Everyone thinks they can be a pro! (RANT)

[rufus5150]

Chuck Norris (Vin Diesel, etc etc) lists are so like 3 years ago, but this one did amuse me:

A professional photographer's digital files consist of 0's, 1's AND 2's.

 

[JerryPH]

I have to admit, there were a couple there that cracked me up.

 

[table1349]

I found it! The definitive definition of a professional photographer. If you know some of the older Chuck Norris definitions, well you guys will feel right at home. I am *SO* glad we can finally lay that discussion to rest with this new info.

Here we go:

A professional photographer is the Chuck Norris of photography

A professional photographer's camera has similar settings to a non pro, except ours are: P[erfect] Av[Awesome Priority Tv[Totally Awesome Priority] M[ajestic]

A professional photographer doesn't color correct. The world adjusts to match us.

Sure, a professional photographer deletes a bad photo or two. Other people call these Pulitzers.

A professional photographer doesn't adjust his DOF, he changes space-time.

A professional photographer doesn't wait for the light when he shoots a landscape - the light waits for him.

A professional photographer never flips his camera in portrait position, he flips the earth

A professional photographer orders an L-lens from Nikon, and gets one.

When a professional photographer brackets a shot, the three versions of the photo win first place in three different categories

Only a professional photographer can take pictures of a professional photographer; everyone else would just get their film overexposed by the light of our genius

A professional photographer's nudes were fully clothed at the time of exposure

A professional photographer once designed a zoom lens. You know it as the Hubble Space Telescope.

When a professional unpacks his CF card, it already has masterpieces on it.

A professional photographer’s portraits are so lifelike, they have to pay taxes

On a professional photographer's desktop, the Trash Icon is really a link to National Geographic Magazine

A professional photographer spells point-and-shoot "h-a-s-s-e-l-b-l-a-d"

For every 10 shots that a professional photographer takes, 11 are keepers.

A professional photographer's digital files consist of 0's, 1's AND 2's.

A professional photographer never focuses, everything moves into his DoF

A professional photographer's shots are so perfect, Adobe redesigned Photoshop for us: all it consists of is a close button.

A professional photographer never produces awful work, only work too advanced for the viewer

A professional photographer isn't the Chuck Norris of photography; Chuck Norris is the professional photographer of martial arts.

:thumbup: :mrgreen: :thumbup:
​

Mind if I borrow this? By the time I got done reading it I was laughing so hard when my wife came to see what was happening she thought I was crying. :lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

 

[christopher walrath]

OMG! People! Can't we all just get along? Push the button! Make beautiful art! Scan it! Share it! Process it! Print it! Shove it! Cram it! I don't care what we do with it or what we do it with! Let's just DO IT, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!

This outburst brought to you by the letter Q . . .

 

[JerryPH]

Mind if I borrow this?

Be my guest, I am printing out an 8 X 10 and putting this in a small frame on my wall where I can see it daily. It will help me keep things in perspective and not so "heavy" all the time.

By the time I got done reading it I was laughing so hard when my wife came to see what was happening she thought I was crying. :lmao:

Those are the best... I am glad you got a kick out if it! This thread needed a little lightening up, even if the entire thread had merit and value.

 

[Battou]

OMG! People! Can't we all just get along? Push the button! Make beautiful art! Scan it! Share it! Process it! Print it! Shove it! Cram it! I don't care what we do with it or what we do it with! Let's just DO IT, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!

This outburst brought to you by the letter Q . . .

But...but...I'm in the mood to fight and complain, getting along would be such a mood kill.

 

[LokiZ]

Hmmm, I think the term "professional" is a term best left for your clients when they speak of you and your work. When you start calling yourself a professional you tread on dangerous ground. But then that is again just my opinion.

Photographers of the professional breed seem to usually have a goal of getting money for their work... (not always but much of the time in my experience) But the market they play and work in is not a closed market it is an open market. Thus this thread/rant against those imposing themselves and their "professional work" into that open market of photography.

I can feel your pain, if someone came in and attempted to take my job from me and on top of that they had no qualifications to boot I would feel pretty bent. But at the same time I was greener then green when I first became what I am today. The ONLY reason I can refer to myself as a professional in my field is be cause my operators and even more importantly my boss considers me to be a top notch professional in my field. It's as simple as that. It is their opinions of my work content that matter not my own nor my equals via job title.

If you are getting stressed due to those you feel have no right to self proclaim themselves professionals then your doing more damage to yourself then you are to them.
BR> But then again that also is just my own opinion.

Cheers

 

[davidfromoz]

I think I'd have to agree that a profession is somebody who gets paid for their work. Now that the total process of creating a marketable product is easier of course the barrier to entry is lower.

