C172 PLT ON A PHOTO OP IN CLASS C AIRSPACE HAS NMAC WITH AN MD80 DSNDING IN FRONT OF HIM. APCH CTLR HAD ISSUED TA FOR THE MD80.

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WE WERE FLYING A PHOTO MISSION IN THE ROC CLASS C AIRSPACE AND WERE HEADING TO THE N NEAR THE SHORES OF LAKE ONTARIO. WE HAD BEEN TALKING WITH APCH AND ADVISING THEM OF CHANGES IN DIRECTION AND ALT. I WAS AWARE THAT THERE WERE 2 OR 3 AIRLINERS APCHING ROC. I WAS AT 4500 FT; BUT AS I TURNED SBOUND I NEEDED TO DSND TO MAINTAIN VFR. I TOLD APCH THAT I WAS DSNDING TO 4000 FT. I THEN HEARD APCH TELL ME THERE WAS TFC 11 O'CLOCK LESS THAN 1 MI. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN MD80; BUT I AM NOT SURE. MY CO-WORKER SPOTTED TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK POS; BUT I LOOKED AT 11 O'CLOCK POS AND SAW AN ACR DSNDING IN FRONT OF ME. APCH HAD TOLD ME TO DSND TO 4000 FT AND I THOUGHT I HEARD THEM RESTRICT THE ACR TO 4500 FT. ACR MAY HAVE THOUGHT THE 'DSND TO 4000 FT' CALL WAS FOR THEM. THEY WERE 300-500 FT FROM ME WHEN I DSNDED TO AVOID THEM. ACR MAY HAVE THOUGHT THEY WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 4000 FT. ALSO FROM THEIR VANTAGE POINT; I WAS UNDER A LAYER OF CLOUDS SO IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE. FOR MY PART; I WILL HAVE MORE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF AIRLINERS WHEN I AM OPERATING IN CLASS C AIRSPACE.