There are several articles found on the internet that asked how do you know when you are a professional photographer, and should you be a specialist or generalist?
First off, how do you know if you are a professional or not? Are you making a living at it, simply, you are a professional. I’m not saying that makes you good at it, just that you’re making a living at it. That’s what being a professional means, making a living.
This is a tough idea to decide, but I think it depends on the community that you live in. Should you be a specialist or generalist? I think at first, as you are learning your craft and developing your style, take all jobs that come your way. But, as you develop that ability and your market can bear having a specialist in your town, then become that master of that specialty.
How do you develop that craft and your style? Should you go to school and get a well-balanced diet of knowledge in your chosen field or just watch YouTube videos?
People on the internet will argue over everything. They argue that there are options found on the internet: websites, videos, podcasts, and blogs that offer much information on photography and you don’t need to go to formal schooling.
Websites and the internet can teach you how to do some technique or learn about a new piece of equipment, but it doesn’t teach you experience. That’s what you leave from taking classes and going to photo workshops. You hear and experience the knowledge from season professional first hand.
Yes, the best feedback is from a live person and not one that will write anything just to be witty. Know from where these comments are going from, is the person just a beginner or a season professional.
I am a product of both worlds. I went to university to study photography both here in the United States at a respected photography program and a program in Salzburg, Austria. Of course, this was before the internet and the only place to learn your craft was from taking classes and or the school of hard knocks.
My first professional job after college was with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). I started at the bottom and had to work my way up the ladder as a photographer. Working in the photo lab, printing images, and moving into Quality Assurance.
Of course, I knew nothing about working in a photo lab, just basic tray darkroom processing. Knew nothing about mass processing and printing of film. Talk about having to learn on the job. My field of study at college was photojournalism, animation, and film.
My whole FBI career has been about being slightly trained by the unit that I was in and given just enough to do the job. I had to research photography by purchasing books and going to photo workshops to learn my craft.
After I moved on from the photo lab, they moved me into the famous Special Photo Unit. We did all the forensic and scientific photography that included photographing evidence from crime scenes or submitted by local police departments. An idea job for a law enforcement photographer.
Now when the Internet started, it exploded with websites and video content from people on a large range of subjects, good and bad.
That’s the problem with just learning on the internet, it’s incomplete and you are not sure if its good information or bad.
Sure, there is feedback on the internet after you post your images to a website. Sure, you can get lots of feedback about the image, some of which is not helpful or genuine. Mostly its jealous comments that reflect the ability of the commenter and which they try to make you question your ability or just to make themselves appear talented and important. They just want to see their names in the comment sections.
Be careful when uploading those images to the web, find a site that you trust and that gives well balance comments about the photography that is being shown. Another thing, don’t fear the comments, develop a thick skin. There will always be people that won’t understand and just plan to hate the work that you produce. You need to find a photographer that will help guide you to achieve the best that you can.
Look at photographers that is working in the field that you want to work in. Talk to those that actually have experience in the feed that you are trying to work on. About twenty years ago, I used to belong to the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and they are mostly wedding and portrait photographers.
A good photographer friend, Doug Graves, now since retired, wanted me to be a part of that organization. I photographed weddings for his studio from time to time and I thought it would be a good idea to join. Maybe I can learn something.
The PPA has certification standards that I was interested in. I wanted to see how I rated on photography and if I met their standards. One of the requirement was to supply a series of photographs that represent the type of photography that you did. So I sent in what I could.
I work in photography for the federal government as a forensic photographer. I could not use the forensic imagery that I produced for the federal government for the certification, but we also do portraits, groups shots, PR, and scientific images that I could send in place. The PPA wanted a fair representative of my photography, so I gave it to them.
The comments that I received were supportive, but you could tell, most of my images were outside their experience, specially the scientific images. One was a high-speed bullet flying through a balloon, with a high-speed light source stopping the action.
Because of the science of photographing high speed objects, you could not use over one light to stop the action or you would get ghost images of the bullet. The comments were as if I was photographing a still life and needed multiple light sources. They didn’t like the hot spot cause by the raw light on the ballon.A Professional, a Specialist or Generalist?
There are several articles found on the internet that asked how do you know when you are a professional photographer, and should you be a specialist or generalist?
