Ever have another photographer intrude?

[Mario Xavier]

Edit: shortening the story. Didn't know I typed so much.

Last night I took my neice to a father/daughter dance and I took along my camera hoping I could catch a few candid pics of her being her girly self. From the entrance I could see was a line down the corridor composed of father's and their impatient little girls waiting to get pictures taken. There was a lone photographer (a friend even), sweating and tired, working his way up and down a set of well illuminated spiraling stairs with wave after wave of parent and child(ren). He was tired. The dad's were restless. The daughters were whining, crying, and complaining about lord knows what.

One dad looks at me. Down at my camera. Back up at me. Back at my camera. He scoops up his teary eyed toddler and zooms towards me. I thought, "oh god, please, no..." Before I could blink it seems 10 other fathers were all on a timer together with the first gentleman (I guess women aren't the only ones). I was overrun. I'm no photographer. I'm a glorified picture guy with a camera. I refused to take a dime from them knowing that my lack of skills are nothing that anyone should pay for. To add to it the stairwell we chose was poorly lit and I've never... ever... had to work with any child other than my neice. I panicked but proceeded.

Upon leaving I looked up the stairs to see my friend wiping sweat from his face. He looked exhausted and totally unaware of my trespass. He had a long way to go, approximately 20+ more fathers with an hour left until close.

I let him be. Should I feel as bad as I feel even though I refused everyone's money?

[MiniChris]

A little cropping and perhaps a bit more PP but for a guy surrounded by mobs (and, I've been there), you did a nice job...don't see much amateur work to be overly worrisome. I think you did right well.

[Black Pearl]

I think you might have gone up to your friend and offered to help.

Two people woking together would have got the job done much faster, if he's a pro you may well have picked up some tips and you never know he may have given you a cut of the profits.

[Peter Ryan]

Put it all down to experience and you survived and so did your friend. Buy him a beer and have a good laugh over it. Maybe he will invite you next time to help him cover such an event.

I hope you had a good night with your niece – after all that is why you were there. BTW well done with the shots.