Everyone is a photographer

[MadameBee]

Many years ago I did a city and guilds in photography (in the time of dark rooms) I did ok but these days I am a bit rusty but I learnt off the basics and realised what a skilled art form it is.

These day’s with the advent of digital photography it amazes me how many people with absolutely no training suddenly set themselves up (mainly on FB I admit) as a “photography business” with really quite shit photos.

Atm it’s really irritating me that we have this work FB page (nothing related to photography) and this bloke posts photos in there every day almost and they are monogrammed with his name (it’s ok mate I’m not going to steal them/print them out).

Obviously this is a first world problem but surely this must really grate on “proper” photographers?

To be accepted by photo libraries the standards are very high and equipment has to be a certain spec. If you are good enough for that you are very good.

I have worked on both sides of the camera, and alongside pro photographers, my photos were considered as good as theirs. I never considered myself to be any more than an 'assistant' or that it was more than a hobby, and yes, I still take good photos but I use a camera, not a phone camera.

If you are going to book someone, you need to ensure that they actually are a photographer and not a wannabe with a low quality lens in a cheap camera. A good camera costs a hell of a lot.

@SittingAround1

We hired a professional photographer for our wedding, recommended by a friend of my mum's. I chose him based on his extensive portfolio and spoke to him before hiring.

It wasn't cheap but definitively worth it.

It wasn't just the end result, which was very good, but his professionalism on the day. He'd checked with us beforehand which group photos we wanted, knew the names of key people, so it all ran very smoothly.

We chose our wedding photographers because they did a wedding we went to. Their photos were stunning and they took some of DH, DD and I that we got printed on canvas because they were so good. We were nobodies at the wedding but they still took outstanding photos of us. We looked at their portfolio as well and all of the photos were of a similar standard.

Like you, recommendation and previous work proved they were the right photographers for us, not any qualifications they could have shown us.

@LaurieFairyCake

I was blown away by this photo by Ansell Adams - I think it might be the best photo I've ever seen

Somebody I know rates themselves as a good photographer. They also think that Ansel Adams is overrated. Enough said !

I think there is a distinction in the talented amateur working for money and the "self-made professional".
My original BA is partially in photo journalism (dark rooms, some odd 25+ yrs ago) but have not worked in it for 20. Although I have the qualification I'd never set up a photography business.
I've worked as a business consultant (and as many other relates things) and my wedding photographer friend has just set up her business consultancy business giving advice to others.
I have been doing this for a living at big firms and I can see how crap her advice is. Yet can't say anything because it's her life. But on some level it bugs me that if I were to set up a consultancy I'd have to be up against these kind of self proclaimed people who don't know shit about it....

I have a friend who seems to fancy himself as a photographer and he is woefully awful. It actually makes me cringe.