What annoyed you today?

[Reinardina]

Things can only get better after all this, I would have thought.

[Jediboy]

A wasted trip (last night) to photograph the sunset, and it was non-existent.
While I was staring at a featureless sky a swan came in to land on the reservoir. I looked around to see my second camera about 15 metres away with my kit. I sprinted to it, grabbed it and turned it on and alas the swan was swimming peacefullu by this point. 
And I lost my remote shutter release.
All in all, not a good evening out.

[Reinardina]

People taking up two seats on public transport, when it is reasonably busy.

[Oldboy]

People taking up two seats on public transport, when it is reasonably busy.

Very, very rude. It drives me mad too, as I can't stand bad manners. 

[Reinardina]

People taking up two seats on public transport, when it is reasonably busy.

Very, very rude. It drives me mad too, as I can't stand bad manners. 

I always target them, even if there are spare seats, I ask politely if I can share theirs.

[Oldboy]

People taking up two seats on public transport, when it is reasonably busy.

Very, very rude. It drives me mad too, as I can't stand bad manners. 

I always target them, even if there are spare seats, I ask politely if I can share theirs.

I usually say, "Have you paid for both seats?" Sometimes I just stare at them and watch them squirm under my gaze. 

[Reinardina]

People taking up two seats on public transport, when it is reasonably busy.

Very, very rude. It drives me mad too, as I can't stand bad manners. 

I always target them, even if there are spare seats, I ask politely if I can share theirs.

I usually say, "Have you paid for both seats?" Sometimes I just stare at them and watch them squirm under my gaze. 

That's not me. I'm a bit more subtle.

People genuinely do not seem to know the etiquette of public transport anymore. I never get a scowl, they always perfectly politely pick up their bag, or move to the window seat.

[spinner]

WAMT? Damn Adobe and their constant FlashPlayer updates. Seems like they want to install an update every month. The latest one caused Firefox to lock up. I rebooted my Mac and it kept rebooting and rebooting. Took about 10 tries before it would log into the Os.

[Reinardina]

Why does Microsoft in their MSN newsletter, want to tell me about facts, I did not know about divorce?

[Simple]

My better half gets a phone call of a relative. "Can you come to our wedding we would love to have you around" 2 minutes later " Does Simon still do his photography?" Better half unable to disappoint anybody agrees on taking me and my cameras to the wedding. " Only  for some informal shots, nothing serious! You have to enjoy yourself" One week before the wedding " Can we meet up and discuss the timings and pictures we want?"
If you ask a plumber for dinner you do not ask him to take his tools. Why do people think it is different for photographers???
I am thinking of ways to get out of this, but a divorce is not exactly what I am after either.

[jinky]

I had that experience with a friend of my wife`s that I was less keen on. I got back in touch and told him I always preferred to be a guest at friends wedding`s as I never drink when I work. However if he wanted me to cover it properly I would be happy to offer a massive discount ( I offered 50% off my usual prices) in  lieu of a gift. That was already a few hundred more than I would have spent on a gift too! Outcome - he finally got back to me as if it was his idea saying he`d prefer me to come as a guest and I amused myself most of the day watching 2 inept students he got in for the cost of a meal and drink as they used full on in your face flash. I`ve still not been allowed to see the photographs of the day - nor anyone else so can only guess they were horrendous. Crazy as they had spent a fortune on dress/ marquee/ caterers / drink etc and seem to have nothing to remember it by. Did I feel guilty - no, it was his choice.

[Oldboy]

My better half gets a phone call of a relative. "Can you come to our wedding we would love to have you around" 2 minutes later " Does Simon still do his photography?" Better half unable to disappoint anybody agrees on taking me and my cameras to the wedding. " Only  for some informal shots, nothing serious! You have to enjoy yourself" One week before the wedding " Can we meet up and discuss the timings and pictures we want?"
If you ask a plumber for dinner you do not ask him to take his tools. Why do people think it is different for photographers???
I am thinking of ways to get out of this, but a divorce is not exactly what I am after either.

I had that experience with a friend of my wife`s that I was less keen on. I got back in touch and told him I always preferred to be a guest at friends wedding`s as I never drink when I work. However if he wanted me to cover it properly I would be happy to offer a massive discount ( I offered 50% off my usual prices) in  lieu of a gift. That was already a few hundred more than I would have spent on a gift too! Outcome - he finally got back to me as if it was his idea saying he`d prefer me to come as a guest and I amused myself most of the day watching 2 inept students he got in for the cost of a meal and drink as they used full on in your face flash. I've still not been allowed to see the photographs of the day - nor anyone else so can only guess they were horrendous. Crazy as they had spent a fortune on dress/ marquee/ caterers / drink etc and seem to have nothing to remember it by. Did I feel guilty - no, it was his choice.

