See the Difference - Know the Difference

"Does anyone know someone with a good camera who isn't too expensive?"  Those that make this type of inquiry typically are looking for someone who is slightly skilled but who isn't going to cost a lot of money.  What are you really looking for?  As with most service industries, you get what you pay for.  You can always find someone with a nice camera but they don't have a clue as to how to use it except in auto mode.  If you want someone with an average camera who has a little skill you could probably find that person too.  And if you want someone with pro gear and skills you can search the internet for a professional photographer.  What do you really want for your photography needs?  If asked that question directly one may get the answer that they want a cheap price - and they don't care about the quality of the image. They don't care about the quality of the equipment, or if the individual is using the right lens, and they definitely don't care if he/she has the knowledge of how to fully use the equipment.  This seems unfair to all the true professional photographers who have spent years training and learning their craft, investing in the right equipment, building their business and gaining years of experience as a professional photographer.

What is the difference between a professional photographer and an amateur?  One of my teachers once said that the only difference between a professional and an amateur is that the professional corrects his mistakes and the amateur never even knew they made one.  An amateur is not going to charge professional rates but may actually produce some decent "snapshots", even a great image or two.  Are you willing to live with only decent snapshots and maybe one or two great ones.  Great images, when captured and created masterfully, can bring tears of joy and elicit lifetime memories each time they are viewed. Each photo tells a story and captures a moment, one that becomes more important as each year passes. Memories and special moments are like that.  You never know when a magical moment is happening for the very last time.  Sometimes we are lucky enough to recognize we are experiencing a unique and memorable moment.  Other times, time has to pass before we realize how precious a photograph becomes.  The significance of a masterful image intensives with time.

The difference between a snapshot and a professional image isn't only related to it's quality.  Both amateurs and pros alike can produce a great photo.  The difference is more in the percentages and reproduction.  A non-pro can get a lucky shot - along with the rest of their typically average shots. Pros too can produce some average looking photos in the quest to get "the perfect image" worthy of competition.  The difference is in the frequency and the capabilities of the person behind the camera.  Is that image exactly what you saw in your mind before capture?  Can you reproduce that image on request, or was that just a lucky shot.  And is the photographer able to catch "the perfect moment" even at the risk of  an initially poor quality capture knowing that they can enhance the image through software.

Welcome to my world!!  I want a nice car but I dont want to have to pay for it.  I want a nice house but I'm on a strict budget.  I know someone who has scissors so I'm going to let them cut my hair. She's cheap! 

This ranting is not directed to those individuals who simply do not have the funds for good photography.  This is solely directed at those who are looking for "someone with a good camera" and who will work for next to nothing but can afford to invest in craftmanship.  You really do get what you pay for in photography.  If you truly don't care much about your images, there is no need to invest in a pro.  Get your i-phone out and start doing selfies. 

So what is the solution?  Ask anyone if they will work for four hours for free or next to nothing and give you everything that they have produced?  If you are a non-pro charging a minimal amount but consistently get great images, charge what you are worth (your skills matter) and become a professional.  Join a professional association, become more educated, hone your skills, get your business license, get your tax id number, get yourself some business insurance and become a business owner whose happens to have a good saleable skill in photography.

I go to my hairdresser because I know she is good and I pay her fee without complaint.  She has the right to charge for her expertise, education and talent.  I have the right to choose to have my hair cut by her or not.  If my looks didn't matter I would go to my aunt. She has a pair of scissors but dropped out of beauty school the first semester, but hey - she's cheap.  Some people may believe that there is little difference between a pro photographer and an amateur.  I know that there is a huge difference.  I have spent years studying my craft, obtaining and investing in my equipment, and building my business.  The more I learn, the more there is to learn and the greater respect I have for the master photographers I have been lucky enough to study under.  Photography is anything but aiming a camera and moving you index finger.  A great image first begins in the creativity of the photographer's mind and then is captured by their expertise and skill.

What is good photography?  In today's world of smart phones where snapshots are prevalent it is more important than ever to discern the difference between a good photograph and a great one. The Professional Photographers of America Association, of which I am a member in good standing, have a "See the Difference" campaign out now.  They show a professional image and "Uncle Joe's" snapshot taken of the same subjects at a wedding.  Shown side by side it is obvious which is the better image capture.  If you want to know more about this campaign please visit this website.  http://www.ppa.com/clientapps/seethedifference/#wedding

Once a marketing guru told me that you can't please everyone.  Not only in your imagery but also in your prices.  There are plenty of people who like the 99 cent store chocolate and there are others that will invest in and enjoy a european truffle.  To each his own.  But know and respect the value of what you are getting.  Personally I will save up my money and instead of having one chocolate a day I will wait until I can afford that european truffle so that I can savor and cherish the memory of that luscious silky delight for a long time...that is how special it is.

I have a photograph that I took of my father and my two year old son up on my studio wall.  Not long after that photograph was taken my dad suddenly died of a heart attack. My son, then two, is now 18 years old, and everytime I walk past that image, that I proudly display in my studio, I remember my father and the special bond that he had with his little buddy.  Can you put a price tag on an image?  I certainly can't, to me it's priceless. 

Thank you for letting me rant.