What IS A Professional Photographer?
What IS a Photographer???
By: Candace M. Zynda (chicago photographer)
Lately, it seems that so called and self called “photographers” are popping up in record numbers. As a professional photographer, it’s mildly annoying that it is commonly not known what a real photographer is in fact. It seems that new random professional GWACs (Guy With A Camera) more commonly known as: self appointed photographers, are popping up everywhere. Now, most people just don’t know or think about all the things that go into the making of a professional photographer, the benefits, or even legal benefits… but I am here to enlighten you! 
This all started today with a very simple task at hand.
I realized that I have a speaking engagement in just a few days at a local middle school for career day. Yes, they asked me to come in and make a presentation to a whole group of middle school kids on photography and being a professional photographer. And, although this has been planned for a few months, my typical procrastination led me to today. Even though I have been thinking about my “career day” presentation for quite some time, I realized that I had yet to come up with a solid presentation and all I really had was a few ideas and a DVD slideshow. So, I decided to search my favorite search engine for a few ideas on wording about what it is to be a photographer. HERE, my friends is where my troubles began. Did you know there was almost NOTHING on wikipedia.com about photographers? And, most of the information elsewhere was so wishy-washy or not even written by a professional photographer.
Well, after some mixed emotions and armed with a glass of “Trader Joe’s” finest two buck chuck Merlot I decided to write up a little something….
What IS a PHOTOGRAPHER?
Photographers create images that illustrate a picture, document an event, tell a story, create an emotion, or depict fine art. Generally, the term “photographer” refers to a person in the occupation of making a living producing photography. To have an occupation as a photographer, technical knowledge of composition as well as a variety of extensively ranging equipment and industry tools are just as essential as the final presentation of finished work (the photograph itself).
Although styles and types of photographers greatly vary, there are industry standards and technical abilities that classify photographers into this skilled occupation.
There are many types of equipment involved in a photographer’s job, the main type being a camera. Most commonly, people classify only two types of cameras in this day and age: film or digital. Either way, cameras vary greatly according to their film or sensor size as well. Professionals may use a variety of camera types to achieve a broad range of uses. These may include: small format, medium format, or large format cameras.
In addition to a camera, photographers require a lens and in most cases a variety of lens’s to take pictures with. For professional cameras, the lens attached to the camera is removable and each lens has a different range, effect, purpose, and quality. These include: prime lens, zoom lens, macro lens, wide angle lens, fish eye lens, and specialty lens. The lens for a professional camera also can have a fixed f/stop or variable f/stop which will affect other camera settings and cause a change in quality when the lens is focusing on subjects farther away to make them closer or larger in the picture.
The lens on a photographer’s camera uses a variety of filters for effects and protection of the lens outer glass. Some common types are: UV filters, polarizing filters, red filters, blue filters, star filters, to name a few.
Some Photographers shoot (term for taking pictures) photography strictly on location, while others shoot in a studio. And yet others may use a combination of both. There are different types of equipment required for both situations.
Studio photography requires a physical studio. A studio is a space where a photographer creates a controlled situation for his/her photography. A special set of equipment is used to control light and one will commonly find a variety of backdrops and props as well. There are two basic types of lighting: continuous and stobe lighting. Continuous lighting, commonly referred to as “hot lamps” are very bright bulbs in a reflecting fixture that remain giving off the same amount of light continuously. Strobe lights, are special lighting fixtures that shoot bursts of bright light when the photographer takes a picture only. Other types of equipment commonly used in studio photography include: shoot through umbrellas, reflecting umbrellas, gels, barndoors, a bounce, clamps, light stands, backdrops, backdrop stands, receiver, transmitter, transceiver, boom, and soft boxes.
Location Photography generally requires less lighting equipment investment, yet many professional location photographers also use some special lighting equipment for special low or poor light situations. Location photographers generally need a larger selection of quality lens equipment to be prepared for non controlled photography situations. Because location photographers shoot photography in an environment which is not controlled, vision, technical skill, and problem solving strengths are essential to produce quality photography.
There are many avenues of photography that employ photographers:
Portrait Photographer
Senior portrait photographer
Infant portrait photographer
Family Photographer
Child portrait photographer
Pet portrait photographer
Wedding Photographer
Engagement photographer
Photo booth photographer
Commercial Photographer
Product Photographer
Advertising photographer
Aerial Photographer
Architectural Photographer
Black and White Photographer
Photojournalist Photographer
Documentary Photographer
Equine Photographer
Concert Photographer
Fine Art Photographer
Food Photographer
Glamour Photographer
Fashion Photographer
Landscape Photographer
Nature Photographer
Macro Photographer
Seascape Photographer
Underwater Photographer
Editorial Photographer
Real Estate Photographer
There are many benefits of hiring someone who’s career, reputation, and your satisfaction matter and are key to their success. These true professional photographers have experience, liability insurance, indemnification protection, and are usually members of elite photography associations such as the PPA, or NPPA (there are many others) which keep them up to date on everything that would make your experience with them the best possible. Elite professional associations generally hold their members to a strict code of morals and ethics, professional business practice, and customer service regulations. Technology changes so quickly, wouldn’t you sleep better knowing that your special photos are being protected with the most up to date procedures and back-ups? And, heaven forbid something DID happen to your freshly shot wedding photos (say the photographer’s studio burnt down) before they were backed up…. how things would turn out could be VERY different depending on what kind of photographer you had commissioned.
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