken from http://nickgrantham.com/the-whole-world-is-a-critic/

8. Quoting what another colleague said or did

We,  photographers, are quite egotistical and self-centered creatures. We may admire what someone else did and how they did it but that's just within the guild. Outside it we want to be considered individuals,  unique artists (fill in the list with whatever you want in that line of thinking). Showing what someone does in our face (I talk about we because it's a common opinion) leads us think why didn't you hire them in the first place.

9. 'I can do it better!'

Every once in a while,  there is someone who claims that he can go and do my job better than me. More often than not,  that is a person who has no idea what photography is about and is generally a hater. Problem is that it really gets on my nerves - if you can do it better,  show it, damn it!  A picture is worth a thousand words,  after all. So if you can't prove you're better,  don't try to criticize. You have a 99% chance of getting devastated by the arguments. After all,  they have done that longer than you.

Image taken from https://ethicsalarms.com/2013/07/

10. Bargains

Here we come to the client - customer side of things. I am not saying that you should not bargain but all things should be kept at some reasonable level. I mean,  if you want the person to do a job at a 10th of the regular price,  there is something wrong. Photographers are keen on shooting no matter what. They will just go and photograph the event for free - especially if you know each other in person - you just have to ask. 99% will say YES. But offering a humiliating price (remember - less than one 10th of the regular price) will lead to end of your friendship or any other relationship you had.

Image taken from https://www.tellwut.com/surveys/lifestyle/living/835-price-haggling-bargaining-do-you-negotiate-for-the-best-price-.html

This is not an exhaustive list - I guess I can come up with a ton of other things to say but right now I can think of only those.If you have any other things that drive you mad when you take the camera - share them in a comment below or write to me to add them to a follow-up post.