There’s being nice and then there’s just being nice. Sounds like he’s a nice guy and he also meant what he said. For what it’s worth, I find it very believable

There’s being nice and then there’s just being nice. Sounds like he’s a nice guy and he also meant what he said. For what it’s worth, I find it very believable because it matches my experience of positive pro/amateur interactions in other fields from both sides. Something about the shots signaled to him “this person gets it”. It’s not that it’s pro level, but it seems possible to multiply what’s already there by time and intensity and get something that is pro. This is very different from someone who wants to talk about the best lens caps, and you look at their photos and it feels like they really missed something.