[Leica] Leica sighting, or how I tripped on a rude person....

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Austin Burbridge offered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica sighting, or how I tripped on a rude person....

> Nothing makes me squirm like someone remarking my Leica in a public 
> place.<<<

I don't mind anyone asking about my gear as most times there's 3 or 4 
Leica's of sort hanging off my neck or shoulders that sometimes evoke 
questions, no problem...... When we're standing around killing time waiting 
for the "subject whomever to appear." That's OK.

However, the best thing anyone can do no matter whom when I'm camera to eye 
and shooting or loading cameras like a whirling dervish is..... stand as far 
away from me with mouth shut! If not it can be a bad scene or nearly so. :-)

Take His Royal Highness Prince Charles for instance at Government House in 
Ottawa, Canada one day.

My assignment was take individual pictures of the Prince and entourage, no 
big deal, simple right? Like happy snaps in the garden sort of thing.

I'm kneeling on the lawn frantically changing film out of 4 cameras and 
totally engrossed doing so for the shoot.

All of a sudden I sensed a person was standing beside me and speaking about 
frivolous photo things like... "I don't know how you chaps manage all those 
cameras.... etc etc etc"  Without looking up I'm about to say something like 
"Please go away can't you see I'm busy?" Or something less polite. As I 
begin to shoot my mouth off I look up and....."it's prince Charles!" :-)

Talk about changing your wording quickly... "Yes Sir, it is a struggle at 
times. Yes sir it is" Meanwhile my mind is going like a whirlwind trying to 
concentrate at loading as this is one of those shoots you do not want a 
screw-up.

He went away when I didn't continue the conversation keeping my head down 
and re-loading. :-)

However after the official shoot was over, my mother God Bless Her Soul was 
Welsh so I thought, OK I shot all these pictures of hanger's on and body 
guards etc. why not get a picture of me with the Prince for my Mom? 
Particularly when he's the Prince of Wales?"

Before the protocol guys could do anything I walked quickly to him and said, 
"Excuse me Sir my mother is Welsh may I have my picture taken with you as 
she'd love it?" "Of course," says the Prince and smiles.

I stand beside him and the protocol folks go nuts like... "He's not supposed 
to talk to HRH (His Royal Highness). I paid them no never mind, waved for 
one of them to come over, showed him how to hold the camera and where to 
stand and that's how I got my picture taken with Prince Charles! :-)

Sometimes you never know when an interruption about your Leica's can lead to 
an interesting photo moment.

However it isn't always that nice. We wont go into where you wished the 
person yapping ... "I have a camera like that at home but I can't get any 
good pictures etc etc. etc." And you wish they'd just drop dead and go away! 
:-)

ted