Highly upset!!

[mjs1973]

Everyone and their grandma has a dslr and photoshop these days. Put that thing on auto, and you're an instanteous professional photographer.

I know exactly what your talking about Adina. I have a couple of coworkers who work as a photo team, taking senior pics, weddings, that sort of thing. They stay pretty busy with it as a side job, and the stuff I have seen looks good. Nothing steller that jumps out at me, but nice, traditianal looking photos. I may even have them do my wedding. They have asked me to edit some of their work for them (for a price) because they don't know anything about Photoshop. I was happy to do it and it was a good learning experiance for me. I was NOT at all suprised when I looked at the Efix data from the pics and it said they were shot in PROGRAM mode.

Here they are getting paid to take pics with basically an expensive P&S camera. It makes me wonder why I'm spending so much of my time learning about exposure, DOF, all the controls on my camera and everything else that I can relating to photography before I start to advertise my services.

[JSPhoto]

I just love it when people sit in the stands and take pictures all night long, then come to me after the game wanting to buy photos. They ask how I get them, and why mine are not dark, then they say something about not having a lot of money to go buy a good camera. One woman has a 20D, and after every game comes up and asks how to do this or that, and always ignores what I tell her about the lens. Well last night she told me she got a new lenses, but still didn't get an f2.8, but another f4.5 I almost laughed out loud, but didn't. Oh well, she got another shot of her neice today, of course she had to cut it out of the paper

JS

[ken1953]

Here they are getting paid to take pics with basically an expensive P&S camera. It makes me wonder why I'm spending so much of my time learning about exposure, DOF, all the controls on my camera and everything else that I can relating to photography before I start to advertise my services.

I know I just bought a p/s, but I made sure it had manual modes so I could learn photography...now you're saying, I don't need to learn it to make money at it???? (Just being sarcastic!!!) But I also know that if I don't learn the "photographic" end of photography, that all of my pictures will be mediocre at best. I still shoot most of my stuff in program mode, but I am now also switching and trying a few shots with the manual mode, with some success I might add!!! Still mediocre in my opinion...but hopefully, soon...they'll start to get to where I can make a few dollars!!!

Ken

[mjs1973]

I know I just bought a p/s, but I made sure it had manual modes so I could learn photography...now you're saying, I don't need to learn it to make money at it???? (Just being sarcastic!!!) But I also know that if I don't learn the "photographic" end of photography, that all of my pictures will be mediocre at best. I still shoot most of my stuff in program mode, but I am now also switching and trying a few shots with the manual mode, with some success I might add!!! Still mediocre in my opinion...but hopefully, soon...they'll start to get to where I can make a few dollars!!!

Ken

I'm right with you Ken. I still use program mode once in a great while for snapshots, but I still want to learn more and more about photography. Both of the women I was talking about have DSLR's but are using them as p&s. I don't think that's a bad thing, but I do find it a bit frustrating that I know much more about thier gear and how to use it than they do, but they are the ones cashing the checks.

On a more positive note, it has motivated me to get my butt in gear so I can get my name out there this Spring.

[Michael Fanelli]

How did a new forum get by me? I was directed here and shocked to see where I landed.

Unfortunately, I don't have a lot to stir up here. I am one of those photographers who gives away my work. A few times, small companies have seen my web site and found photos they like. They asked permission to use them (!) and I gave it to them. For friends and fellow workers, if someone wants a print of an image, I'll get it done for them and just charge them what it cost me. I don't do "extra" work, its all or nothing, so my time is minimal.

I am now teaching. If someone wants to go to the library and learn physics by themselves, should I claim that the loaning of book cuts down on my business? If I talk casually to someone about physics (yes, that does happen!), am I stealing money out of my own pocket?

I realize that many pros don't like this, they really do see it as taking money out of their pocket. But that's just not true for me! My friends aren't going to buy photos from some pro, it's me or nothing. Those companies were not IBM or GE! They were small without a lot of money. They couldn't afford a pro even if they wanted to. This is not your market, there is no money potential to begin with.

The business side of being a pro makes amateur photography a lot more interesting! I'll keep giving away work because (1) its not as good as most pros anyway and (2) it keeps me free to take photos that please only me.