Firstly, there are photographers who ‘turn out’ top notch work, and there are those who ‘’churn out’ absolutely appalling work. Some are full time pros and some are part-time “weekend warriors”. But having said that I don’t feel that product quality is necessarily related to whether people are full time or part time. And there are photographers who charge a lot for their work, and others who charge ridiculously low figures. Unfortunately, there is a market for all types of price and all levels of services, so I don’t feel that I should be too critical of those who turn out ‘cheap and cheerful’ work. After all, buying a Ferrari will definately make you a good driver!! ;o)
But I do have concerns about people who charge medium/high prices for poor quality of craftsmanship. I feel that when people are disappointed with the quality of the product and/or the quality of service it gives the photography industry a bad reputation, and this may be one of the major reasons why so many people feel that they can manage ‘without’ a paid photographer, and one of the reasons why bookings seem to be a bit down during these last few months. Personally, I’ve had dealings with one of these no-hopers recently and I just can’t believe his level of un-professionalism and the quality of his work. And he is not alone – last year, I was asked to provide expert witness in County Court cases involving wedding photographers, where the clients took action against people who claimed to be photographers but who turned out work that my dog would have been ashamed of…. ;o( There’s nothing that can be done about it. At the end of the day, it’s always up to the couple/client to look at the website, look at actual print as these days people don’t think twice plagiarising! I usually advice the couples who inquire about my services over the phone, always meet the individual concerned, ask for references and then make a reasoned decision based on what they see and what they hear…
After all, being good at something just needs practice and a desire to be better. I don’t see that in a lot of photographers. They point, shoot and chimp. Probably replace ‘chimp’ with hope.
