We photographers need to stick together (don’t be a dick)

In the photo below I highlighted the photographer who rudely got into my photo. Although he knew I was setup in that spot taking photos long before he decided to shoot from that point, plus he even glanced in my direction as he was walking towards the shore, he still set up his tripod to shoot without asking if it was in my way.

© David Guidas

I had walked pass this guy earlier on my way to a lifeguard shack to shoot the sunrise and saw that he had his tripod setup on the beach behind the guard shack. He was using what appeared to be a pro grade Canon DSLR with an L series lens and I was armed with a lowly EOS M camera that by all accounts looks like a simple snapshot camera. I had my camera mounted on a small tabletop UltraPod, which I pack along when I am traveling. The problem with the UltraPod is that there aren’t too many tables on the beach.  I looked around for something solid above ground level to set the tripod on and I thought I would try to use the railing at the guard shack for support. As I walked past the other photographer I held up my miniscule rig and jokingly said to him that I should have brought a bigger tripod. He just looked at my setup and just gave that kind of “why are you even talking to me?” look.  OK, this guy has no sense of humor in the morning I thought.

So I went around to the front of the guard shack and walked up the stairs to the shack deck. With the building behind me I was in no ones way, so I set up my tripod on the railing and proceeded to snap some photos as the sun rose. After I watched in amazement as the other photographer came around and setup right in my way I paused to see how long he stay there and looked around to see if I had other places I could setup. With a tiny tripod I was kind of limited. After a few minutes he finally left and I stayed on the deck of the shack but having moved to the corner for a little better bracing against the strong winds.

After exposing a few more photos I heard someone yelling “EXCUSE ME” behind me. I turned around and yes, it was the other photographer. He was now setup to the right and slightly behind the lifeguard shack and he asked if I could move over behind the structure a little more as I WAS IN THE WAY OF HIS SHOT!! I, who had been in the same place for quite some time was now IN THE WAY of the same guy who rudely got IN MY WAY just a few minutes earlier. Now I am not a mean person and I refrained from arguing with him and bringing up the fact of his faults but I had my tiny tripod on the railing secured only by the pressure of my hand and I couldn’t move it without taking the time to totally set it up again so I told him I couldn’t move my camera and I just turned around and continued to take my photos.

By the way, after the sun started to come up a few more tourists arrived on the beach to snap some photos with their phones. Every one of them noticed me when they were walking by and asked if they were in my way BEFORE they even got in front of me. By then I was done shooting anyhow and it didn’t matter. I then obligingly performed their requests to take their photos with their phones in front of the sunrise. Smiles all around and I forgot all about the other photographer.