Everyone is a photographer—only a few will be pros

Nikon D2X, Sigma 120-300mm w/ 1.4 converter, ISO 200, ƒ/5.6, 1/750

Everyone is a Photographer

Almost everyone that I know has a camera. In the past few years I would say that for the vast majority of photos my friends take are with their camera phones.

Before camera phones people took pictures, but now having that phone with them all the time has made it not just easier to take the photo. I would argue that more important than just the ability to take a photo the one thing contributing to more photos being taken today than in any other time in history is our ability to share them instantly with the world.

Nikon D4, 14-24mm, ISO 100, ƒ/6.3, 1/1000

Every photo isn't good

Just because you are moved by your photo doesn't make it a compelling photograph. Why?

Everyone's personal photos help us to remember. Some of the things we experience are quite emotional and having a photograph to help trigger that emotion we felt the first time we lived through the experience does not mean that other people will be as moved emotionally.

There are photographers who consistently make photos that do move people emotionally and are storytellers. These photographers are able to capture a moment that creates an interest with an audience that wasn't there. The photos pull people to them and engage audiences around the world.

Nikon D4, 28-300mm, ISO 1000, ƒ/5.6, 1/60—Off camera fill-flash using the Nikon SB-900 & SB800.  The Flash is on the Pocketwizard TT5 and being triggered by the Mini TT1 on the Camera with the AC3 to control the output of the flash.

The grass is greener on the other side of the fence

"Everyone wants to be a rockstar or a photographer," is a quote I have heard a lot. These are two mediums that emotionally move people.

Nikon D4, 14-24mm, ISO 1000, ƒ/5.6, 1/60—Off camera fill-flash using the Nikon SB-900 & SB800.  The Flash is on the Pocketwizard TT5 and being triggered by the Mini TT1 on the Camera with the AC3 to control the output of the flash.

Around age 14 we begin solidify our genre of musical taste that will be played over and over through our lives. We love to play our favorite music because it helps to take us to our "happy place" and sooth our souls.

Photographs can do the same thing—take us to our "happy place" and sooth our souls.

So not surprisingly many of us would like to help others find those happy places and feel like maybe we should be either a musician or a photographer.

Gut Check

When I was studying to be a social worker I learned that one of the things we should help people to examine in counseling is are they running away from something or running to something.

Running away from something could be a disaster in process. Most people I encounter that want to be a professional photographer are running away from their lives. They are extremely unhappy in their work.

They seek the recognition in their jobs that they see being given to musicians and photographers. A dirty little secret is that many musicians and photographers want to leave their profession for similar reasons.

A good gut check for finding out if you really should be a photographer is if your photos stir consistently the emotions of people. The key here is people will want to talk to you about the subject that you captured and not about your camera.

Nikon D4, 14-24mm, ISO 100, ƒ/5, 1/2500—Off camera fill-flash using the Nikon SB-900 & SB800.  The Flash is on the Pocketwizard TT5 and being triggered by the Mini TT1 on the Camera with the AC3 to control the output of the flash.

Wired that way

There is a certain amount of healthy Obsessive Compulsive Behavior you possess. If you are looking at your work and realize that you could have done something else to make it better, then you are exhibiting some of the qualities of the artist needed to make it professionally.

If you look at your photos and see that technically they are fine and you can't see why you are not winning all the awards you are not in touch with reality. Remember musicians and photographers that are at the top of the profession move their audiences emotionally.

Nikon D4, 28-300mm, ISO 100, ƒ/5.3, 1/500—Off camera fill-flash using the Nikon SB-900 & SB800.  The Flash is on the Pocketwizard TT5 and being triggered by the Mini TT1 on the Camera with the AC3 to control the output of the flash.

Seeing from another person's perspective

Young children before the age of 8 seem cognitively unable to take the perspective of another person.

If you want to be a photographer that uses photography to communicate to an audience then you need to be able to see from another person's perspective.

Take a simple test for yourself. Take something that you know really well. Simple as how to make a pot of coffee from scratch and then talk through this as if you are teaching another person. Surprisingly many people struggle with this ability.

I remember one time an adult who was a genius but lacked some basic skills called my mother and asked her how to sew on the button. The next day he came to our house because he still couldn't do it. Well my mother didn't tell him to cut the thread from the spool. Everything was correct except for this step.

Sometimes you just have a slow audience. Every once in a while I will see this used as a humorous skit on TV. They will have someone tell a person how to do something that they cannot see and the person doing the task cannot see the person instructing them. What follows usually is pretty humorous, but will illustrate that it is very difficult to teach someone a simple task.

Pictionary and Charades are games that can be fun to play because it can be funny when we are trying to communicate.

You need to be someone who consistently wins in Pictionary or Charades for example before going pro, if there was such a category for these games.

Do your photos communicate? Are people asking you to take photos from them because they know your photos will help them reach their audience?

If the only reason you are wanting to be a pro is how it makes you feel, then you need a wakeup call and a good slap across the face.

