An Interesting Thought

[nephoto]

I was shooting a hockey game over the weekend and got to talking with one of the other photographers (Sergie) about the huge wave of wanna-be-photographers that are sweeping over ever since the dslr became affordable to the every day consumer.

He made an interesting point in noting that he see's this as the same thing that happened a few years ago with people entering into the computer programming field, they saw what they thought would be easy money, and it turned out to be the exact opposite. The last few years had tech schools punching out programmers like crazy because thats where everyone thought the easy money was (and it is), but as my brother put it (he happens to be the head of software development at the company he works for) people need to love it to stay on top of it, and when they realize how much work is involved at keeping up with the changes in programming, they give up and try something else.

Sergie thinks the same thing is going to happen with photography, and I see his point and pretty much completely agree with it. People see great photos and see people getting paid to take them, and then somehow figure that it is easy to do as long as you have a 'pro' camera, because after-all it wouldn't be the skill of the photog that made the picture, it was all in the equipment :)

So I guess what I am getting at is that with any luck, Sergie will be right, and the market will die off and possibly become less saturated with hack photographers looking to make a quick buck as they slowly realize its not that easy, and let those of us who love, live, and breathe this work show the rest of the world how it is done properly :)

p.s. This post is not against those who take photography as a serious hobby alongside with their actual career, whatever that may be, but as sort of a rant against those that think photography is incredibly easy, and something that anyone could do with the right equipment, damn those people to hell.

p.p.s. It is also not supposed to make me sound like I think I am a pro, I just love doing it, and will continue to love doing it, far after I reach that status ;)

[blimmer]

reading this made me feeling all fuzzy

much as I'll like more people especially students to take up photography the sheer amount of photogs means assignments are usually given to those who have proven themselves. It gets increasingly harder for aspiring photographers to get noticed. How long would it take to build a decent portfolio? Photography wasnt meant for those seeking a fast buck or two.

taking good pictures is easy, taking fantastic pictures all the time is what sets the best from the rest. its amusing how people go shutter happy just because with digital you no longer have to pay for film. apparently practice makes perfect doenst necessarily apply to photography, thats one thing many fail to realise

[unseen]

in a way i agree with you, but i would hate to see photography become an elitist art. i hate trends as much as anyone, but i think with this one, the shutter happy people will sort of weed themselves out from the rest. as a hobby it's pretty easy to get into, but it's a lot harder to succeed in a professional environment if you're just in it for the money. i think you really need to have a passion for it to be taken seriously, and eventually people will sort themselves out.

[Joe[y]]

this is sort of comforting - considering i'm taking up a degree in the subject next year which really defines my career's starting point - and to be honest... the most daunting thing is that competition these days is unimaginable.

[Spearin]

Yeah, the pro-sumer market has really boomed... hopefully it will simmer down soon, but with the cost lowering on DSLRs, it is only fueling the craze. What I don't like is that it spreads online like wildfire. There's one forum I frequently take part in, and it really annoys me when someone posts something along the lines of 'i just g0t my rebel 2day h0w d0 i take g00d picturez?' Then once they figure out what the 'aperature' is and some other basic fundamentals, they start posting underexposed photos of their significant other and people are like 'omg sheez so pretty good pic!'

It's hard to get a decent crit online from people who are somewhat qualified. i.e. know what it takes to take a 'good' photo. That's what motivates me to start up a photography forum geared towards photo students, so it attracts that crowd who knows how to take good photos.

[xDreamer]

I have to agree with what Blimmer said above. Truly, I have seen a lot of people around me turn around and buy some of the same equipment I use (which isn't much) just because they think it will automatically have them taking "super awesome" pictures. From my experience there are basically four types of people out there taking photos:

1. People trying to catch the family get-together, reunion, or whatever so they don't forget it.

2. Those who enjoy taking an occasional photo when they see something they think is beautiful, cool, etc. - and they usually spend a little time making sure that the photo they get is the one they want.

3. This person is more like #2, they spend a little time (when needed) on their photo but take them quite often. They know how to use their equipment, and they care about composition. (This person is probably going to score the job)

4. Someone who is jumping on the bandwagon, thinks the camera will up their ability but can't create a composition worth anything. Pictures might turn out with vibrant colors 90% of the photos don't make any sense. :)

Basically the uprise of cameras we can ALL afford has helped all four of these categories grow in numbers, so the job competition might get a little tougher just because someone with real talent (who might not have known it) was able to get their foot in the door with a camera that didn't cost an arm and a leg and the ability to "re-use" their film... but the majority of people looking for a job are of course good ol' number 4.

There might be a couple of years (tops) where the real talented people might have a hard time finding consistent work... but when it comes down to it, you can't beat the real thing. A good photographer will be able to shoot with less-than-pro equipment and still pull off good shots when they are necessary. That will basically make the difference. Number 2s and 4s won't be able to get the photo consistently WHEN IT COUNTS. Job Security is... well, secure.

[se.nsuo.us]

As I see it a lot of people start at #1 and go on to #3 but at #3 they are not looking for making money but a hobby which they want to excel at...

