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picstop
ParticipantOK, NLL, I’ve got a few minutes to kill before heading out for today’s wedding so I’ll bite.
ARP definitely is a great example of a faux who has zero interest in improving. Heck, if the suckers are willing to keep dishing out cash, why bother, right?
One thing that is true with certain photos is that we don’t always have to have perfect this and perfect that to make it a great photo. Every photo is a “moment” and some are unique in a way that the technical aspect of the photo can be less than perfect as long as the moment is special. And although this is not an exceptional “moment”, https://www.facebook.com/alteredrealityphotos/photos/a.483469361762142.1073741848.251703774938703/611824832259927/?type=3&theater , I’m sure the couple think their son is cute taking a break leaning on dad’s back. UNFORTUNATELY, Mr. faux has gotten this so far from technically decent to ruin it completely. Having dad either in a football pose OR “thinking” and getting the colour balance so far off distracts from what could have been a reasonably good if not great shot. But now it’s poop. A shame.
In any case, just another example of a “photog” with a complete lack of skill.
ParticipantI don’t know what that link is. It seems to be one post of artwork of many and whether the blogger takes it seriously or not or even is a photographer, I don’t know. If it’s a statement that someone who doesn’t know what iso, f-stops and so on are, can take a decent shot, that’s possible. However, I would suspect most professionals do know what those all are and care about it on a regular basis as they do mean something if you want good results.
That all aside, fauxtogs are a curious bunch. There are a number of reasons in my opinion as to why they both suck and blow with such regularity and damned determination. And by that I mean that month after month and year after year, many will continue to “s and b” in spite of the fact that there is so much free information out there that can help your pics to look better. Maybe not $20k per wedding stunning great but at least better. Even faux gear can be used to take decent shots…if you know what you’re doing so not being able to afford 5D3s, D800s and so on is not an excuse.
So, what’s up with the fauxs? I suspect some aren’t cut out for photography. I have friends (that I don’t call a faux cause they know their limitations and the difference between good and bad photos but are using my friends to prove a point), who aren’t stupid but, bless them, just don’t get the relationship between iso and aperture and shutter speed and “what it’s all about”. Aperture priority vs. Manual and so forth is like reading Greek. And it’s fine for them because they know just enough to get the shots they need most of the time but then, they aren’t fauxs claiming to be pros. Some fauxs though, I suspect, just don’t get it all and go on with being a “pro” anyway.
Then there are the ones who just don’t care. They might have in the beginning. I don’t know. But it’s easy to imagine that taking crap shots and being “liked” and, WOW, actually getting paid could cause some people to not want to improve. Well, why bother? Dozens of people line up to get pics of their kids, babies, weddings and seniors so hell, you must be pretty good so what’s the motivation to waste time pouring over tutorials about strobing or photoshop? “They pay me so I must rock”, is the mentality some probably adopt. Us real pros though usually follow that with “but maybe I can do better or there is something else I can do to improve on what I did, even if it’s just a fraction of a percent better”.
Do fauxs actually look at other photogs stuff? From personal experience, I can say yes. So, they’ve actually seen what the shot can be and should be. One example comes to mind and that’s of a church I’ve often shot weddings. The carpet is blue. So? Well, when I shoot a wedding, the bride coming up the aisle has a white dress (or ivory or whichever colour it is in real life) and the carpet is blue. Well, does the carpet colour matter? Not really, but seeing a faux’s pics where the carpet was green was the first clue that this person had no idea what white balance was. So you can imagine that the carpet being green instead of blue, what the colour of the dress might have been, not to mention the bride’s skin. Ugh. And did the faux think there was something wrong with the pics? Did people not “like” them? Of course not. So why did this faux not care? Fairly similar pics were hers to see so that the difference between bad and good should make her think, “ooh, I suck, so what can I do so these look like those other ones”? Ego? Lack of caring? Denial? Refusal to admit that she doesn’t get it and probably won’t so what does it matter as long as people give me money?
Of course, the clients share some responsibility. Today, more than ever, people are inundated with photos. They sit down to lunch and take a pic of their sandwich for fb for cripes sake. People take hundreds of pics a week of their kids and dogs in their first few years of life. Terabytes of hd space are full of pic after pic of many times pretty much any time their kid spit up. Which is fine. But the value of a photo is diminished. Or at least, the value it holds today is. Twenty years from now, those pics will be priceless. So will quality photos of , say, their wedding. But just as they have a clogged hd of pics, they see them as “just another pic” so don’t understand that twenty years from now, when they truly care about them and will really look a them, not just share them on fb, they’ll then realize too late that they sorta suck. Too late. Don’t support your local faux. Invest in your own future and give yourself the quality pics your deserve twenty years from now. The faux is counting on your to not think past next Tuesday.
