The Big, Black Camera

I honestly don't understand the [lack of] thought process that exists for most people. Last night was soured for me by one of the red-shirted security monkeys with an utterly bizarre interpretation of the "no unauthorized cameras" rule at Sin City. I had my long lens on the DSLR for the sake of shooting the performers on the stage from the balcony. With that lens I need to be a minimum of three metres away from a person to photograph a portrait, and more like six metres if I want to get more than just their face in the photo - not going to happen in a crowded club - so for the sake of doing portraits I brought along my new compact digital (the underwater camera). I had just finished shooting the last burlesque performance of the evening and was about to make a portrait shot of Sisi and her beau and I am pounced on by the red-shirt. I showed him my staff card and told him I was the photographer. He responded with the most amazingly retarded reasoning. Pointing to the big, black camera he said it was OK for me to take pictures with it, but not the compact digital because "no personal cameras". He said I would have to "talk to the promoter" if I wanted to use my "personal camera" and I can't even imagine who he thought gave me the staff card if it wasn't the promoters. "They're both my cameras. I've been photographing this event since it started. That's my picture in the Sun today - I'm the fucking photographer!

Another red-shirt joined in the fun. Fortunately he had a couple of brain-cells to rub together and eventually produced a spark.

I didn't stay much after that. I had the pictures I wanted. The heat was getting to me (and Elaine), and with that much stupid flung at me like monkey-poo, I needed to cool off in more than one way so it was time to walk home.

All said and done, though, it does make a point about the perception of the camera in the mind of the average idiot layman.