Photography & Society; The Pro’s, The Hobbyists and Me
[by Kevin Lock]
182 years ago Louis Daguerre invented his eponymous daguerreotype and photography was born. With this new medium came a competitive and complex world that has conflicted the artist within and simultaneously seduced him/her into the realm of capturing the moment for financial gain.
Fast forward to 2011 and you will find that within ‘our’ society there is a growing division amongst photographers. A festering contempt of the pro’s for the artists and more specifically the hobbyists. I find it humorous that so many people within our industry see amateurs as threatening our existence. Some even go as far to argue that professional photographers are becoming an endangered species. I disagree. I believe photography is thriving. More pictures are being taken today than at any time in our history. And we are doing it well.
“Virtually all societies have developed some degree of inequality among their people through the process of social stratification.” (Wikipedia) This holds true for our photographic society as well. While there may be inequality, I consider myself fortunate to be included in this visual society that hungers for the photographic image. This society is alive and well today and will survive despite the drama. Society needs us; “The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me.”
Kevin Lock is a national board member of the ASMP. When Kevin is not trying to block Kermit’s cute little voice out of his head, he can be found “star gazing” .. half asleep , “hearing voices calling” his name .
3 Responses to 'Photography & Society; The Pro’s, The Hobbyists and Me'
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And like any industry that changes, those who are accustomed to the old way argue against it, and those who are innovative see opportunity.
I’ve been blogging about glamour photography for almost 6 years. I’ve consistently extolled the merits of hobbyists and artists, often acknowledging the incredible skill and talent many of them display. Is professional photography, in general, thriving? No. It’s not. Hobby photography is thriving. Art photography may also be thriving, certainly photographic-based digital art is thriving. But those three categories of photographers don’t describe the same people and “festering contempt” certainly does not describe how this pro views artists and hobbyists.
I completely agree that the professional photographer should not be scared of the hobby photographer. I am a professional photographer and if I find myself unable to differentiate my work from that of the average Joe with a digital rebel or point and shoot camera, then there is no real reason to hire me and I should be scared for my livelihood. Yet, I have studied and focused on photography and have a much greater understanding of idea, concept, style, composition, lighting, trouble shooting, and execution. I can produce results on demand and not just get a cool photo every once in a while.