First off, how do you know if you are a professional or not? Are you making a living at it, simply, you are a professional. I’m not saying that makes you good at it, just that you’re making a living at it. That’s what being a professional means, making a living.
Should you be a specialist or generalist? This is a tough idea to decide, but I think it depends on the community that you live in. I think at first, as you are learning your craft and developing your style, take all jobs that come your way. But, as you develop that ability and your market can bear having a specialist in your town, then become that master of that specialty.
How do you develop that craft and style? Should you go to school and get a well-balanced diet of knowledge in your chosen field or just watch YouTube videos?
People on the internet will argue over everything, and this is one of those things that get asked over and over. They argue that there are many options found on the internet: websites, videos, podcasts, and blogs that offer as much information on photography and that’s why you don’t need to go to formal schooling.
Websites and the internet can teach you how to a new technique or learn about a new piece of equipment, but it doesn’t teach you experience. That’s what you learn from taking classes and going to photo workshops. You hear and experience the knowledge from season professional first hand.
Yes, the best feedback is from a live person and not one that will write comments just to be witty. Respect and understand where these comments are coming from. Is the person just a beginner or a season professional.
I am a product of both worlds. I went to university to study photography both here in the United States at a respected photography program and a program in Salzburg, Austria. Of course, this was before the internet and the only place to learn your craft was from taking classes and or the school of hard knocks.
During college, I got an internship at a local commercial photography studio outside of Pittsburgh, PA. I learn more about photography there than my first year in college. My first professional job after college was with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). I started at the bottom and had to work my way up the ladder as a photographer. Working in the photo lab, printing images, and moving into Quality Assurance, monitoring the film and print processors.
Of course, I knew nothing about working in a photo lab, just basic tray darkroom processing. This was a big change for me, since I knew nothing about mass processing and printing of film. Talk about having to learn on the job. My field of study at college was photojournalism and animation. I was basically a generalist.
After I moved on from the photo lab, they moved me into the famous Special Photo Unit. We did all the forensic and scientific photography that included photographing evidence from crime scenes or submitted by local police departments. An idea job for a law enforcement photographer.
My whole FBI career has been about given just enough training to do the job. I had to research forensic and scientific photography by purchasing books and going to photo workshops to learn my craft. At one point, I had a comprehensive library of photography books.
Now, after the Internet started, it exploded with websites and video content from people on a large range of subjects, good and bad. You’re not anyone in less you teach on the internet. They geared every photography website towards teach you something about photography.
That’s the problem with just learning on the internet, it’s incomplete and you are not sure if its good information or bad.
Sure, there is feedback on the internet after you post your images to a website. Sure, you can get lots of feedback about the image, some of which is not helpful or genuine. Mostly its jealous comments that reflect the ability of the commenter and which they try to make you question your ability or just to make themselves appear talented and important. People just want to see their names in the comment sections.
Be careful when uploading those images to the web, find a site that you trust and that gives well balance comments about the photography that is being shown. Another thing, don’t fear the comments, develop a thick skin. There will always be people that won’t understand and just plan to hate the work that you produce. You need to find a photographer that will help guide you to achieve the best that you can.
Look at photographers that is working in the field that you want to work in. Talk to those that actually have experience in the feed that you are trying to work on. About twenty years ago, I used to belong to the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and they are mostly wedding and portrait photographers.
A good photographer friend, Doug Graves, now since retired, wanted me to be a part of that organization. I photographed weddings for his studio from time to time and I thought it would be a good idea to join. Maybe I can learn something.
The PPA has certification standards that I was interested in. I wanted to see how I rated on photography and if I met their standards. One of the requirement was to supply a series of photographs that represent the type of photography that you did. So I sent in what I could.
I work in photography for the federal government as a forensic photographer. I could not use the forensic imagery that I produced for the federal government for the certification, but we also do portraits, groups shots, PR, and scientific images that I could send in place. The PPA wanted a fair representative of my photography, so I gave it to them.
The comments that I received were supportive, but you could tell, most of my images were outside their experience, specially the scientific images. One was a high-speed bullet flying through a balloon, with a high-speed light source stopping the action.
Because of the science of photographing high speed objects, you could not use more than one light to stop the action or you would get ghost images of the bullet. The comments were as if I was photographing a still life and needed multiple light sources. They didn’t like the hot spot cause by the raw light on the balloon. Be careful where you ask for help or acceptance, it might not be what you need.
