Really there aren't a lot of polite words I can use to describe my reaction to the latest "Consumerist" article on scraping up money for the holidays. In that article the author, Phil Villarreal, makes the statement: "* Become a photographer. Most photographers will tell you that persistence is at least as important as skill in creating great work. If you know people who are looking to take portraits or holding a social function, offer to shoot it for free and sell them the pictures if they like them."
Picture a facepalm here. Really Mr. Villarreal? You think that becoming a photographer is as easy as grabbing a camera and immediately offering to shoot for free on the hopes someone might buy something? There are so many jokes to be made with this one I don't know where to start...so you start. What do you have to say to Mr. Villarreal's suggestion dear readers?
Picture a facepalm here. Really Mr. Villarreal? You think that becoming a photographer is as easy as grabbing a camera and immediately offering to shoot for free on the hopes someone might buy something? There are so many jokes to be made with this one I don't know where to start...so you start. What do you have to say to Mr. Villarreal's suggestion dear readers?
Comments
Even better advice: start a blog! Writing on the Internet will make you money in no time flat!
Or how about a dentist? People hate dentists anyway and they’re not likely to check your credentials. Go ahead and drill away, and if your patients don’t like your work then they don’t have to pay you! [/sarcasm]
Mr. Villereal’s statement is a bit misleading. it almost sounds like he’s implying that persistence can make up for not having great skill when it takes both. My late grandmother was certainly persistent, taking dozens of photographs at every family gathering, dozens more of every vacation she ever took (and she traveled a lot in her 93 years). Unfortunately her persistence never translated to good photos. Cut off heads and group shots that were so distant that even those in the photograph would be hard put to identify themselves were the norm. Mr. Villereal is way, way off the mark on that one.
All I can comment to Mr. Villarreal is this …
“Seriously? Are you for real?”
Persistence is as important as skill? Right, and a monkey addicted to typing will turn out a classic.
Depends on how you define persistence. Ninety percent of the time I can a decent (not great) image out of 20 – 25 photos. Sometime it takes 40 or 50 shots and more than one session. But if you define persistence as just taking a lot of random pictures then you’re SOL.
This is just another version of the sad new phenomenon called “citizen journalism” – the anyone can do it brigade. It makes my blood boil when someone admires my photos and says boy, you must have a great camera. I took the picture not the camera. Do you praise an artist by saying boy, you must have great paint brushes, or a write by saying what a terrific computer/typewriter/pen you must use. Sheesh. If by persistence you mean working hard at learning your craft, studying, refining your vision, then yes, maybe after a few years you can earn the price of your camera!
I feel for those that think they are getting a “deal” by having someone take free photos for their wedding, anniversary or other major event in their lives. I have seen a bride’s head cut off in her photos walking up the aisle. All the hard work and artistic talent that goes into photography is grossly misunderstood, and with the ads for cameras I am seeing stating, “this one can make you a pro instantly, it will do it all for you, just point and shoot”. That sure does not help and Londonferne is so correct in the above comment as is everyone’s comments. Persistence has to have passion and talent/skill to be a photographer.
Um, what’s that about “one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration”? Oh, yeah, don’t get any on the shutter button now, ya hear?
I recently spent 3 days taking pictures in Big Sur. One evening I was waiting at the Hurricane Point turnout waiting for an hour for the sunset light to hit the Bixby Bridge just right. A car pulled up, and a woman thrust a DSLR out the passenger window, took a few frames of the bridge, and then drove off within 2 minutes, tops. That’s most people’s notion of photography. Most of us actually get out of the vehicle.
Maybe all of the photographers that told Villarreal that work at Walmart photo? I for one say bring em on. Everyone rush out and buy Ashton Kurtchers latest camera recomendation and you too will be a pro! That just makes the job easier for the rest of us. I especially love a client that has a photo in their hands and when they show me they say..”I want it a lot better than that!” I always tell them “do not worry, I have a really good camera.”:)
I bought my first 35mm camera in 1947. For many years I had a darkroom to develop and print my own photos. I took photography classes and read many photography books. In those 64 years I have gotten a few really great shots. Most are average, some good, and just a few great. And I have taken thousands of photos. Tell this guy, “IT AIN’T THAT EASY.”
To Mr. Villareal, for starters you should change your name to Villa-unrealistic. Next, based on your immature and amateur presumption about photography, by writing this comment, I should qualify for a journalism position on the NY Times… well, only if I keep commenting and offer to sell any comments that sound especially good. You seem to know as much about professional photography as pismires know about physics. (Sorry, I’m trying to scrape together a little extra cash for the holidays and I was hoping to attract the attention of some journalistic e-publication by using alliteration in my comment, er, I mean my piece). You bozo!
Bwahahahahahahaha!
Photos are to be taken like a painting that you can’t paint and carry around persistance is not passion nor catching the same moment that a painter would paint but in a diffrent form. The didgital camera and adverstisement has made so many people think they are photographers sure you can take many pictures at a time and view them then and there and if you don’t like it start over but this takes out the passion of trying to create something beautiful out of a moment. or saying wow let me get this now. Another point is the printing is very important on finishing the picture up all of these one hour photos are not the same as professional printing.
Mr Villereal is mistaken. He is like so many idiots that populate our time. He has something to say and a place to say it. The problem is that he is mistaken. This problem is contradicated by another problem. He don’t enough sense to know.
I’ve been taking pictures for a few years now. I still consider myself an ametuer! If I had to put together a portfolio….It would have ONE piture, so far.