I have no technical knowledge.. Now give me money please.

[Bitter Jeweler]

Photography is one of those things everyone can be a part of, unlike science, where you do NEED to actually study intensely to get an occupation.

No, but you can often tell the difference between a photog that has a background in art, and one that doesn't.

 

[o hey tyler]

Not necessarily true. If the market is oversaturated with bad photogs, the potential customers may not even see the good ones.

Customers with a discerning eye will hunt for the look they want. And the "good photographers" are responsible for marketing themselves anyway. You can't be brilliant and hang your work in a closet and then blame the bad photographers for your lack of success.

Customers with a discerning eye? You mean the ones that like the Orton effect applied to every one of their wedding photos?

 

[Art of Emotion]

I posted in this quality thread.

 

[Derrel]

"Bottom Line: If people are stupid enough to hire a photographer without a/looking at their portfolio, it's their loss, and lucky for the "photographer"..."

Yes, that's about the way that works. There are loads of technically and artistically weak shooters these days, all charging money. Most can sort of run their cameras, and can sort of process the files. The posing, conceptual skills, and business acumen of this flood of newbies are all usually lacking,compared with the levels of professionals from prior generations. But...in this current climate, there seems to be a willing marketplace where low-cost, crappy photography is sold at retail.

 

[Art of Emotion]

Photography is one of those things everyone can be a part of, unlike science, where you do NEED to actually study intensely to get an occupation.

No, but you can often tell the difference between a photog that has a background in art, and one that doesn't.

Agreed.

 

[Art of Emotion]

"Bottom Line: If people are stupid enough to hire a photographer without a/looking at their portfolio, it's their loss, and lucky for the "photographer"..."

Yes, that's about the way that works. There are loads of technically and artistically weak shooters these days, all charging money. Most can sort of run their cameras, and can sort of process the files. The posing, conceptual skills, and business acumen of this flood of newbies are all usually lacking,compared with the levels of professionals from prior generations. But...in this current climate, there seems to be a willing marketplace where low-cost, crappy photography is sold at retail.

You make a good point. I guess it's just a deep embedded peeve that I'll have to get over. Building the bridge as we speak

Thank you though for the response. It does make sense, and I guess it's just how things are going to be for photography.

 

[12sndsgood]

"Bottom Line: If people are stupid enough to hire a photographer without a/looking at their portfolio, it's their loss, and lucky for the "photographer"..."

Yes, that's about the way that works. There are loads of technically and artistically weak shooters these days, all charging money. Most can sort of run their cameras, and can sort of process the files. The posing, conceptual skills, and business acumen of this flood of newbies are all usually lacking,compared with the levels of professionals from prior generations. But...in this current climate, there seems to be a willing marketplace where low-cost, crappy photography is sold at retail.

we live in the time of "must have everythig now" why wait and learn your craft when you can just pop up a quick site and throw a dollar sign out there and call yourself a pro.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Thank you though for the response. It does make sense, and I guess it's just how things are going to be for photography.

It's not just in photography. I work in a building with 3 other jewelers like me (it's a shop, not a retail store). I am the only one that was schooled, I am the only one that choose this as a career. I am the only one who is so busy I just had to hire a secretary. The other three are complaining how slow they are...

It's the same as photography. The quality of my work shines through and spreads by word of mouth. I am also the most expensive. People who want cheap work, will go to the cheap worker. People who want a great job done, will pay for it.

 

[ChevyBaby]

Photography is one of those things everyone can be a part of, unlike science, where you do NEED to actually study intensely to get an occupation.

No, but you can often tell the difference between a photog that has a background in art, and one that doesn't.

Agreed.

Very true! But then, again as said, thats a matter of choice coming from the client, depends what you can afford i guess as a customer. No matter how much you try and 'big yourself up' at some point you gotta produce the goods and if they're not as good as your price suggests, again, that's the customers choice.

 

[Overread35]

"Bottom Line: If people are stupid enough to hire a photographer without a/looking at their portfolio, it's their loss, and lucky for the "photographer"..."

Yes, that's about the way that works. There are loads of technically and artistically weak shooters these days, all charging money. Most can sort of run their cameras, and can sort of process the files. The posing, conceptual skills, and business acumen of this flood of newbies are all usually lacking,compared with the levels of professionals from prior generations. But...in this current climate, there seems to be a willing marketplace where low-cost, crappy photography is sold at retail.

we live in the time of "must have everythig now" why wait and learn your craft when you can just pop up a quick site and throw a dollar sign out there and call yourself a pro.

Far as I can tell this time has existed for quite a few generations
There have always been botchit builders - homegrown plumbers - DIY disasters and all the rest. The only difference today is that the better quality tools are more cheaply affordable than in the past.

I've also often mused - considering the massive amount of film gear that flooded the second hand market when digital took over - as to if this "problem" was always present, but that its only since the WWW came around that people have had a chance to "see" it on the larger scale and to also complain about it :mrgreen:

However I do think that, with the big changes in mechanisation and in outsourcing expensive manual labour jobs to other countries many western nations have the problem of too many workers aiming for a middleclass or higher job and not quite enough jobs to fit that need. Ergo more jobmarket pressure ergo more redundancies and thus also more people trying easily home grown work like photography.
The opening up of the working world to women and the change in social structure to one where both partners are expected/required to earn also putting more pressure on the job market.

 

[Overread35]

mmm, yummy troll bait.

She's telling the truth... I'm on that forum too... I saw the whole thing go down.

Wait wait what forum? I wanna know what's happening!!

 

[burgo]

I have nothing against seasoned amateur photographers making some coin off their images and skills. These people have spent years studying and perfecting their work, but just outside the formal system.

It is just a shame that some shyster with a canon 1000D and a couple of crappy lenses thinks they can shoot weddings. These people can generally fool their customers only to the point of the final product, which is usually crap. Print their images at walmart,

 

[Pubb]

To me photography is art, like drawing, painting and the like if I sat on the side of the road with pencil and easel and drew stick figure portraits of people and someone bought them would we be having this same conversation? Art is what it is and in the end it is the viewer of said art that gives it meaning and price. IF you want a Renior you pay the price, you want dogs playing poker come see me.

 

[Rekd]

In this day and age where technology is cheap exists the ability for anyone to buy a DSLR and "Go Pro" by taking fabulous shots right out of the camera.

With that in mind, are you finding yourself put out, offended, threatened, angry or even sad about the massive influx of competition to the world of Professional Photography?

If so, you need to back up and take stock of your own ability to wield a camera.

Seriously.

If you're that damned worried about what other people are doing it can only mean you lack the skill (and/or confidence) to over-come the raging amateurs like me who are muscling in on your turf.

Mkthx. :twak:

Tags

beginner, charging, frustrations

RAWR!!! :lmao:

 

[NikonNewbie]

I always assumed that a professional photographer went to college and majored in art(s)...I was stunned to find out that is not always the case...silly me. AGAIN>
lol