Comments on: Are you really a pro photographer?

By: Getting Started as a Wedding Photographer | Digital Photo Buzz

Getting Started as a Wedding Photographer | Digital Photo Buzz — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:51:55 +0000

[...] something that will be amazing! There is a really great discussion in this older article I wrote, Are you really a pro photographer? , that was really written to say we need to make sure that we know our art before taking on work [...]

By: 2 Years of Photography Articles, Tutorials and Great Connections | Digital Photo Buzz - Digital Photography reviews and tips

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:13:29 +0000

[...] Are you a Pro Photographer? [...]

By: ryan

ryan — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:07:49 +0000

I am super late on commenting, but I just found this article. Very valid points, but on the other side of things I see a lot of schooled and seasoned wedding photographers that suck while I will at the same time see good photographers posting on craigslist.

But I cant ignore the fact that there are way to many people jumping into the “business” because their friends tell them they are great. And without a will to become a better photographer (they are already great remember) they continue to suck and suck and just cant see how bad of work they are already putting out. This just isnt in the wedding industry, but also every aspect of the photography industry.

But yeah..too many times I see people think because they went to school for photography and pay a bunch of money to BS pro photographer organizations then they should get first dibs at all of the weddings and if they arent chosen then its the bride and groom that just didnt understand how much money they have invested in themselves….money not ambition or talent or practice.

By: Rosa

Rosa — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:16:07 +0000

Ouch! Im glad im not one of those! Strong point of view, and I do have to say I agree with much of it. I would never have the nerve to shoot a wedding without enough experience under my belt, much less charge for it. However, Like Deb mentioned I know people that unfortunately dont know much about photography and im surprised to see how really happy they can turn out to be with their really cheap wedding photos :-/. Many do not have the means to pay for an amazing photographer and for some investing more on a cake or dress is somehow more important to them. Like you say, it is an art form, but not many see it that way.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:02:58 +0000

Hi Mark, Thanks for some really great posts; especially the detailed post on your backup methods. I disagree with a lot of your points in this one. Clearly there is a market for less-expensive wedding photographers, and since quality of technology constantly goes up while prices of technology constantly go down, non-professionals can fulfill that market. Think about high-end luxury cars—the Rolls Royce has its own target audience, and the Honda Civic has its own target audience with very little overlap between the two. Is the Rolls Royce a superior product? Maybe, maybe not, but it does appeal to the consumer looking for exclusiveness, luxury, and reputation. The fact is, someone able and willing to pay for the Rolls Royce (your photographic services) doesn’t even want the Honda Civic (the weekend warriors, as you say). And no amount of preaching is going to make the Honda Civic consumer able and willing to buy a Rolls Royce. The makers of Rolls Royce do not criticize Honda for devaluing the art of automobile manufacturing. As a Rolls Royce-like photographer, if you want that high-end market, you have to price to it and market to it. I think you’re fighting the market when you should be adapting to it.

By the way, I am not a wedding photographer. I photograph because it brings me more personal satisfaction than anything else and I’ve been doing it for 11 years. When a close friend asked me to photograph her wedding I, naturally, did it for free. I’m currently studying for my masters in arts management.

By: Christine

Christine — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:29:58 +0000

WOW, what an intense article and such powerful thoughts….on which i have to agree with. My husband bought me a DSLR camera about seven years ago and i was like “wth” am i gonna do with this….lol I was so used to the point and shoot kinds. So i took a class on how to use your digital camera. I got use out of the class and progressed as the months went on. Now im not saying i was shooting weddings or even portraits..it took time…years!! As people kept seeing what i can do “fooling around” with the camera, they complimented more and more…which made me feel like i can actually do a portrait session. So i practiced on a family member, after editing and a few trial and error shots they came great! Word of mouth spread and i was getting jobs here and there.
I say “jobs” hypothetically speaking, i wasn’t charging them. As the next year went by i got a few more jobs and that led to a wedding. I knew i wasnt confident in doing it myself, so at that time i was working as a “second shooter/learning” for a PRO that i know and i offered the wedding job to her, she priced it and we both rocked it! I have to say i should have at the time given myself more credit, but i wanted to be “safe”.

After a long learning curve, studying the art of other peoples work, asking questions galore, reading articles and actually enjoying photography itself and knowing its not “just a hobby” you find something that you love doing and you thrive on it more and more!
So with that i can relate to this article hugely and admire you for writing it! It is photographer like YOU who make photographers like ME wanna learn more and more!
Thanks again!
Christine

By: deb

deb — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:57:50 +0000

I am, unashamedly, one of those photogs of whom you speak. And I did 2 weddings last summer. The results were good, and I knew they would be good, but they weren’t great. I have been shooting for a while just for the love of it, and have learned quite a few things over the years, and I have as served as 2nd shooter for 2 weddings. But I’m not great; I’m pretty average.

But you know what? Neither of the couples were the type to notice or care if they were good vs great. I know what’s great, but they don’t & neither had the budget to pay for great. If I hadn’t agreed to do their wedding it was entirely within the realm of possibility they would’ve had poor instead of good.

One couple was a missionary couple from Africa with almost no money to spend on a wedding. Their reception was a potluck. Sound awful to you? It wasn’t! It was one of the most joy-filled weddings I’ve ever been to in my life, and I’ve been to a LOT of weddings. I was priviledged to even be at their wedding, and humbled to be asked to do photos for such an amazing couple. It was my joy to serve them.

And they LOVE their photos – their good-but-not-amazing photos.

Oh, and the 2nd couple…they were the type to notice a little more whether their photos were good or great. They were in college and also had precious little to spend on photos. But they love their photos as well, and tell me everyone they show them to loves them.

I think some of what you write has merit. Some, well, leans toward snobbery and lack of information/experience with some types of couples. It’s worth noting that not every couple will see what you see, or care about what you care about. If they love their photos and those photos bring back a rush of wonderful memories of their special day, what else matters? Certainly not the opinion of the photographer!

By: Ivor Tetteh-Lartey Photography

Ivor Tetteh-Lartey Photography — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:00:36 +0000

It is up to professional photographers to educate brides of the value they provide and let them be aware of what can go wrong. You cannot blame the amateur for simply fulfilling market demand for cheap photography. The perception that digital is “free” from cost is a large factor in driving our profession down.
The photography most witness at a wedding is merely the icing on the cake and the experienced photographer makes it look easy.We must account for the fact that brides have no experience in purchasing such services,therefor we must advise them on the benefits that an experienced professional wedding photographer have to offer, guaranteed results, good back up equipment and most of all the ability to manage people for groups pictures within a tight time frame.

By: 7 photography links | Digital Photo Buzz - Digital Photography reviews and tips

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:58:19 +0000

[...] A post which had a great discussion – This is a easy one, a piece I wrote about Pro photographers vs. Weekend warriors. This was a fun discussion, lots of great comments and some still trickle in. Are you a Pro Photographer? [...]

By: Saundra U

Saundra U — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:48:00 +0000

I understand what you are saying however I believe that trully it is our job as professionals to sell our product on something other then price and by doing so the not so good photographers, because lets face it there are some bad fulltime photos too, will be run out of business because we educated our client on quality (versus pricing) and value.