Amateur Photographer - UK (2019-06-28)

12 22 June 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

THE

VEWS

EXPRESSED IN THIS COLUMN ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER MAGA ZINE OR TI MED

AL

MTED

I

believethere’sanunwrittenrule

thatallphotographersshould

adhereto whenworkingin close

proximityto otherphotographers.

If someonemakestheeffortto settheir

alarmearlierthanyou,treksseveralmiles

to a remotelocationandsetsuptheir

tripodin theperfectspot,it’sonlyfairthat

yourespectthattheyweretherefirst.

There’snothingwrongwithshootingfroma

differentangleorpolitelyaskingif they’d

mindyousettingupnearby,butyoumust

bemindfulof notgettingin thewayand

alwaysworksympathetically.Justlike

golferstakeoffenceto someonewalking

acrosstheirlineontheputtinggreen,

photographerscan’tbareother

photographerswhoambleintotheframe

unexpectedlyorselfishly ruin a shot to

benefit theirown.

Outrageousbehaviour

AfewweeksagoI couldn’tbelievewhatI

witnessedandwashorrifiedbytheactions

of onephotographer.Ona dull,dreary

dayat a preservedrailwayin Sussex,I

wasstrugglingforinspirationuntilI found

myselfat thebackof a goodstrainwhere

a railwayvolunteerkindlyofferedtopose

formeasa trainpassedontheadjacent

line.Havinghadanunsuccessfulmorning,

I knewthiswasmychancetoreturnhome

witha crackingshottobeproudof.

Afterrefiningmyexposuresettings,

repositioningthevolunteerandpatiently

waitingforthetraintoapproach,I wasall

set ready to fi re the shutter. But then, out

of nowherea man,in whatI guessedwas

hissixties,enteredmyframefromthe

right,beforestandingdirectlyin front

of mecompletelyobscuringmyshot.

Tappinghimontheshoulder,askinghim

politelytomoveoutof thewaydid

nothing.Hewasn’thavinganyof it.

Secondslaterthetrainpassedandthe

momentwasgone.Whatwouldhave

beena greatshotwasmissed.Asthe

inconsideratemanturnedandwalked

away,clearlyknowinghe’dswoopedin

andstolenmyshotwithouta carein

theworld,I ventedmyfrustrationby

whisperinga fewexpletivesabouthis

shockingbehaviourin hisear.Hedidn’t

takea blindbitof noticeorrespond.

Havingexperiencedsucha selfishactby

anotherphotographergotmethinking.

Howoftendoesthisoccurandhowmany

otherphotographershaveexperienced

somethingsimilar?Unfortunatelythere

arenosetruleswhenwe’retaking

picturesaroundothersandwerelyheavily

ontheconsiderationof others.Nexttime

you’reabouttotakea spectacularshot,

sparea thoughtof howinfuriatingit would

beforsomeonetogatecrashit. The

goldenruleof treatingothersasone

wishestobetreatedmustalwaysbe

rememberedandis particularlyrelevant

tophotography.If weallobeythisrule,

theworldwillbea farbetterplace.

Arephotographersbecominglessrespectful

and considerate of others?

View point

Michael Topham

MichaelTophamis thereviewseditoratAmateur

Photographer. In hissparetimeheshoots weddings.

Visit http://www.michaeltopham.co.uk.

© MICHAEL TOPHAM

Seconds after this image was taken, another photographer stormed in front and stole the shot

© ROSS HODDINOTT

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