Check list to be a professional photographer

1. Your photos emotionally move total strangers all by themselves
2. You are rarely satisfied with your photos
3. You have insatiable desire about a subject other than photography
4. People are asking you to photograph something for them regularly 
5. If you want to be an independent photographer you know and understand the skills to run a business. 
1. Know your audience
2. Market to that audience
3. Know your numbers for expenses to make a profit
4. Willingness to do what it takes to find work

Camera Phone or DSLR?: How much time do you have?

Veteran Professional photographers Greg Schneider and Tom Mills come every year to the conference to soak up more material.  Of course as you can see from my photo we are friends and enjoy catching up each year. Greg has been a past speaker at the conference.

I was just reviewing my photos from the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference.  I take these photos every year more for just me.  I am not trying to tell a story from my photos, I am just enjoying having some memory joggers. I might share these on social media where my friends tag each other to help us all remember.  They are taken for a more private consumption.

I contrast this to many people who come up to me and want to learn how to use their DSLR.  They are realizing their spouse is getting better photos with their camera phones than they are getting with what should be a better camera—their DSLR.

Kevin Vandivier and Ted Wilcox were both past speakers at the conference and seasoned pros.  They too come for learning and rekindling of relationships with friends.

Surely the professional photographers just know the secret settings to put my camera on that will help me consistently get great photos.  Is this what all these people are thinking when they come to me and want to know how to get better photos with their DSLR?

I then contrast this to all those professional photographers who spend money to go to a conference where for the most part not one single speaker got up to the microphone and told us how to set our cameras to get better photos.

Anacleto Rapping and Michael Kitada enjoy catching up with each other at the conference.  Anacleto has been past speaker a few times.  Today he teaches at Brookes Institute.

No one told us how to use flash to balance the background with the subject or to manipulate it.

Last year we did have Scott Kelby walk us through his workflow process for using Lightroom 3.  One year we had Joe McNally show us how to use multiple hotshoe flashes to light a subject and control them all from your Nikon camera.

Both of those technical presentations were for new things introduced and people wanted to know how to use the new technology.  But, for the most part the camera hasn’t changed all that much from over 200 years ago.  You still have an aperture, shutter speed and ISO to set to be sure the photo is well exposed. 

Bill Fortney, the Nikon Representative, takes time to help John Walton understand the differences between different model DSLR cameras that Nikon just introduced.  Typically you are hearing a dialogue where Bill is asking what type of photography are they doing and what do they want to do they cannot do right now.  Walton has traveled all over the world shooting for the AWANA Clubs International for the past 30 years.  Even with all his knowledge he is still on his knees before Bill learning something new.

Lifelong Learning is Key for DSLR

If you just want to know what settings to use on your camera to make photos and that is it, don’t waste your money on a DSLR.  Use your camera on your phone.  You will more than likely have this with you and that is why you will get better photos for the most part—having a camera with you when the moment arises.

If you are finding that you need a flash and your camera phone isn’t cutting it, then buy a camera with built in flash for those moments you just need to be sure the subject that is right in front of you has light on them. 

When this camera isn’t working for all the situations be very careful about your next purchase.  Buying the DSLR will not solve all the situations that the point and shoot wasn’t capturing.  Most likely it would capture the moments.  The problem is the lack of knowledge of how lighting works or the camera works to capture moments rather than the camera lacking.

During the panel discussion Lisa Krantz pulls out her iPhone and is taking a photo of the crowd and most likely posting to her social media outlets.  Notice how both Alex Garcia and Brad Moore are so use to this behavior by other photographers they are just taking this in stride.

What the Pros are buying

If you go to a conference with a bunch of pros today, you will see them walking around with point and shoot size cameras. They wear them like jewelry and proud to own them.  Sure you may see a few of us with our big DSLR cameras, but almost all will own a point and shoot.

Francis Bacon is using his point and shoot to photograph Jim Veneman with a student.

All the pros realize the simplicity of the point and shoot camera helps them rediscover why they fell in love with photography.  They enjoy having a camera with them that captures what they are experiencing at the moment.  Carrying all their pro gear all the time would help them make better photos, but they don’t enjoy carrying everything all the time.

Brad Moore has his photo taken by one of the conference attendees with their camera phone.

Why do all the pro photographers continue to go to conferences where they are not all learning about the camera settings?  They know they need to train themselves on why they make pictures rather than on just how to make pictures.

When you know why you are making photographs you will have the proper motivation that will help you tackle all the technical stuff and learn to master it.  You need to be reaching for lenses and flashes and changing settings on your DSLR the same way a person drives their stick shift car—it is all muscle memory.  You are not stopping and thinking about it you are just doing.

Tom Yu has Gary Fong review his work.  Gary Fong is the founder of Genesis Photo Agency and Christians in Photojournalism.  Every year Gary comes and invites all his friends to meet him at the conference.  Tom has come from mainland China to attend the conference for the first time.  Tom is now looking for an internship while he is in the state.  Anyone need an intern, let me know and I will pass this along to Tom.

If you bought the DSLR and not willing to commit the time to learn how to use it—which will be a lot of time—sell it and get a point and shoot or just use your camera phone.  DSLR is not for the casual shooter, it is for the serious amateur and pro.

Jim Veneman is never without his Nikon P7000.  He too is using a point and shoot over carrying his DSLR all the time.