Ranting

[Sharfy]

I know a guy who is a whore for nikon products and makes abysmally crappy photos, but he calls himself a pro and people pay for his services and I think it is a beautiful thing. I seriously do. He has confidence, and makes more money at photography than I do, and has a nice sparkly d3s.

I'm inclined to believe the sooner you think of yourself as a pro or an artist, and work toward that ideal, the sooner you become a pro/artist.

You have to have thick skin. Some people will not like your work. Big deal. Consider yourself a pro and make money.

(This post isn't directed at anyone specifically, but it actually is, I just don't like conflict.)

dif agree with this!

have a thick skin and your passion and love for what you do will bring you to it!

 

[Dominantly]

While we are all gathered here, I thought I would get some questions out there that have been buggin me.

I am trying to decide between a Nikon and Canon body. I heard that the Nikon bodies were better in general, but their glass is where the difference really shows (Nikkor glass being far superior), is this true?

I really need the help as I need this body to practice with for this wedding I agreed to shoot in November.

 

[LCARSx32]

While we are all gathered here, I thought I would get some questions out there that have been buggin me.

I am trying to decide between a Nikon and Canon body. I heard that the Nikon bodies were better in general, but their glass is where the difference really shows (Nikkor glass being far superior), is this true?

I really need the help as I need this body to practice with for this wedding I agreed to shoot in November.

I wasn't going to reply. I really wasn't. But I have to. That was too good. :lmao:

Since I've already got the textbox here; I don't see a lot of people here claiming to be "pro". Watermarks don't equal pro. I wouldn't even say getting paid equals pro. Pro is when you stop asking others advice. When you go past the point of feeling you need others to critique your work.

*EDIT*

Everybody knows you can't go pro unless you rock a Canon. Nikons are toy cameras. *poke--poke* :hugs:

 

[Blake.Oney]

Sports, pretty clear example that the paid sports pros are "extremely skilled".

Like I said, thats because in many cases that is the case, however that is not ALWAYS the case. Look at Matt Leinart. Sam Bradford was a better quarterback in College than Leinart was in the NFL, yet Bradford wasn't a Pro, no matter how good he was. But we could argue all day long about it. Its just like the Snapshot vs photo argument. There is the definition of a snapshot, and then there are the people that take it to mean an insult on their pictures. You can make anything mean whatever you want. I am merely saying that the textbook definition is as stated.

Why do you think Arena football is still considered professional? Those guys aren't as good as the guys in the NFL, but they are still pros, because they are playing for money. I bet you when Mike Tyson was fighting amatuer fights, he was better than half the boxers that were pros, but he still wasn't considered a pro fighter until his first prize fight. We can twist it into whatever we want and try to justify it, but that is not the facts. :mrgreen:

Haha. I agree with your pro stance. The snapshot photograph argument is funny. I look it at like this:
Person: "Hey man that photo looks like ass."
Photog: "What?"
Person: "It looks like ass. Not nasty ass. Like nice, hot ass. It's a compliment."
Photog: "You just said my photo looked like ass."
Person: "Yea, but good ass, not nasty ass."

And on and on and on.

 

[lordfly]

Pro is when you stop asking others advice. When you go past the point of feeling you need others to critique your work.

So going pro is when your ego becomes larger than Wyoming?

 

[misstwinklytoes]

Pro is when you stop asking others advice. When you go past the point of feeling you need others to critique your work.

So absolutely no one here is a pro? Man... asking advice makes you a non-pro. That's a new one. I wonder how all those people making a hellacious living and still humble enough to accept feedback and advice feel about that.

 

[Boomn4x4]

What I have gotten out of this thread:

"Nobody hates a photographer more than another photographer"

 

[SecondShot]

What I have gotten out of this thread:

"Nobody hates a photographer more than another photographer"

Put simply, yes.

I'm hating on a few photographers right now, in fact. And others, I admire the hell out of.

