Here goes nuthin' [Archive] - Proud Photography Forums

aintdeadyet

04-30-2008, 01:13 AM

Hello everyone - I just signed up for the course today and am really looking forward to starting it. I've taken one other photography course through the continuing education dept. at the local university - learned some stuff, but now I crave more. Started getting interested in photography when in 2001 I had the opportunity to roam around Paris for 2 weeks on my own taking pictures - had a Nikon SLR - and it was awesome! Looking forward to meeting you all!:)

LensBaby

04-30-2008, 01:28 AM

Hi there AintDeadYet....welcome to the group. You will enjoy the course. Please feel free to jump in and post photos, or ask questions!

gjtoth

04-30-2008, 01:41 AM

Howdy! Glad to have ya!:D

runswithscissors

04-30-2008, 02:49 AM

Welcome! Glad you found us........can't wait to see some photos :)

dkippen

04-30-2008, 03:22 AM

Welcome to the group - take a look around and be sure to post your photos.

possum

04-30-2008, 03:46 AM

Welcome - this is a wonderful place. You will learn lots.

Snappers

04-30-2008, 05:29 PM

Hi and Welcome, I'd like to wander around Paris taking photos. I bet there were some great photo ops there! The only problem is........ I don't like paris! LOL.

I went when I was younger and didnt have a brilliant time so I think that put me off for life.

gjtoth

04-30-2008, 07:57 PM

Hi and Welcome, I'd like to wander around Paris taking photos. I bet there were some great photo ops there! The only problem is........ I don't like paris! LOL.

Amen! I much prefer Theoule sur Mer Cote' Azur! Or, Nice. Or, Lyon.

I went when I was younger and didnt have a brilliant time so I think that put me off for life.

Doesn't matter WHEN ya go. My wife had never been and wanted to spend New Year's Eve on the Champs Elysee'. I told her she would NOT like Paris. We went.

Let's just say it was the worst New Year's Eve we ever spent in our 28 years together.

:)

LensBaby

04-30-2008, 08:30 PM

I have heard that from many people, but nobody can tell me why. Can any of you explain to me, what makes it a "not so nice" time? Thanks (I have never been there and my husband wants to go)

gjtoth

04-30-2008, 08:47 PM

I have heard that from many people, but nobody can tell me why. Can any of you explain to me, what makes it a "not so nice" time? Thanks (I have never been there and my husband wants to go)

At the risk of getting flamed, here's what I discovered:

MOST (not all) Parisians are rude, arrogant, ill-mannered snobs. They tend to dislike (if not despise) anyone that is not French. Even other Frenchmen from other regions will tell you that. Thus, you are made feel unwelcomed... almost shunned.

I have NEVER seen so much dog feces in my life. The streets literally stank from it.

Accommodations tend not to follow the internationally-recognized star system. Our hotel was rated at 4-stars and, I've stayed in flop houses were MUCH nicer.

While the Metro was a convenience, it was a convenience at a price. Pickpockets abound. I consider myself a seasoned traveler. I keep my wallet in my front pants pocket with my hand on it. After two stops, my wallet was gone and my wife's wrist was fractured.

That was my THIRD trip.... and my last. Oh yeah.... the Eiffel Tower? Fogged in. Closed.

Snappers

04-30-2008, 08:55 PM

I'd have to agree with Gary on many of his observations.

I just found it a horrible place. People seemed to just park whereever they fancied, Double even tripple park! Being a pedestrian was taking your life into your own hands.

Other than that, I'm sure it's a great place.

jerryph

04-30-2008, 10:08 PM

I visited Paris once myself. I found it a dirty town, I mean just filthy. The cherry on the sunday was the man who in morning rush hour trafffic simply pulled oer a little, then stepped out of his car and took a dump in between 2 parked cars and no one even batted an eye, as if this was a common everyday thing.

MOST (not all) Parisians are rude, arrogant, ill-mannered snobs. They tend to dislike (if not despise) anyone that is not French. Even other Frenchmen from other regions will tell you that. Thus, you are made feel unwelcomed... almost shunned.

I pride myself on my ability to speak French. I teach 90% of my time in French and live in a predominantly French part of Canada (Quebec)... I also had about 50 comments about my poor french from many parisians in the time I was there. I asked them if they spoke any other languges, of course they said no... so the biggest insult you could offer then is to call them "provicial"... in any of the other 6 languages I speak. that always either got me a bad look and their backs or a comment and a quick retort by me before they could ask for more... lol.

I have NEVER seen so much dog feces in my life. The streets literally stank from it.

Not all of it is from dogs... trust me. :eek:

.... the Eiffel Tower? Fogged in. Closed.
...over-rated.

I am not what I would consider a prejudiced person (one of my best friends is Lebanese), but I found a predominance of what I would call lower class Arabic people there as well. Many I would have a hard time wanting to be near, becuase their body odour was incredibly foul. I am talking being able to physically smell them from 25 feet away... no joke!

There are a million better places to go in Europe than Paris. Come to think of it... almost anywhere is better!

aintdeadyet

04-30-2008, 10:43 PM

Oh wow! I'm so sorry to hear that - Paris was very memorable for me. My husband was working the Paris Air Show for his company, so while he was working, I'd grab my backpack w/Camera, metro ticket, guidebook, money (in front pocket!)and leave the hotel around 9:00 and get back around 2:00-3:00. I saw churches (EXCEPT, believe it or not, Notre Dam), cemetaries, SmartCars, museums, motorscooters, sidewalk toilets, along with the usual touristy stuff. Took the train to Versailles where I encountered my first begger (ewwwww!) I kept to myself, and had only one waiter cuss me out in French (never figured out why). Got a zillion really good pictures!

jerryph

05-01-2008, 01:19 AM

Outside of Paris, things were a lot better... but Paris itelf was a disaster for me.

coffee

05-01-2008, 01:31 PM

ladyups

05-01-2008, 02:38 PM

Welcome to the group.

LensBaby

05-01-2008, 03:53 PM

Thank you for your replies everyone on Paris. My husband has said we will go somewhere else instead. I worked for an American owned company, and they sold out to a company in Paris. When the big shots came over here, they were so rude, and so mean! I have told my husband this over and over, and said that I would rather go somewhere else. After that I have never had a desire to go there.

Jerry - what languages do you speak?

nosheen

05-01-2008, 05:25 PM

hey Aintdeadyet, welcome to the forum... i'm pretty new to the forum as well and so far i found the community very friendly and welcoming... i'm sure you'll love it here

Nosheen

laura

05-07-2008, 09:41 PM

Hi AintDeadYet. I started the course in Feb - loving it so far - have only really started using the forum in the last few days, everyone is so nice and helpful, don't be afraid to ask for any feedback or advice on anything - everyone is willing to help.

aintdeadyet

05-08-2008, 02:23 PM

Thanks - on homework for lesson 3 now...I have learned more in this course in just these few lessons than I've learned in all the photography how-to books I've bought (Barnes & Noble and I are intimately acquainted). As I mentioned, I've taken one course at the university and this beats that by a mile!

laura

05-08-2008, 02:58 PM

As I mentioned, I've taken one course at the university and this beats that by a mile!

I think it helps that it is written by professional photographers with the experience and not academics who are just interested in the theory.
I haven't done any other course - mainly because I couldn't afford to. But this one is fantastic, and the added benefit of the forum makes it worth every penny.