I Got Skill

I could go on about this one, but I’m going to cut to the chase so that I can get this on the street.  But first let me apologize in advance for any feelings that I may hurt…  I'm sorry!

I’ve known literally dozens of women who have decided in the past couple of years that their new career would be photography.  Let me start backpedaling already and admit that a couple of them have a legitimate eye for photography, but most of them have about as much talent for photography as I have for piano composition.

Here’s the bottom line:  Buying $3000 worth of camera equipment doesn’t make you anymore of a photographer than a $3 million Stradivarius makes you a violinist.  Why does everyone think they can make money being a photographer?  It’s not the only field where this general assumption about “professional” level of skill is ubiquitous.  Graphic design is another one.  Just because you know how to use the “insert picture” function on Microsoft Word, you are NOT a graphic artist.  And yes, I’ll hit closer to home: just because you have a blog it doesn’t mean you’re a journalist!

I’ve seen some very good photography from self-proclaimed “professional photographers”.  In fact, this subject came up in the first place when I asked you, Brad, about who took the recent pics of your family, in particular the girls.  They looked really nice, so nice that I asked if you had them taken by a professional.   She’s really good!  We have a dear friend in Maryland whose photography is amazing to me.  She is so talented, and she has an eye for it.  Did she go to school for it?  No.  In fact, she was a grade school teacher who picked up photography after she decided to stay home to raise her kids.  She’s managed to be very successful in the photography business.

It can be done, but I would say that a very small percentage of the population can actually succeed for any length of time in their new photography business.  Most will last about a year, which is how long it takes for the initial business from close friends and family to run out. 

Now I feel like a jerk.  Eh.  I’ll be over it tomorrow.