Reply To: Ok…. Just curious

[Notaphotographer]

No reason to defend yourself. You asked. You also validated my point. I think it is great that you volunteer to take photos of special needs children and families and do it at no charge. I take no exception to that at all. However when other people ask you to do other things you do have the option to say no. Photography is great. It records moments in time. However everytime you say yes to doing dirt cheap photography or any other person does,  it cheapens it for everyone. I have been in this industry a very long time. Seen lots of changes. As long as the current trend conitnues, photography as a business is dead. Some people may make enough to by a lens or a new body, and there will always be a select few photographers, but as whole it is dead. Want proof look at Nat Geo. And SI now compared to 10-20 years ago. They had staff photographers. Now almost all of their stuff is freelance and pulled from sites. There are hundreds of thousands of photos now that publications can use. Tell the photographer they will get a by-line and that is enough for them.

On another note you do have pretty good gear expecially if your 24-70 is the canon lens. Surprised a drop broke it.  But I would still invest in a strobe for off camera.  

Also I do not have the time or inclination to give you a serious critique on each photo. I look at thousands of photos a week.  You probably know which ones are good and bad. The trick is to make them all good. 🙂 I truly wish you and your family the best in life.