[Joe[y]]

in the end - i think when the market gets so big most people well get scared of. only stoopid people like me will still go for it.

[xDreamer]

Count me in on that.

[Chazwicke]

I'm mildly offended by this thread. I have been taking candid shots for 40 years with all variety of cameras. From Kodak, Poloroid, cheap underwater cameras and nicer 35mm and that would put me in catagory #1 above. Basically I have enjoyed photographing my life, family, travels and such. For several years I have owned a Canon S400 that I could carry in my pocket for just those kinds of shots. I am rarely without it. I recently bought a Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D because it takes all of my old Minolta lenses. I wish to expand my parameters a bit more with this new camera. I have much to learn though. I look at photography totally as a hobby. I own my own successful company that is unrelated to photography in any way and am in no way looking to make money from my hobby. I just enjoy taking pictures and occasionally I get lucky and get a really nice photo totally by accident. I have another hobby that is all consuming so photography is actually a secondary hobby but I want to learn more about it. I'm taking pictures for me, myself and I. Not to sell or publish. I'd like to get better at taking art shots. I've looked at several galleries on this site and others and I see wonderful photos. While I know I'll never reach those levels I don't want to be discourged either. I for one am not trying to compete with any professional. Rather, I was hoping to learn from some of you. On another forum that is related to my first hobby, we welcome newcomers and newbies. We do not try to discourage them or denigrate their interest in any way. we try to encourage and foster their interest. I hope I have not angered anyone but I did feel a little put down by some of the comments above.

[Joe[y]]

Chazwicke i don't think this discussion was about photographers like yourself - so please don't feel threatened in any way. i think this discussion is really about how photography has become a much more accesible medium and therefore a frightening amount of new photographers are looking to a career in photography - me for one... and photographers who have already attained a professional status are just aware they are going to have to work much harder to retain their status.

i don't think this should discourage hobbyists or anybody who simply takes photos for personal enjoyment and do not wish to compete in a professional market.

[jkn]

Chazwicke - don't take the comments in this thread too closely to heart as they probably don't pertain directly to you.

...

I've been through this same conversation before on musician's forums. Technology will always improve and costs will always go down. Some people find it exhilerating to have so many more people able to join into the field and have fun with it - and I do understand the frustration of the people making a living off of something. There's also the saturation factor - lots of people don't have that bone in their body that drives them to self-edit themselves... They post every song they write - or every picture they take. I'm amazed at how many photo galleries I've flipped through where it seems every single photo is uploaded... that's great if the purpose is family geared only (some of my galleries are that way!) - but I don't try and show everything to everyone from a more artistic point of view.

Technology also flattens the field - just like the internet has completely gutted a whole layer of retail stores and distribution channels - digital cameras make it easier for semi-serious hobbyists to jump into the for profit market for good or ill.

I'm a hobbyist in both music and photos - or rather I'm semi-sort-of-pro in music since I've released and made a couple bucks (um, literally a couple) and played live and all that... but in photos - nope - I'm just a hobbyist.

And I'm thrilled to death that a dslr is getting close to my price range!

[jkn]

Back to the music analogy - this reminds me of all the live bands that started getting fewer and fewer gigs in bars because of dj's. And then all the wedding bands that once totally owned the wedding reception market and was almost decimated by... once again ... the dj. Ironically - I know a lot of people just setting up their iPod or mp3 playlists in their laptop for their wedding receptions now... technology once again eliminating someone. Radio dj's have also started losing out as stations consolidate under Clear Channel or other large owners - and some functions get farmed out to a central location.

No matter what industry it is - if it's remotely technology related (and just about everything is) - jobs are changing and will continue to. Whoops - speaking of work... time to go.

[Chazwicke]

Thanks! I understand what is being said now. And you all are correct about how technology changes things. I've been in my field for 25 years. As technology has become greater it made our jobs much easier for a while. Now some of the industry is worried because many of the jobs we do (Research) can be done online overseas in places like India and the Phillipines. Some of the work has already started being diverted to those cheaper sources and I see the industry eventually going that way almost completely. I own my own company and we employ 15. I am nearing the time when I might like to retire and I have standing offers for my company. In 5 -7 more years, those offers will probably be affected by the job shifts and my company will undoubtedly be worth less. Needless to say, I still am a huge fan of technology and I'm constantly in awe of the things I see coming down the road.

Again, When it comes to photography, I'm a novice really. I derive pleasure from the hobby and I never hope to make it some sort of vocation.

[nephoto]

p.s. This post is not against those who take photography as a serious hobby alongside with their actual career, whatever that may be, but as sort of a rant against those that think photography is incredibly easy, and something that anyone could do with the right equipment, damn those people to hell.

This is taken from my original post which started this whole thread. It was never meant as a bashing for those who enjoy it or as mentioned above take it as a hobby, it was meant for those who are making it ever increasingly harder for the good photographers to be found by trying to break into the market because they think it would be an easy way to make a buck, only to find out its not that easy :) People see it as easy/good money without a lot of work involved, but it's a whole lot of work, and I think thats going to weed a lot of these new wannabe photographers out.

Simply put, it was a post referring to the professional market, not to the everyday photographer.

Cheers