Once upon a time, if you were getting married, needed a family portrait, or some manner of event documented it was easy to tell if a photographer was a true professional and not just a weekend hobbiest. Using film was difficult, expensive, and left little margin for error. To find paying customers one had to pay for advertising, location and overhead. To be a professional photographer took time, training, and investment. Because of these factors the number of people making their way in the world making a living 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 can tell if they are a pro? Answer, ask to see an entire event. Not merely the best portfolio pictures. A real professional will have no issue with this. Consistency is the key. Without it, find someone else.
Sadly, not all people are honest. The Web has made feasible for photographers to share and showcase their images on a worldwide scale. It's also made it easier to steal other photographers work. There have been cases of whole web sites, about me pages, and portfolios that have been copied and shown as their very own work. Naive clients discover after it's too late that the photographer they hired was not who they though they were.
So how do you know if you have a pro? Answer, ask to see a printed portfolio before committing to paying your hard earned money. While it is easy to steal images off of the web that will show up fine on a site or email, those files aren't going to make a decent print. If they can't show you a good quality enlargement, move on.
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 can tell if they are a pro? Answer, ask to see an entire event. Not merely the best portfolio pictures. A real professional will have no issue with this. Consistency is the key. Without it, find someone else.
Sadly, not all people are honest. The Web has made feasible for photographers to share and showcase their images on a worldwide scale. It's also made it easier to steal other photographers work. There have been cases of whole web sites, about me pages, and portfolios that have been copied and shown as their very own work. Naive clients discover after it's too late that the photographer they hired was not who they though they were.
So how do you know if you have a pro? Answer, ask to see a printed portfolio before committing to paying your hard earned money. While it is easy to steal images off of the web that will show up fine on a site or email, those files aren't going to make a decent print. If they can't show you a good quality enlargement, move on.
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:
If you would like to become a pro photographer or just improve your family snaps click here to Learn more about photography and see some great photography by photographer Tommy Daspit.
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