|  I recently received a phone call from a young lady that worked, or perhaps still does, for one of my former print labs. She was interested in taking up photography professionally and was hoping I would give her some advice on how to get started. We discussed her situation for a little while and I starting explaining to her my point of view on how she should approach the situation. After a couple of minutes she reviled to me that she’d really just wants to learning how to use her camera and asked if an online photography course was good enough in terms of education. I have to admit once she told me this my inner voice said “Oh no” and I was more than a little disheartened. It seems to be a very common conception of the photography profession that the camera is the artist and the photographer has been relegated to a transportation device that brings the camera to its shooting location, I guess as soon as cameras have jet packs they won’t need us at all, Ha Ha! Since the invention of photography technological advances in the industry have continued at a steady and speedy rate, but in the last ten years or so that speedy rate has increased to near warp speeds. Today’s cameras are capable of quality and speed that were unthinkable at almost any other time in the medium’s history and affords photographers many luxuries that save time and increase productivity and profitability. In achieving these advances however I’m afraid we’ve sacrificed the one thing that all industries need to survive, demand. While there are still plenty of people out there that understand the importance of professional photography in all its forms, from portraits and weddings to fine art and home décor, that number continues to become smaller and smaller every day. It is clear to me via my conversations with clients and photographers alike, that the feeling that the microprocessor is the most important part of the photography equation is growing at a rate that far exceeds the thought that a photographer creates the image and the camera is simply a tool in which the finely traded and creative artist uses to craft their vision. Because of this rapidly changing mentality more and more people are asking friends and relatives, who have a nice camera, to take their family portrait or to decorate their home and office with their images of the Grand Canyon at noon. If this mentality continues the act of going to a professional photographer won’t completely die but the definition of what a professional is will most certainly change dramatically. Many of the big retailers already call their high school employees “Professionals” and if the public’s perception of the camera being the primary force behind wonderful, beautiful and professional photography continues along the same course, then we, as photographers, face the almost complete fall of our industry in the not too distant future. As photographers we need to start to educate the public and while some or perhaps many photographers are already doing so, it’s an educational “program” that needs to be taken on by all photographers working in the industry, from portraits and weddings to fine art and commercial, to let our clients know that the most important part of a photograph is the photographer. In addition, the large photography associations such as PPA and WPPI need to get into the mix and take a much more active role in educating the public on the importance of professional photography and what sets a professional apart. This is far from an unreasonable request and is in fact one that is an expectation in most professional associations, have you ever seen the “Got Milk” ads or how about a commercial for McDonalds or any other franchise? Large photography associations must start to take a very active and public role in the form of television, radio and print advertising to do what individual professionals can not because of time and resources, mass inform and educate. After all, it’s in their own best interest, as there associations cannot exist if the industry doesn’t exist; the dues we pay to these associations everywhere should give us something in return and a well educated client is one of them. At the end of the day it’s going to come down to the working professional photographers to get out there and really work hard, and do so in unity, to guide the public in the understanding that cameras are simply a tool and it’s the photographer that must know how to use that tool, in association with many others such as lighting and posing, to create something unique, beautiful and one of a kind. Unfortunately I fear that when the end of the day finally comes we’ll all be out photographing the sun as its setting on our profession. The two images above are a reflection of the present and future, the top image is a very quick family snapshot that I took not to long ago, I used a cheap point and shoot camera didn't spend anytime posing, used no external lighting and let the camera make all the decisions. The next image is one of my formal portraits where all of the above is taken into consideration. There is a huge difference between the two in terms of quality, artistry and the story that it tells. If we're not careful the photographer that can create that snapshot for $10 may soon put you in another career. |
