 Respect is a two way street.
For sure, some people are rude or worse and that's simply the way of the world.
I will say however, that respect is a two way street. I'm sure I've come off as rude to some individuals who simply aren't thinking about anything but themselves. I work primarily with an 8x10 view camera and that naturally draws attention if there are people around. I take my work very seriously and I can't tell you how many times someone has actually forced me out from under the darkcloth to answer a ton of questions. When I'm in the field working, especially once I've setup and am actually working with the camera, the last thing I want to deal with are people who have no respect for my time and what I'm trying to do. I'll usually say something to the effect of "I'm working right now but if you'd care to wait until I'm through I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have." For some people that's fine, and they either wait or say they have somewhere to be and that's that. For others, well, I'm an asshole because I didn't immediately stop what I was doing to make time for them. I think it's important to remember that each individual's time is valuable and that not everyone is a teacher. That being said there is a pleasant way to get those points across. |