It was simple to tell if a photographer was a true professional and not only a weekend hobbiest once upon a time. Using film was hard, costly, and left small margin for error. To locate clients one had to cover advertising, rent, and expenses. To become a skilled photographer took investment, education, and time. Due to this the amount of people making a full time income at photography was low.
Starting in about 2005 things started to change. Up until then pro digital photography equipment was costly. At $2,000 and up for just a camera only those intent on making money could afford it. Slowly but surely the cost for digital photography begun to drop. New computer software and better computers allowed for a greater degree of image editing. Low cost, easy websites, and Facebook fan pages made it to be easy to tell the planet about your brand-new career. Then, following the great financial collapse in 2008, an incredible number of unemployed, looked around, saw that they held a camera, and decided that they were an expert photographer.
Now, you may be saying 'who cares as long as they simply take good images'? Good question. Listed here are several reasoned explanations why it will matter:
Digital has made it possible to have no more expense if you take 1,000 pictures as opposed to 36. Inexperienced and unskilled photographers will usually take the "spray and pray" approach. Out of a few hundred photos they will sometimes manage to get a few good ones. Of course these are the only ones that they will put on their website. That may be fine for a family portrait that can be redone relatively easily. However, what if it is your wedding or some other one time event?
How do you know if you have a professional? Answer, ask to see an entire shoot. Not only the cherry picked profile pictures. A genuine professional will not have a problem with this demand. If image quality is inconsistent, keep shopping for a photographer.
Not everyone is honest. The Net has made it easier for photographers to advertise. It's also made it easy for individuals to steal their pictures. There have been cases of entire web sites, about me pages, and portfolios that have been copied and passed of as their very own work. Unsuspecting clients only find out after it is too late that the photographer they hired was not as skilled as advertised.
How do you know? Ask to see a printed portfolio before paying. Although it is simple to grab pictures from the web that will appear good on a site getting pictures to print well is a different matter.
Contingency. Many beginning photographers may have one camera. Perhaps a number of lenses. Their kit is often pretty bare. Rarely will they've any type of equipment or liability insurance. Frequently, they will also be working with out a business license or pay taxes. Why does any of this matter? In my two decades as a wedding photographer I can not remember how many times I've had my camera, lens, flash, or memory fail. Every time I simply turned to my secondary and kept working. What if I only had the one? Because I have insurance the loss of a camera due to theft or destruction, or the liability of a light stand hitting mom, or the tax man arriving at my home will not put me out of business. Without those insurances, they would. Now, imagine that you have previously paid a deposit and the photographer for your wedding is bankrupt?
How can you know you have a professional? Ask to review their business license. Find out if they have backup gear. Do they have insurance? Do they have a backup plan if they're sick or injured. Finally, have it written down. A contract is always required. It protects them and you. A genuine professional won't are having issues with this.
I'm in no way against people learning photography and becoming a professional. I learned, practiced, and honed my craft for years before charging people money. Ultimately, bad photographers passing themselves off as a pro makes it harder for good photographers to earn a living and stay in business. That isn't good for anyone.
Starting in about 2005 things started to change. Up until then pro digital photography equipment was costly. At $2,000 and up for just a camera only those intent on making money could afford it. Slowly but surely the cost for digital photography begun to drop. New computer software and better computers allowed for a greater degree of image editing. Low cost, easy websites, and Facebook fan pages made it to be easy to tell the planet about your brand-new career. Then, following the great financial collapse in 2008, an incredible number of unemployed, looked around, saw that they held a camera, and decided that they were an expert photographer.
Now, you may be saying 'who cares as long as they simply take good images'? Good question. Listed here are several reasoned explanations why it will matter:
Digital has made it possible to have no more expense if you take 1,000 pictures as opposed to 36. Inexperienced and unskilled photographers will usually take the "spray and pray" approach. Out of a few hundred photos they will sometimes manage to get a few good ones. Of course these are the only ones that they will put on their website. That may be fine for a family portrait that can be redone relatively easily. However, what if it is your wedding or some other one time event?
How do you know if you have a professional? Answer, ask to see an entire shoot. Not only the cherry picked profile pictures. A genuine professional will not have a problem with this demand. If image quality is inconsistent, keep shopping for a photographer.
Not everyone is honest. The Net has made it easier for photographers to advertise. It's also made it easy for individuals to steal their pictures. There have been cases of entire web sites, about me pages, and portfolios that have been copied and passed of as their very own work. Unsuspecting clients only find out after it is too late that the photographer they hired was not as skilled as advertised.
How do you know? Ask to see a printed portfolio before paying. Although it is simple to grab pictures from the web that will appear good on a site getting pictures to print well is a different matter.
Contingency. Many beginning photographers may have one camera. Perhaps a number of lenses. Their kit is often pretty bare. Rarely will they've any type of equipment or liability insurance. Frequently, they will also be working with out a business license or pay taxes. Why does any of this matter? In my two decades as a wedding photographer I can not remember how many times I've had my camera, lens, flash, or memory fail. Every time I simply turned to my secondary and kept working. What if I only had the one? Because I have insurance the loss of a camera due to theft or destruction, or the liability of a light stand hitting mom, or the tax man arriving at my home will not put me out of business. Without those insurances, they would. Now, imagine that you have previously paid a deposit and the photographer for your wedding is bankrupt?
How can you know you have a professional? Ask to review their business license. Find out if they have backup gear. Do they have insurance? Do they have a backup plan if they're sick or injured. Finally, have it written down. A contract is always required. It protects them and you. A genuine professional won't are having issues with this.
I'm in no way against people learning photography and becoming a professional. I learned, practiced, and honed my craft for years before charging people money. Ultimately, bad photographers passing themselves off as a pro makes it harder for good photographers to earn a living and stay in business. That isn't good for anyone.
About the Author:
To get started learning photography check out Photography Lessons. For some photography inspiration visit Birmingham Wedding Photographers
No comments:
Post a Comment