A quick rant!
It's getting tough to be a photographer these days. PR Budgets are shot, newspapers are closing..and everyone has a digital camera. Suddenly, in the eyes of the public, photography is easy! The old "mystique" of photography..."Will it come out?"...has gone. One look at the back of the camera and there's your answer. Doesn't matter HOW it came out..it's enough that there's an image. Job done...why pay the pro? (Ask me nicely and I'll tell you my story about the accountants Grant Thornton!)
At a recent Wedding I had two seperate incidents that really highlighted peoples' current perception of professional photography. One guest asked if I was a friend of the Bride and Groom. "No" I said "I'm a professional photographer!"...and another guest asked "What do you do in the week?"
I've been a professional photographer for 32 years. It's awful to think that I'm now viewed as someone who's bought a digital camera and is shooting weddings for a bit of pocket money!
Rant over!
Historically, weddings were only at weekends and during my 20 years of taking social occasions such as weddings, the majority were at the weekends! What you did during the week was sift through the hundreds of pictures you took, visited couples to choose their pictures, made up albums and spent many a late night getting a picture perfect on the computer. That is what you do during the week. They (the general public) think it's a breeze, it isn't! Professionalism (photographic ability aside) is a frame of mind as is dedication to produce the best job you can in the circumstances!
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