Conspicuous or Not

[Gary Lemson]

I've read articles indicating some cinematographers and videographers do not enjoy attracting attention to themselves during a public shoot, especially when working alone. Some will go so far as to pick a camera that is smaller and therefore less conspicuous. Some hesitate to work in public at any time.

 

Any thoughts?

[Garry Torrance]

If I could count the amount of times someone has come up to me on the street when I'm in the middle of a shot and asked, "what are you doing?" or "what's this for?". Sometimes literally every few minutes in a busy place. Maybe that's what puts these guys off?

[Jonathan Bowerbank]

Depends on the equipment you have around you. If you have big lights and a lot of crew, people usually don't see through all that and notice the camera or the DP.

 

I was out on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf once with an Arri SR, shooting some footage of a drag performer I know. I think the camera itself attracted more attention, it was weird. People pointing and saying "Now THAT'S a camera!" and not quite noticing what I was pointing the lens at.

 

It might have just been an example how rare film shoots are in SF, so it's something new and interesting to some...whereas drag queens come a dime a dozen ;)