I may have made this comment before, can't remember but it's worth repeating. An experience this past weekend reminded me.
When I was taking a photography class 18 months ago, one of the students said she was uncomfortable and quite nervous taking pictures in public places because she worried about what she would say if anyone asked her what she was doing. The instructor said, "Tell them you are a photography student and have a class assignment to take pictures of [whatever]. People usually want to be helpful to students."
I have had three or four occasions since then when somebody has asked me what I was doing. The instructor was right. The questioner usually responded with something like, "Oh, OK." or even, "Good Luck with your assignment."
Sunday I was off looking for "coin operated things" for this week's photo theme. I stopped at a self-serv car wash and was shooting the vacuum machine. This place had an attendant and he sure was curious about what I was up to. When I told him about my 'class assignment' he was not only satisfied, he became an enthusiastic photographer's assistant. He dragged me around the place making sure I saw all the places to stick coins in and told me to make sure I saw the old fashioned gum-ball machine next to the office.
Rusty
When I was taking a photography class 18 months ago, one of the students said she was uncomfortable and quite nervous taking pictures in public places because she worried about what she would say if anyone asked her what she was doing. The instructor said, "Tell them you are a photography student and have a class assignment to take pictures of [whatever]. People usually want to be helpful to students."
I have had three or four occasions since then when somebody has asked me what I was doing. The instructor was right. The questioner usually responded with something like, "Oh, OK." or even, "Good Luck with your assignment."
Sunday I was off looking for "coin operated things" for this week's photo theme. I stopped at a self-serv car wash and was shooting the vacuum machine. This place had an attendant and he sure was curious about what I was up to. When I told him about my 'class assignment' he was not only satisfied, he became an enthusiastic photographer's assistant. He dragged me around the place making sure I saw all the places to stick coins in and told me to make sure I saw the old fashioned gum-ball machine next to the office.
Rusty