For me, its all about the ego. If you've got one the size of "Wyoming" as someone else mentioned, then yea...F* you. But, if you appear approachable and have some semblance of humility, then you have a new fan.

In the middle there's a certain amount of gamesmanship that's played or varying levels of confidence, and to a degree that's cool with me. It's just those schoolyard dodgeball queens that get me worked up.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

I'm not really offended, more like amazed at the amount of ... immaturity? Maybe that's not the word I'm looking for. If they -are- talking about me, then it's a mistake. I have no studio in my bedroom, I don't charge for my practicing and I'm not looking at going "pro" anytime in the near future. Is there something wrong with someone having a studio in a spare room of their house and having a watermark, though? Does it make them less talented than the guy downtown with a rented studio?

It is a general discussion. That's my input on it. :er:

 

[Gaerek]

Is there something wrong with someone having a studio in a spare room of their house and having a watermark, though? Does it make them less talented than the guy downtown with a rented studio?

Before KP007 replies with more of his drivel (haven't actually seen a helpful post from him yet), the answer to both of your questions is no. I'm a complete hobbyist, and I plan on putting in a studio at some point. I just want to be able to use lights in a controlled setting. I would be surprised if I ever sold a single photograph in my lifetime. There's nothing wrong with a watermark. If you want to use one, there's no reason you shouldn't. KP007 is just an arrogant you-know-what who thinks he know's better.

 

[Scatterbrained]

.....

I think most of the folks on this thread are talking about MWAC's and such, with watermark logos and studios in the spare bedroom.
I don't know why you seem so offended and ready to pounce on anyone who shares the same views as the OP.
It's a general discussion.
I haven't seen anyone pointing a finger at YOU.

I'm a "GWC" and I have a studio in a spare bedroom. Does this mean I'm just a cool watermark away from going pro? YEAH BABY! Anyone wanna help me with my watermark, I need to go pro NOW! Come on people, I've already got four weddings booked and I just know they'll be that much more impressed If I have a cool watermark for the proofs. Maybe I can even charge them!:mrgreen:

 

[Gaerek]

.....

I think most of the folks on this thread are talking about MWAC's and such, with watermark logos and studios in the spare bedroom.
I don't know why you seem so offended and ready to pounce on anyone who shares the same views as the OP.
It's a general discussion.
I haven't seen anyone pointing a finger at YOU.

I'm a "GWC" and I have a studio in a spare bedroom. Does this mean I'm just a cool watermark away from going pro? YEAH BABY! Anyone wanna help me with my watermark, I need to go pro NOW! Come on people, I've already got four weddings booked and I just know they'll be that much more impressed If I have a cool watermark for the proofs. Maybe I can even charge them!:mrgreen:

Ask KP007. Apparently he knows what going pro means. :lmao:

 

[LCARSx32]

Hmmm. Let's try this again. I really didn't word that well. I wasn't trying to say Pros shouldn't ask for advice once in a while. They should. And they should be willing to help others who are new. What I was saying was I agree with the side of the argument that says pro is skill rather than being paid. Some people call themselves "Professionals", but they clearly are not.

Watermarks simply say "I'm proud of my images and I want people to know I made them." If you draw something and sign your name in the corner, are you saying "I'm a professional sketch artist now"? No. You're saying "I'm proud of my work." It also means "I'm posting on the interwebs and don't want people to steal my picture to use in their ads."

At the same time, I don't think accepting some form of compensation, be it beer or cash, makes you a pro either. I could start charging for weddings today, but I wouldn't be a pro. I could pretend to be, but I wouldn't actually be a pro.

I don't know. It's hard to explain. I think I'll stop here. I don't want to piss one side of the argument or the other off. I respect most of you hear, and don't want a stupid debate like this to ruin that.

Can't we all just get along?

 

[ann]

ok , i give what is MWAC and a GWC

little did i know i would need a handguide to read opinions:lmao:

 

[Taylor510ce]

So what specifically does MWAC stand for? I get the jist, but not sure what the acronym stands for.