The other day a friend of mine asked if I could take a look at his dSLR because it was having some exposure issues. We went outside to the parking lot and I took some test pictures of the sky because it was an easy and neutral subject. Suddenly this guy comes along and is well impressed by the prosumer camera and the 70-300mm zoom attached to it – never seen such, he says.

Umm, ok then.

So I point the camera at the sky again to take some more test shots. Unfazed by our lack of interest in his show of interest, he asks if I’m using a sky filter.

Sky filter? Umm… no. (He was speaking English so it really was ”sky filter”, not skylight filter.)

Yes, well I just thought since…

Well, you know you don’t really need a sky filter for photographing the sky. In fact, you don’t need a skylight or UV filter at all – as a protection for the lens at most, but otherwise it’s not really much use.

Yes well ok… (guy fades in the background)

I turned to my friend in amazement and couldn’t stop myself from laughing. I know it’s very rude because the poor guy was probably still within hearing distance… but honestly…?