Photography is an art and deserves that respect
Photography. You pick up a camera, push a button and get a photo; right? WRONG. Yes anyone can take a photo, my 1 year old loves taking pictures on my phone. But clicking a button on a phone or camera does not make you a photographer. And Despite popular ads right now you will not get professional quality photos with your phone. Yes, in a pinch a phone is great. But a true professional quality camera and training is the only thing that yields professional quality photos.
Photography is a VERY competitive field. Especially with everyone trying to call themselves photographers just by owning a “fancy camera”. Photography is not just taking photos of people, editing them and calling it a day. Photography is about knowing lighting, color theory, composition, white balance, among other things. It is about being able to connect with people so that you capture true raw emotion. It’s about capturing those precious moments and being able to see the emotion when you look at the composition. Photography is art. You wouldn’t do a paint by number and call yourself a painter would you? Nor would you play with play dough and call yourself a sculptor. Just as painting, drawing, sculpting, and other art forms require rigorous training; so does photography. And just like other art forms you wouldn’t start by jumping right in; you would start small and build. Before even taking a photo you have to know your camera, it is a tool; like a paintbrush or clay. It seems simple because everyone has the idea that they are easy. But do you know about composure, shadow, light and how to apply your tools to make the composition? They require years of training before you can call yourself a professional. You cannot take one good photo, paint one good portrait, or create one good sculpture and call yourself a professional. You must be able to produce that quality EVERY time if not be better each and every time. This field is not for the faint hearted. And it is incredibly frustrating to me as a creative that people just buy a camera and want to call themselves a photographer. Like I already said this is an incredibly competitive field especially as a woman. I have put in over 12 years, and earned my degree and I still push myself to be better. As a professional creative you can never stop learning because to keep up with competition you must continue to learn. Photography is an art and it deserves that respect.
