Wow, what a strange season it has been!  Actually this whole year has been a bit off from normal with it being cooler than normal all summer so I never really got tired of summer.  Now, here we are in the middle of an autum that came in like a bull who’s testicles were being whipped by a badger.

I was able to get a fair number of good pictures though, which I am happy for.  It seemed to take forever for the trees to change but once they did, the weather made sure the leaves were on the trees for only a few days.  The snow we have gotten this week has finished the job, sending most of the leaves to the ground for their winter stay. 

So last week I pulled into a local park to take pictures of the trees before all the good colors were gone.  As I pulled into the park I saw a photographer waiting there near the entrance to the park.  They are easy to spot as they carry a light meter, which is about useless with today’s digital cameras and generally look annoyed to be there.  Well this guy looked annoyed and BORED, like he was waiting for something or somebody.  I just snickered in my mind and drove past him and parked my car.  I started walking to the opposite side of the park, where all the good trees are.  As I was getting closer to the end of the park, I notice a young woman standing there and looking at me, almost like she is looking for me.  So I walk over near her and take a few pictures and when I am done she asks me my name because she is waiting for her photographer to take her senior pictures.  I tell her my name then point her in the direction of the photographer I saw previously.  She looks at him then says to me “I was really hoping you were him since you seem so approachable.”  She then thanked me and off she went to meet her photographer. 

This got me to thinking about the image it seems most photographers have.  Most that I have seen are self important people who feel they are above the people they are taking pictures of, like they are doing them a favor.  They certainly don’t have any problem charging HUGE sums of money to push a button though… .  I watched this guy work and wow, talk about having NO people skills at all!  He treated her like a robot and he had zero personality or reportoir with her at all.  I actually was tempted to go over there and offer to take her pictures for her, since she did NOT look like she was having any fun at all.  Maybe that is why people seem surprised when they find out that I take pictures, because I do not seem the type. 

So it is not like I get many readers but, all you photographers PLEASE stay like you are, it is better for my business!