Written by MaryCailtin Tanksley
So you received a new digital camera for your birthday? Nice. What are you going to do with it? Oh, you’re a photographer now? That is great! Not.
I will admit, I love digital cameras as much as anyone, but the downfall of these handy instant time capsules is that they allow those holding them to believe that they are professional photographers.
Of course we are all photographers in our own right, but do we all specialize in photography? No. Does this mean you can promote yourself as a professional and charge people outrageous prices during your “sessions?” No, it does not. Please get over yourself.
Dr. Mike James, dean of communications and a photography professor, stated, “In order to call yourself a professional photographer, you’ve got to pay your dues.”
Basically, start from the very bottom and work tirelessly to the top. However, in photography, there is always something new to learn and something to improve on. As Dr. James says, “You are a composite of what you do.”
As one who absolutely loves photography and invests in cameras, lenses and professional advice, I don’t try to pass myself off as a professional. Why? I simply do not deserve the title.
I have not had enough experience to be called a professional photographer, but I am pushing myself toward that career path. If you are advertising yourself and asking for hundreds of dollars for something anyone could easily do with the press of a button, you are, in fact, trying to pass yourself off as a professional, and it’s a waste of peoples’ money. The profession of photography is not meant for everyone. I don’t care if you own a Nikon D3000 or a Canon 50D (and those are not even the best). If you do not have the eye, the drive, the passion, the practice and experience behind it, you are just another person with a really nice camera.
The camera does not make the picture; the talent and consistency behind the camera does. It is so frustrating because people with nice cameras assume they can become professionals or become magically talented behind the lens to make a few extra bucks. It can easily be compared to playing Rock Band all hours of the night and then proclaiming to everyone you are going on tour or to investing in some new Rachael Ray cookware and then feeling you deserve a cooking show, too. You get the point. It needs to be understood and respected that this is a field that requires years of practice and training before reaching the professional level. True professional photographers know their material and can provide their clients with what they expect, and it will be worth people’s money.
I have been studying photography for over five years, and I have not tried to obtain an income for my work. I have done numerous shoots for family and close friends and have taken many shots in my downtime, but this is because I wanted to.
Photography is one of my biggest passions. There was a time I felt I could buy a nicer camera than the one I had, and then I could do photo shoots for all the engaged couples on campus. And with so many engagements, think about all the money that would bring in. At the time, I thought it was a genius plan, but I was so naïve.
This was before I ever took a photography class or truly understood all there was to learn, and I am still learning. Any professional photographer would tell you the same.
It was not until I surrounded myself with those who lived and breathed photography that I realized I was not in a position to compete on a professional level. It is almost disrespectful when professional photographers are constantly behind the camera, working and perfecting their eye, and someone goes and buys a new camera and the next day posts fliers all over campus and town proclaiming their new profession. Okay, so maybe it is not that blatant, but it’s pretty close.
Seriously think about whom you’re competing with before acting like you can become a photographer overnight. Photography is so much more than clicking a button and the sound of the shutter closing. You have to be able to constantly compare photos and decide how to properly crop, edit, etc. You practice over and over again. Mistakes are what guide you in producing better photography.
Photography tells stories and captures emotions. Famous black-and-white film photographer, Ansel Adams stated, “Photography, as a powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution.” He is absolutely right!
As I mentioned earlier, we are all photographers in our own right thanks to technology. However, to downplay professional photography as an easy, “anyone-can-do” profession is insulting.
I do not wish to discourage those who enjoy photography. We should pursue hobbies we enjoy and see where they may take us. Anyone should be able to capture what interests them.
However, keep in mind who the professionals are. One thing Dr. James stated that struck me was, “If you ever reach the point [in photography] where you view your work and think its perfect, then you have not yet arrived.”
A true professional photographer never feels as though he has arrived but always seeks growth in his work, and that always comes before profit.