However, in my day a pro was also somebody who acted with class. Pros would never hang around and lament how their competitors (and even their customers) are idiots. They would simply do better work and get recognized for it.

If you are not able to differentiate your work from that of your competitor in the eyes of the customer then its not the competitor (incompetent though they surely be) or the customer's fault. Its yours.

cheers,
david

 

[JodieO]

If you are not able to differentiate your work from that of your competitor in the eyes of the customer then its not the competitor (incompetent though they surely be) or the customer's fault. Its yours.

Sure, you can differentiate your work, I've personally managed to do that in my market quite well. Even the "competitors" who are charging way cheap and aren't going to be in business for long even though they are very talented and deserve to be paid more thus should be charging more. But ultimately, it is none of my business, but I don't think there is anything wrong with noting the ridiculousness of some aspects of this industry.

However, the average customer usually cannot see basic things that we have trained our eye to see such as color casts, slight out of focus, digital noise, etc. I APPRECIATE when I get the customer who looks at an image and knows right away it is art vs. a glorified snapshot. If you think that every client that looks at photography websites can see color casts, and other pro vs. amateur subjects, you are fooling yourselves. I have actually shown clients and fellow photographers who I taught in my seminars my "mistake wall" at my studio. That's the wall that I put many images up that I have gotten back from the lab and noticed something I really didn't like about it, and reprinted or something. Until I pointed out what I don't like about the image, they couldn't see it.

That's why crappy photography is still being sold out there. That and the "bottom feeders" looking for a deal. There are many looking for cheap photography (thank God I don't deal with that in my market/client base that I have seriously worked hard acquiring...) and don't see the problem with even on-camera flash in a lot of situations.

I find it funny when someone comes to me with a very awful baby announcement they got from their friend and say, "I want one like this" and it looks like the black and white was a simple greyscale with on camera flash. That totally shows me that people don't necessarily see what we have trained our eyes to see. Heck, I have two Sears portraits on my wall at home from when my children were 1... I LOVED those images then, absolutely LOVED them. Once I got serious about my photography and started printing my stuff and hanging it near those images - WOW what a difference. Now I get clients that are scared of my prices, but come back year after year and say they can't go back to "cheap" photography because the quality is so different (usually, they need to see it in person, next to each other and it screams out at them... ).

I just was giggling at a conversation I saw elsewhere where someone posted a chair with a baby on it with on camera flash - oh, it was really really bad, the baby was orange, and there was a big electrical outlet in the picture and people were saying "Oh my gosh, that is an amazing picture, you should be a photographer..." to the poster...

But anyway, back to the thread - there's nothing wrong with a good vent once in a while... this was nice to let loose as I am recovering from surgery. It's when you dwell on the problems that it becomes a problem.... but a vent once in a while? Why is THAT a problem? Maybe you didn't see it so much in your day, but the internet has really opened up communication to people all across the world, and it is nice to have a little comradery knowing that you aren't the only one that feels a certain way... Now if someone did nothing but constantly complain, you have to wonder why they aren't using that energy to get themselves further in business, but a simple vent? who cares....

 

[Joves]

The real problem is that just about anyone with a camera can get paid to shoot photos. Most of the people that go for the lower end are Wal-Fart types anyhow and, will never call a true quality photographer anyhow so, it wont affect most peoples bottom line. To me being angry over them being in business is wasted energy.

 

[mrodgers]

The real problem is that just about anyone with a camera can get paid to shoot photos. Most of the people that go for the lower end are Wal-Fart types anyhow and, will never call a true quality photographer anyhow so, it wont affect most peoples bottom line. To me being angry over them being in business is wasted energy.

Bingo. I've seen people mention hundreds for a single photo, thousands for a photo shoot. I'd have to say that I very much doubt someone who is just about to call a photographer to spend $3-5000 for a photoshoot isn't going to notice a Craigslist ad and put all stops out and reverse to call the guy advertising for peanuts.

 

[DRoberts]

I can't believe this thread is still going...Haven't we got past this yet?

 

[Joves]

I can't believe this thread is still going...Haven't we got past this yet?

No it is very traumatic for some.

 

[craig]

I can't believe this thread is still going...Haven't we got past this yet?

I am not past it. It is very traumatic for me.

Love & Bass

 

[Spannagel]

First of all I love rants, especially ones with passion. :thumbup:

I feel the same way. Digital photography makes it seem so easy to take a great pic. Our tools and technology have made it so, which you must admit is awesome. In actuality it is just the amateur who thinks it is a great pic (and tells you about it). Though it may be good is it truly great? Great pictures have great meaning.
- still looking for that "great" pic,
nick