The Amateur vs. The Professional Photographer

We in the photography world have heard the argument time and again. Professionals claim that amateurs are ruining and undermining their business. Amateurs disagree defensively. In this new age of ever expanding availability of technology, the not-so-age-old profession of photography has taken a hit as more people peer out from behind a lens. Is this really such a bad thing? Is there a way to avoid this seemingly inevitable conflict? What can we do?!

First, we can recognize and accept that professional photographers are considered pros for a reason. They generally have years of experience and have trained their brain to see the nuances in the scene before them. And they have a stunning portfolio to show for it. These people eat, drink and breathe photography. Sure, your picture may be well positioned and properly focused. A professional photographer in the sane image will read the light to know the correct exposure, will study the surroundings for the best background and lighting, will know to wait one…more…second for the right amount of twinkle in the person’s eye. In other words, a professional photographer knows what to do to make a photo instead of just snapping a pic. This is why they are able to charge considerably for their time and effort, because they know how to get the perfect picture that you have paid them for.

Second, we can recognize and accept that amateur photographers are probably pretty good but just lack the final finesse and experience of a pro. Amateurs are always in the process of improving their skills and equipment to support the new skills. They may be quick to recognize the potential of a scene, but don’t know quite how to get the shot pictured in their head. Amateurs are often relatively recent into the world of photography, although there are some people who stay at the amateur level for years because they never feel the need to go pro. Amateurs fill that important place between taking a million pictures so one will come out good, and making one good picture. Instead an amateur can take nine photos and build up to making the tenth good.

This all sounds fine and dandy until the issue of charging for services comes up. As I said, there’s a reason why professional photographers charge as much as they do. The problem comes when an amateur doesn’t charge for their services. For example, a couple on a budget is more likely to hire an amateur photographer who only asks for dinner in return, versus the professional who will charge hundreds for a session. Sounds like a no-brainer to this budget conscious girl! But they charging food only for mediocre photos, the amateur is taking away a potential client of a professional who would have otherwise paid for a session of great photos. Obviously, not good for the professional. But what about the amateur? They have to gain experience through practice so they can qualify as a professional sometime down the road. I feel that by not charging (much) for a session and having a disclaimer about the quality of your photos, an amateur should be able to practice without offending a professional.

I am an amateur photographer. I accept this and highly doubt I will become a professional. I’m okay with this! I enjoy shooting for fun, for my portfolio, for the wall. But I also enjoy doing the occasional photo shoot for someone that I know. It gives me great practice and free dinner while giving them a budget break and decent photos. I’m sorry if this offends you as a pro, but tell me, how’d you get your experience if not by doing the same thing? So please, let me practice improving my skills while you go make some amazing photos.

Further Reading:
It’s Time for Pro Photographers and Hobbyists to Call a Truce

From Clutterbug to Neatfreak

I am a recovering clutterer. Yes, there is such a thing. I have hoarding tendencies that I fight against daily. I also have a bit of an OCD problem. Growing up, I was a messy kid, shoving toys under my bed, leaving piles of stuff on my floor. But there was always a path and I generally knew where everything was. As I got older, I accumulated more stuff until I have more belongings in storage boxes than I had out being used. I didn’t understand where this was a problem until the last time I moved and we needed a small U-Haul to carry 3 pieces of small furniture and all of my boxes of stuff. Finally, it sank in that I had a problem and that I needed to do something about it.

My transformation began two years ago when I moved in with my parents. I realized that I needed to lower my “stuff footprint.” All fine and good but where do I start? I had so much stuff I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume. After mostly settling in, I found a box, a box of stuff that hadn’t found a home yet, and I decided to go through this box. And so I found my goal to go through one box, bag, drawer, bin and shelf at a time to minimize its contents. I would do my cleaning chores on Saturday morning weekly. I would start going through my closet monthly and pulling out clothes and shoes to pass on. Once I had these goals in mind, I was ready to take it to the next step.

One of the more difficult aspects of organizing is figuring out how to organize to your advantage. I know I’m a visual person so I needed to organize with clear or open containers and color order. Before I ran out to buy boxes and bins, I evaluated my belongings and how they should be stored. Shoes went into clear plastic shoeboxes that now stack neatly in the closet. Winter gear is in a plastic bin that can easily be tossed in the attic or hall closet during the summer. While my file cabinet is in the closet, out of sight, I have a ladder shelf with my pre-filing open top bins, one for receipts, to-be-filed, and important papers. My closet clothes are arranged in type order then color order, ex. sleeveless then short-sleeved then long-sleeved, each in color order. My dresser clothes are arranged by most used in the top drawers, like sock and t-shirts, to least used in the bottom, like my very nice collection of exercise clothes. In the bathroom, hair supplies and toiletries go under the main sink while facial care and cleaning supplies go under the extra sink because I use those objects at the different sinks. So that’s how I organize.

Now the hardest part of all of this is maintaining the clean. Fortunately for me, though I may be a clutterer, I also have OCD tendencies. Which means once my room is clean, it’s much easier to keep it that way because of the compulsion to keep it clean. This is easily done with starting the day by making the bed as soon as I get out of it. Acts as a burst of energy and discourages me from sneaking back into bed! After that, everything goes back in its place, wherever it came from. Shoes back in the shoeboxes in the closet, coat on the hanger, keys on hook, phone on desk. After washing sheets and clothes, the sheets immediately go back on the bed and the clothes get folded and put away. If I can’t fold them right away, I at least lay out the hanging items so that they don’t get wrinkled. My main rule is that all clothes must be put away appropriately before bed. This rule is a lifesaver for me; otherwise I’d have clothes hanging and hiding all over the place!

While it sounds like I have this clean room thing down pat, truth is I can mess it up in a heartbeat. It seems like one day of not picking up suddenly becomes a week’s worth of stuff sitting on my floor. After I blitz-clean, I remind myself that a few minutes picking up before bed could have saved me a few hours worth of cleaning. I also remind myself of this every time I’m tempted to leave my clothes on the chair. I don’t want to be a clutterer. In fact, I hate having the compulsion to cover every square inch of flat space available in my room. I noticeably avoid my room when it’s messy and seek sanctuary when it’s clean. So I fight against the clutter; sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. What matters to me is that I win more than I lose. What can I say? I’m human!

 

Links:

Organize According to Your Learning Style

Understanding how you process information to help you get organized, part I

Tackle Your Clutter Problems For Good

The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Dr. Robin Zasio