Oy, don’t get me started…..
ParticipantI can’t believe I’m doing this but anyone getting married in Florida should have uncle Bob or aunt Sally take their shots. They can’t be worse than Marv and he isn’t cheap! At least most fauxs price themselves accordingly but I suppose 33 years of “experience” warrants these (low for a real photog but expensive for a faux) prices. EGADS!
So, a couple of my favourites are
“Why, oh why, did I hire this guy to shoot the most important day of my life”?
“When a giant fountain, a house, trees and mom are far more important than the bride…”
ParticipantOld thread but interesting nonetheless. Personally, I am of the belief that (you may have heard this), there are no new ideas. Everything new is simply something old rehashed, repackaged, glossed over. Something is “new” when someone has gone to lengths to convince someone else that it’s new and ta-da, it’s copyrighted! Now, this isn’t the same as taking a pic and having someone else claim it as their own. We all know that’s wrong and would not do so, other than the people with no morals who do so. Imitating or taking pics “in similar circumstances or that look similar” is not theft or plagiarism. There have been cases where some people have been able to convince others that their pic is sooooo unique that any other pic that’s remotely similar is forbidden. Please. I know I wouldn’t be too pleased if someone took a pic that was exactly like one of mine that makes money, thus cutting into my income but pics of similar circumstances or elements?
As a wedding photographer, not only I but most any potential bride has and can see that all photographers in my area (plenty of us) have similar shots at some point. Are we all suing each other for theft? No. Sooner or later, in the same venue, park, church, street and so on, we will end up taking similar shots. Our portfolios and styles differ but at some point, some photos will be similar in pose, lighting and location. Got a unique idea for a shot? Guess what? So did someone else and lo and behold, it happened to be quite similar. That doesn’t make it actionable. I guess if you have enough money and can convince people that it somehow “belongs” to you, you could and that’s unfortunate.
The OP might want to cruise the internet. I would not be surprised at all if you find thousands of women with red hair, googly glasses and green lipstick. They aren’t your pics though.
Participantbigmama6 and NoLoveLossless…where do you find these people who break the laws of physics? By that I mean they both suck and blow at the same time.
ParticipantNLL….where do you find these atrocities? The first one seems to be by someone who mostly takes pics of car shows and did some portraits and weddings for people with very low if zip for budgets. It doesn’t mean I forgive him (her?) as he states “I specialize in indoor & outdoor photography such as auto,portraits and weddings.I have experience in all!”. Really? Then explain this one…
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.268311713317964.1073741863.166148240200979&type=3
Someone needs more lighting experience.
And the second link you had to AW, well, wow, just wow. Her skill at posing leaves nothing to be desired. Yes, that’s sarcasm I’m afraid. No cruelty intended but Amy, please read a book cause you certainly know how to create awkwardness as demonstrated here…
Sometimes I think fauxs get hired simply because it’s too tough to take a pic of yourself by plunking the camera on a tripod and running back into place.
ParticipantYikes. What a name! Pinkpuppiecakes? No, pinkcuppiecake. Oh, I forgot the “photography”. Well, miss pink cuppie’s output can be called a lot of things but I wouldn’t call it “photography”. I just have no words any more to express the exasperation at how people will tolerate these train-wrecks and call it “photography”. Kudos to pink girl for finding the suckers and separating them from their cash.
ParticipantYou’re right, seth. I think those who hire a faux simply don’t care.
There are exceptions of course but for the most part, those that hire a faux have low standards (and are cheap). They’ve bought into the “I don’t rip you off with high prices…you only pay for the pics not my overhead…the pics SHOULD belong to you…” and various other b.s. lines fauxs have thought up over the years to convince people they should “hire” them (so they can make a few bucks on a weekend) as opposed to hiring someone who knows what they are doing. For the most part, I’m fine with that. These are people I don’t want as customers. If you can’t appreciate the difference between the shot I’ve taken with my equipment (with my expertise behind it) and the pp-ing I do versus some hack with their basic dslr/kit lens pp-ing to death with some hack program, then I don’t want you as a customer. I’m also not interested in someone who wants to hire me solely on price. I love to adapt to any reasonable budget and custom make a package but I don’t match my local faux’s prices. You want faux prices, hire the faux. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to say that to people (in a nice way of course). And “cash is king” is something that makes me laugh too. I’ve actually had people not hire me because I wouldn’t take cash. Well, I will, because I don’t really want to be paid in chickens, but if the intent of the customer (which it is sometimes) is that they then won’t have to pay the tax because they’re giving me cash, well, the door is ready for you to use it.
