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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
11-12-2010, 09:00 AM
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I agree with you Ash, but the average person doesn't really recognize the difference between good and good enough. Besides, most of them (who don't know much about photography) think it's all about the equipment, not the user. Especially if Unkle Joe has a long lens or a big lens, they think he has professional equipment and can do just as well, or about as well, as a "high-priced" professional.
I realize and respect what wedding photographers do, mainly because I also shoot professionally. I'm asked occasionally to shoot a wedding, and I always refuse, suggesting they get a good wedding photographer, because I realize it is a specalized field and I couldn't do as good a job. Besides, I'd rather deal with animals than people.
I will add, however, that from what I've seen from local wedding photographers (who have storefronts) in this rural area, there are many who get into the profession with the idea that equipment makes all the difference. Unkle Joe will do it for free, but Aunt Mary has a shop, and she will do it for half of what those other guys charge. Truth is, she isn't much better, but she's got a Nikon.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
11-11-2010, 06:22 PM
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I think it is best to be candid about all this.
There are free images everywhere, and microstock images dirt cheap. Images aren't worth much at all any more. Checking out the pentaxphotogallery will show you what amateurs can do (pros don't post there because their images are for sale, not for display on a camera companies' website). Are they all that good, or is the equipment that good? While there are some mediocure shots there, most are truly exceptional. Pros in denial may claim the superiority of their IQ, but it is overkill. The average guy today in auto can do what only the pros could do a decade ago. With good and great images for free, why should someone pay a great deal more for something just a little better?
The market is absolutely saturated with good, free images, and while there will always be some money to be made (if you specalize), it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a living at it.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
11-10-2010, 07:29 AM
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To be clear, Shane, I'm talking about megapixel count. Another pro on this thread said he used the K10D, which is about the same MP count as my W80. For most purposes, 10 MP is enough. Newspapers I deal with provide 10 MP cameras to their staff. I can't tell the difference between 8X10 prints from my W80 and my K20D.
As far as "having a name" is concerned, that helps no matter what equipment you use. Occasionally a wedding client may be impressed with the fact you use Nikon or Canon, because these companies have huge advertising budgets (factored into the price of equipment) that have sold the general public on the name, but in decades of doing this, I've only had one editor ask me what I shoot (last year), and he ended up buying a K20D.
My final advice, based up the wisdom of decades and an ability to recognize trends, is don't worry at all about what will work for professional photography. Digital technology and highly sophisticated auto functions is killing professional photography as we know it. I'm still making the same rates I did during the early '90s, and that market is shrinking rapidly, while the cost of bread is about 10 times what it was then. Because most anyone with decent equipment can P&S while rapidly running up their shutter count and luck into a good shot from hundreds of exposure, and then gladly give it away--just to be published, the value of images has hit rock bottom, and it's getting worse every year.
I can give you dozens of examples just from the past year to back this up. Most recently I was contacted by a multi-billion dollar company who wanted to use my images for a "direct mail" promotion, although their contract included billborads and everything imaginable. As soon as I asked what they paid, they stopped talking to me. They know that with a little fishing, they can find a good image for free.
It's not just publishable pics that are suffering. Wedding photographers are feeling the pinch as well, because most prospective brides have an Uncle Joe who just bought a fancy Nikon or Canon and will record their event for nothing.
There's really no future in it.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
11-09-2010, 06:38 PM
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I've been a pro for decades. I sell hundreds of images a year using a K20D, including numerous covers. It not only is enough--it's overkill for most things.
This year I bought a Optio W80 (the first P&S I've ever owned) just to play around with underwater shots in fresh water. I've sold quite a few inside images with it and two covers. Cost me $150 and more than paid for itself before the charge bill came due.
Everyone thinks it's all about the equipment. It's not. One of the design artists I deal with regularly told me he can get a publishable picture from a modern cell phone.
There are factions of photography that demand FF, but neither you nor I need to worry about that.
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