"P Stands for Professional" or does it?

[Austin Greene]

I'm sure this has already been discussed here, yet when searching for a previous post I couldn't find one.

Yesterday, I learned about Joe Buissink. Really I more just came across him speaking in a B&H video on YouTube. You see, I've been wanting to expand into shooting weddings for some time now. I've grown sick of seeing crap images on local photography Facebook pages, and I've steadily become determined to push them out of the local market.

But that's besides the point. The question here, comes from what I learned about Joe, or "Uncle Joe" as he calls himself. The guy is incredibly successful. If there is a definition for a "winner" in the wedding photography game, this guy is it. He shoots around the world, and his clients range from Jessica Simpson, to Michael Jordan. The surprise came when I learned that he shoots almost exclusively in Auto, and has for the past 18 years.

We're all taught, "Get out of Auto", "Stay in Manual", or "Learn about Av/Tv" from such an early stage, to see a master in his own right using Auto mode seemed like blasphemy. 2 hours of listening to him speak in his video later, and I'm finding his logic to be, surprisingly, spot on.

I can't say I don't fully understand why he'd shoot in Auto vs Av or Tv modes, but at the end of the day the guy gets the gigs, and he gets the results. It's a tough pill to swallow, this whole "shoot in Auto" thing, but I'm finding myself considering what I'll do during my first weddings more and more.

So, what about everyone else? What are your thoughts? Do you ever shoot in full Auto? Is it blasphemy, or just a technique to focus more on content then technique, as Joe suggests? After all, isn't it true that "P" does mean "Professional" in his case?

P.S: I should mention that he does not endorse spray and pray, and that that is an entirely separate topic which really doesn't fit into this discussion.

 

[runnah]

I think that any blanket statement regarding an "art", with the exception of pointing the camera the right way, should be taking with a large grain of salt. Do what ever floats your boat and gets you results that you and any clients you have are happy with.

I dislike shooters who do things "only one way" as I think it's foolish and puts unnecessary restraints on the shooters and compromises what they and their camera can do.

 

[JacaRanda]

Do what ever floats your boat and gets you results that you and any clients you have are happy with.

It sounds so simple. It is so simple, yet.......

 

[runnah]

Do what ever floats your boat and gets you results that you and any clients you have are happy with.

It sounds so simple. It is so simple, yet.......

That is why I dislike those who make a big stink about what they do or do not use.

 

[D-B-J]

I dislike shooters who do things "only one way" as I think it's foolish and puts unnecessary restraints on the shooters and compromises what they and their camera can do.

THIS.

 

[dennybeall]

He most likely has "THE" top of the line cameras, flashes and assistants so sure, he can use the Auto settings on his cameras. He doesn't have fast action. He doesn't have need for extreme DOF, either shallow or deep. He's posing the shot where and when he wants it. He's concentrating on creativity and doesn't need to be distracted by the f-stops and shutter speeds.
It's not "WRONG" to use AUTO, it's just wrong to not know when to Not use Auto.

 

[photoguy99]

He's got a good sense of timing, an eye for an excellent setup, and some very wide lenses.

Stand in the right place and squash the masher at the right time. Everything else is details.

 

[ronlane]

It's alluded to above and has been said in a lot of places that I've seen. You've got to know the "rules" and then you can break the rules.

That's the artistic side of it. As long as he gets the shots and people like you mention will pay his asking price, then I guess P really is Profession mode in his hands.

 

[Austin Greene]

He most likely has "THE" top of the line cameras, flashes and assistants so sure, he can use the Auto settings on his cameras. He doesn't have fast action. He doesn't have need for extreme DOF, either shallow or deep. He's posing the shot where and when he wants it. He's concentrating on creativity and doesn't need to be distracted by the f-stops and shutter speeds.
It's not "WRONG" to use AUTO, it's just wrong to not know when to Not use Auto.

A couple things, because I think this needs to be addressed.
- He's shooting a 5DmkIII, nothing out of the ordinary. Rarely uses flash.
- These are weddings, plenty of fast action.
- He doesn't pose 90% of the images. He doesn't do formals (secondary does them).
- Google his name and check out his images, gives a sense for the environment he's working in.


Totally agree with your last line, besides that. I agree with that mentality. More just curious what other people think besides myself. No convincing needed here

 

[Austin Greene]

It's alluded to above and has been said in a lot of places that I've seen. You've got to know the "rules" and then you can break the rules.

That's the artistic side of it. As long as he gets the shots and people like you mention will pay his asking price, then I guess P really is Profession mode in his hands.

Could not agree more with you on this!

 

[MSnowy]

Pro photographers only shoot in $ mode

 

[vintagesnaps]

I think there are always some people like that who have figured out how to do one thing or do something one way and make that into some semblance of a career or success out of it.

This might be more about being in Beverly Hills/LA and making contacts etc. Taking a quick glance I don't see anything all that different from what plenty of photographers are doing, although he may have enough of an eye for this to get some unique pictures even with what seems to be a limited way of shooting. Most of us probably aren't where there's much in the way of celebrity types to do what he does anyway.

I can appreciate your feeling though; I see it in sports where people with cameras are prayin' and sprayin' and manage to get a decent enough photo to have it used, Of course it's also that many publications and media outlets have struggled financially and may go with whatever so-so photos they can get cheap.

 

[sashbar]

Pro photographers only shoot in $ mode

Depends on where they are shooting

 

[photoguy99]

Dude's (Buissink, that is) definitely got an eye and a sense of timing. Flip through the portfolio for more than a few seconds.

Still, it IS more about making contacts and running a business. It's always more about running a business. Photography itself is a distant second. And within that, anything other than pressing the button at the right time from the right position is a distant, I dunno, 119th.

I am fascinated by your plan to destroy the local wedding photographers, though. I think you might find it a trifle ambitious.

 

[Austin Greene]

Dude's (Buissink, that is) definitely got an eye and a sense of timing. Flip through the portfolio for more than a few seconds.

Still, it IS more about making contacts and running a business. It's always more about running a business. Photography itself is a distant second. And within that, anything other than pressing the button at the right time from the right position is a distant, I dunno, 119th.

I am fascinated by your plan to destroy the local wedding photographers, though. I think you might find it a trifle ambitious.

It's interesting to here him talk about that in the video. Provided that he's coming from a place of incredible success, he is quite animated about the notion that business has to be secondary to the photography, and that the money will "somehow follow." I can't say I buy it.

As for my ambition, I'm not looking to displace the quality photographers in my area. More that I'm looking to make it a bit harder for soccer moms who just picked up their DSLR's to get contracts. I've got a stable job shooting full time currently, so I can spare my weekends doing cheap shoots if it means keeping the cameras out of those people's hands, and fewer ruined wedding shoots.