Reply To: "Real" photographers are dumb

[IHF]

Art is art, a professional service is a professional service.  Apples and oranges.  This is not to say that portrait services don’t require an artistic touch or can’t be considered art, but it is to say it doesn’t have to be as long as the product/service being sold are technically sound Sand reliable.  Yes, everyone has different tastes and that’s why we have McDonald’s and five star restaurants and everything in between.  But even McDonald’s offers a consistent reliable menu to choose from.  We aren’t asking or expecting everyone to be a five star (though it is encouraged) just at least be a McDonald’s Be before hanging out that shingle.

even a hobbyist painter has to learn their medium, learn color theory, and how to work with different tools, and materials Etc to be able to use paint to convey or create what they see in their minds eye.  Either by being taught or by trial and error.  This goes way beyond different tastes and or different visions.  This is about people clicking a shutter without forethought, or any care or concern, and playing around with software and calling it photography “Hey! I think I’ll charge people for his!” And yes!  This is something that can be seen by looking at a photo.  It’s ok that you cannot, not everyone can, but to say no one can tell what kind of care was taken for a shot, is just being ignorant.  Sorry, but I expect any pro photographer to be able to create better portraits than I (whos only been shooting and studying for 3 years) can.  They re supposed to be experts.  I’m supposed to be able to look for and hire a pro easily, without doing background checks and conducting interviews, and going through their entire portfolio, wondering if i am taking advantage of them because they dont understand the value of what they do and have no business sense, or wondering if im the one getting taken advantage of because of shoddy work or work ethics.  what happened to standards?  How am I supposed to hire a tog to shoot my child’s senior portraits this fall?  I’ve already been searching and going through ports for a year to no avail.  Will I end up having to do it myself because everyone takes the pro title so lightly?  I really hope not.  I don’t even know off camera flash yet, and posing… Sigh… I don’t want them to look like my family snaps (not that they’re bad).  I want them to be done by a professional.  Maybe I’ll get through this muddy mess and actually find one that knows how to work with my budget without me ripping them off.  Fauxtography effects people.  Maybe not you personally, but to say that it doesn’t effect anyone is a little insensitive.

mocking? Bullying? The person who says you should learn photography first before offering photography services, and then follows up with what is being done incorrectly, and offers information and help to try to improve someone’s photography, is mocking them?

or is the person who buys a camera and says “hey!  I can do that!” And starts charging people, handing out business cards and calling themselves portrait artists before they even know what fstop means, or before they even know what color managing is, or how to use and manipulate light or why, or any of the basics that come with using their tools??  Who is mocking who here?

Who is being more honest, both with themselves and to the public?