How hard can it be to press a shutter release button? If you have a lens on your camera what more do you need? That, I'm afraid, is the sum knowledge most grooms/brides have about photography.  It's only after that they see the photos they wished they had got a pro photographer.  At my nephew's wedding my brother had hired a 'Pro' photographer who turned up with a D300 and a D200 as a backup plus a couple of lenses. When she walked past me and saw my D3 plus 70-200mm VR lens she said, 'Nice kit'. You know it isn't going to go well. I'm afraid they were not impressed when they saw the photos afterwards. They thought mine where much better. If they had asked me to do the wedding I would have refused as I have also refused other shoots. Why? Well, I'm not a wedding photographer and haven't got the experience which is a must in my book. Besides, I much prefer wildlife. 

[jinky]

Car insurance renewals!
As some of you know my daughter was rammed on a roundabout last October- no cameras , now witnesses so insurance companies have settled on a 50/50 basis -grrrrr! I say settled. I have half my young driver`s excess back in a cheque but no letter despite me chasing it regularly so that it did not cloud my insurance renewal 8 months after the accident. renewal comes and it`s nearly 3 times as much - £890 with NCP and legal protection added. After expressing disgust they tell me it`s because the claim is not fully signed off and "I may get some back later".  I do a comparison , call a cheaper one, explain the accident circumstances and they confirm a quote for half that figure. I tell Direct Line (my insurers ) and they ferret away soring out paperwork then say it`s down as 50/50 and they can do £860!!!! I tell them the figure I have and insurer and say isn`t a bit daft that you pay for the damages of the accident and then force me to move elsewhere and they say " Yes I see your point but best we can do...." Crazy. Ah well change of insurers required - no loyalty sought / required/ rewarded.

[Mick]

Car insurance renewals!
As some of you know my daughter was rammed on a roundabout last October- no cameras , now witnesses so insurance companies have settled on a 50/50 basis -grrrrr! I say settled. I have half my young driver`s excess back in a cheque but no letter despite me chasing it regularly so that it did not cloud my insurance renewal 8 months after the accident. renewal comes and it`s nearly 3 times as much - £890 with NCP and legal protection added. After expressing disgust they tell me it`s because the claim is not fully signed off and "I may get some back later".  I do a comparison , call a cheaper one, explain the accident circumstances and they confirm a quote for half that figure. I tell Direct Line (my insurers ) and they ferret away soring out paperwork then say it`s down as 50/50 and they can do £860!!!! I tell them the figure I have and insurer and say isn`t a bit daft that you pay for the damages of the accident and then force me to move elsewhere and they say " Yes I see your point but best we can do...." Crazy. Ah well change of insurers required - no loyalty sought / required/ rewarded.

Insurance is a rip off imo. What also P's me off is when they right your car off they offer you (at best) the trade price, now call me dumb but where can you buy a replacement at trade price.

Direct line, well, I'm surprised they have ay customers tbh, I remember trying to get house content insurance from them a few years ago, http://cameracraniums.com/forum/index.php?topic=587.msg28789#msg28789  And they also won't insure a car if it's under s certain value, had this happen before when I tried to insure a old car to use for work.  Nothing wrong with the car, just had no second hand value.  I think it went something like, Sorry we won't be able to insure you because the car is worth under £300.

Obviously they haven't improved. 

[Alfonso_Frisk]

The lot of them are the same and need investigating and controlling imho.
They are only interested in new customers and dont give a dump for their "old".

I have made one claim in 20 yrs for a stained carpet last year.
The replacement only cost 450 quid but I had to pay the first 200 in excess.
They all have this "voluntary" and "compulsory" excess which to me sounds dodgy
They have just sent me a renewal and put the price up by a whopping 35%, despite my policy saying I have a full 42% no claims discount ?
When quizzed they just said, " well you made a claim" and we cant reduce anymore.
So I have kicked them into touch (shealas wheels/esure) and found a much cheaper quote with 50 quid excess from Tesco.
Incidentally, I have my 2 cars insured with them as well.