so i did a search for listed photographers

[riddell]

What percentage of those are actually even remotely professional?

 

[imagemaker46]

What percentage of those are actually even remotely professional?

Does it really matter how many "photographers" live within a certain region? Does it really matter if 99% are amateurs playing professional. None of it makes any difference at all. I've stopped being concerned about what the next person is shooting, how much they are charging, or if they are any good, most aren't.

Having a name listed in a phone book, or online that states photographer means zero. I had posted earlier about a guy that handed me his business card and upon looking at his web site found that most of it didn't load. I sent him a message and he fixed some of it, the pictures he had were terrible, all the mistakes of a complete amateur, and he told me he had been shooting for 5 years. This all just falls under the get business cards, create a web site and magically they are professional, looking for work, without the skills. It's not new.

 

[snerd]

Does it really matter how many "photographers" live within a certain region? Does it really matter if 99% are amateurs playing professional. None of it makes any difference at all. I've stopped being concerned about what the next person is shooting, how much they are charging, or if they are any good, most aren't.

Having a name listed in a phone book, or online that states photographer means zero. I had posted earlier about a guy that handed me his business card and upon looking at his web site found that most of it didn't load. I sent him a message and he fixed some of it, the pictures he had were terrible, all the mistakes of a complete amateur, and he told me he had been shooting for 5 years. This all just falls under the get business cards, create a web site and magically they are professional, looking for work, without the skills. It's not new.

I simply cannot fathom doing this! I know I still suck after about a year and a half. But that doesn't seem to bother a lot of people. Do people just not tell them?!

 

[imagemaker46]

There are too many kind people that are willing to lie to someone in order not to hurt their feelings. The guy I was dealing with got some positive feedback from me about what I was looking at, maybe it helps him, maybe it doesn't. Just telling someone they really suck, what's the point of saying that. This guy has a full time well paying job and is out charging people real money for the crap he is producing, he can afford to undercut everyone and by the time he retires in five years he will have built his reputation based on the crap he is producing now as a "professional" photographer. Jumping into the ring before you're ready to show people that you can perform at a decent level will get you knocked out before you have a chance to get started.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I hope some of them get knocked out... not really. well maybe. But really, I hope this runs its course, people wanting cheap over quality photos. But I don't know how many working photographers in the meantime will lose work, jobs, their livelihood, if they haven't already. I'd planned in high school to major in journalism, in recent years am sure glad I went in a different direction.

I did a quick search and looked up the city that I'm on the fringe of and found well, I didn't count how many. Searched my little town, there's one photographer listed in the area. And apparently the earth tilts one way and then the other on a regular basis here... it's funny but it's not, that people would go into business with that and I guess find people to pay for it.

I think a lot of people eventually will go out of business, if they even get that far, because they won't end up making that much money, find out it can be a lot of time and work, they'll get tired of it, dealing with unhappy customers, etc. etc. I hope.

 

[snerd]

I can't imagine wanting to deal with an irate customer that knows you suck as much as you yourself knows! There HAS to be a little narcissism involved!

 

[bribrius]

Of those 133, what would be very interesting to know is how many have insurance, the appropriate licenses and paperwork, and pay their business taxes. I suspect if you use that as your benchmark, the number will go down dramatically!

I know I don't but I am not even listed and don't do this for a living.Try to get a idea of who is who in the area. I was just curious of the types of work people were doing out there more than anything to see if there was something I might like to try. which I am not a friendly wedding type of person so...

 

[bribrius]

I hope some of them get knocked out... not really. well maybe. But really, I hope this runs its course, people wanting cheap over quality photos. But I don't know how many working photographers in the meantime will lose work, jobs, their livelihood, if they haven't already. I'd planned in high school to major in journalism, in recent years am sure glad I went in a different direction.

I did a quick search and looked up the city that I'm on the fringe of and found well, I didn't count how many. Searched my little town, there's one photographer listed in the area. And apparently the earth tilts one way and then the other on a regular basis here... it's funny but it's not, that people would go into business with that and I guess find people to pay for it.

I think a lot of people eventually will go out of business, if they even get that far, because they won't end up making that much money, find out it can be a lot of time and work, they'll get tired of it, dealing with unhappy customers, etc. etc. I hope.

Most of them probably should go out of business actually. Most of photography is the development in markets toward a service economy from the previous manufacturing. And as such most service positions are more hard pressed to find their merit but rather seem to take footing on failing positions of necessity. Photography perhaps one of the worst near entirely dependent on consumer and market ideology gone amiss. Combine that with the array of equipment in the united states available and the consumerist perspective it is no wonder a entire market in photography equipment and sales has derived from near nothing.

Course the majority lacking any real foundation and purely spectacle to the avid market skeptic. America being in the position it is has become notorious for using invented market forces to manufacture unnecessary jobs/arrays of consumer sales and give the appearance of a sound economy. As many other service sector jobs have now been deemed inefficient and lacking so shall photography go the same route. As it has already begun its transition to becoming the hobbyist consumer more than a professional endeavor.

Nobody cares about working photogs which have already lost purpose and are on the road to extinction. They care about selling and appeasing mwacs and weekend shooters. So there is no doubt that their could be a large amount of "non professionals" working as that is what the market dictates. Just as lemonade stands may not achieve career status.

 

[CameraClicker]

We were at the mall where Merkle Camera (Merkle Camera & Video | Home have their store, last night. Their windows are covered with liquidation and going out of business signs. I'm not sure what that says because they are one of the high end stores in Toronto.

 

[xzyragon]

As one of those small time photographers that kind of has an online and social media presence and is just starting up, I apologize for the rest of us.

But in all seriousness, if you get to know the amateurs, or at least the respectable ones, they could help you get customers. I've referred several "clients" (I don't really charge, and the only money I'm making right from photography are tips from very gracious "clients") to the higher end photographers in my area because I'm not confident enough in myself. I had someone approach me the other day and ask me if I did weddings, and I told them flat out that they'd be better off spending 2k+ (or whatever their going rate is) on an actual photographer with wedding experience, if they wanted that extra "insurance" that their photographer wouldn't miss their precious moments.

Plus making friends with other photog's should be fun, especially if you guys shoot similar stuff.

 

[gsgary]

Most of them will be looking to move knowing they are that close to you

 

[mcap1972]

Someone told me that your only competition is you.