In any case, the people just don’t care because only a moron doesn’t think that the tv being sold in one store for $400 while the one in the other for $3000 doesn’t have something fishy about it. Prices and abilities vary, always have and always will. Drastic variation in ability and price normally gets your consumer esp working overtime. For some reason, these days, when it comes to “pro photographers”, consumer’s good sense has gone out the window. Sadly, you get what you pay for and even more pathetic, they seem to be happy with it. Or they’re lying.
ParticipantWhat a lot of clients don’t realize (or possibly care little or not at all) is that many of these facebook (and other social media photogs) aren’t real businesses. Some are and just post on social media as another way to reach customers as I do. Most aren’t though I’m sure they think they are. As such, they don’t pay taxes (hurts everyone when a business or individual does not contribute to their fair share), don’t have insurance and generally don’t care about the client. Why do I say that? Well, I’m always a bit surprised to hear from clients that “so and so photography” does not require them to sign a contract so why do I? Well, as a real business, the contract not only protects me from certain liabilities but also protects the clients as to what I will (and will not) do for the day, mainly for their wedding day. Fauxs fly by the seat of their pants, whichever way the wind blows. For those who think paying crap for a photographer is a bargain, you may rue the day you “liked” their page. I just wish more people would realize that “The flowers wilt and die, the limo goes home after dropping you at the reception, the dj goes home after the reception, the cake gets eaten and is long gone, the chair covers you so meticulously picked out along with the rest of the linen goes back to the rental company and the reception hall closes it’s doors at the end of the night. BUT, the photos last a lifetime.” Interesting how many people think the photos should cost pennies in comparison to the rest.
ParticipantWhen I see output like “rosephotographybylisa”, it just makes me think, “there out to be a law”. I’ll hand it to these fauxs though. They sure can rack up the business and “likes”. I’m sorry but I don’t do business with someone who can’t take a decent shot to save their life or someone who wants to shoot my “portrate”.
ParticipantWhat is up with rnrphotography? I had a second to kill so I looked at her portfolio. I was not disappointed. Indeed, fairly blech. The most curious thing though, was the engagement portfolio slideshow. It was nothing but pics of the rings. One after another, rings, rings, rings. Are there any happy people planning to spend their lives together in wedded bliss? Just rings you say. Hell, anyone can make a massive portfolio of engagement shots this way. “Yep, I’ve shot 3000 happy couples who have gotten engaged. Just look at all those rings creatively placed on stuff”! Egads.
ParticipantI have to reply to the last one first as it almost made me cry with laughter. So, http://auburn.craigslist.org/for/4642828650.html…is “Looking for two attractive couples getting married in the next 90 days”. So, after you send this person your photos, he/she will decide if you’re attractive enough for this special deal (which is really just him/her building his/her portfolio)? Classy.
Re: the country photog, well, that is indeed the lottery. Her price certainly reflects her output. A very long time ago, someone somewhere asked a question along the lines of, “would you rather do 50 weddings a year at $500 or 5 at $5000”? But you also have to produce the photos for the later so she will likely be stuck at the first (actually she’s $400) for a long time unless she realizes she needs to improve. Or maybe she likes doing it that way.
And, the “french style”. I’m going to steal that. From now on, when I accidentally screw up, I’ll just tell the couple that the out of focus piece of junk was done intentionally in the “french style”. Ooh la la. Not. And, unlike Miss Country Photog, this one is charging $2k for these? And he/she is posting this http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/for/4665324076.html to lure people into parting with $2k? I think the French should sue him/her.
Finally, the DS shots. Well, yes, how do you post a headshot of a little boy that’s that out of focus? And flattering pic of that bride in the window. At least he’s not French.
ParticipantWith respect to MPFC, “spam spam spam spam…”. You know fellas, plunking your names in photography forums all over the world will garner backlinks to you. Good for google. Not so good for the real people who frequent the forums. The real people can read past simple code and realize your stuff is shady scammy spam. And did you think that posting on photography forums where photographers hang out would not lead to said photographers finding out you stole their work? Your SEO strategy should be revisited. That or maybe you ought to go outside, take a few shots of your own and then “correct” them. Novel idea ain’t it?
ParticipantYou are indeed a force to be reckoned with IHF. Well done.
Participantseth….”That’s gotta be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard”. You forgot to finish the sentence with “so far”. I’m sure someone will come up with something far more inane at some point. And then I wonder, what are the selective colour photos, “clothed souls”?
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