I love photography. However, photography doesn’t seem to love anybody. Like a $20 bill laying in the street, anyone could “pick up” photography and “use it” without question. Now mark my words, I didn’t say everyone is good at it, successful at it or gains the love of millions practicing it. The words I stated were anybody can pick it up and use it.
It is truly heartbreaking to learn, study and practice photography, all the way from the film days, well before the age of digital, only to have a teen with a cell phone and an app stuffed with filters gain tens of thousands of followers just “playing around.”
Photography is a strange beast, both a beautiful hobby and a artful profession all at once. Unlike most professions, photography has little to no regulations, protections and industry rules other than the basic business rules. Now, before many of you jump up screaming about all the “rules” you follow, you have to admit this: a person can walk into a store and purchase a camera system, learn from a book, tutorial or video teacher and then go forth and do, create and sell photography. No license, no insurance, no apprenticed training. Weddings, portraits, landscape, etc. You can not legally do that as a plumber, electrician, mechanic, roofer, etc. Of course, there are people who have ventured to perform in those professions without real training, licensing or insurance. But, the average client wants to know that the person tearing apart their bathroom is part of a reputable company with a history of good service. Not so with photography. A “photographer” can show a beautiful portfolio and that is all that is needed.
Now, before you go to jump up again, I am speaking of general photography. Not news photographers, or forensic crime scene photographers or high end commercial photographers. Why is this important? Because general photography is often the bread and butter of more than a few neighborhood photography businesses. How can a professionally operating photographer make a living if retired Uncle Bob lays down a sizable amount of money and starts doing photography because it looks fun and can’t be all that difficult. He even does it free because he doesn’t need the money. And I haven’t even touched on the $400 wedding packages on a certain “list” a lot of people turn to because they “don’t want to spend all that money on some pictures.”
I love photography. I still do. I have a business license and file quarterly taxes, and have added insurance to jobs. I have no plans to stop practicing photography. However, I watch for every opportunity to level up beyond the general photography foundation. To the heights the Uncle Bobs of the world shouldn’t easily label “Can’t be all that difficult.”
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