As photographers, our daily job is not all roses and sunshine (well, except for the days we shoot outdoor weddings 😉). While some “features”, like carrying heavy gear or having to market yourself, are inseparable parts of the deal, hearing certain comments will always be hard to swallow.
Photography is often regarded as a type of cool hobby, rather than a skilled profession. Perhaps that’s why many people, without noticing, feel the need to share their opinion or ask questions, they wouldn’t necessarily ask other professionals. From “Can you fix it on Photoshop?” to “Wow, you must have a great camera” – we bet you’ve heard the following phrases at least once or twice (or thrice…) throughout your career. So, as a service to your non-photographer friends, here is a list of 13 things they should never say to a photographer. Brace yourselves, you’re not alone in this.
“Why can’t you send us all the photos the day after the event?”
Because I need to download the raw files to my computer, select the best ones, edit each one of them, arrange them in an album, save it all to a USB stick and mail it to you or transfer all the files online. That will take me at least few days. If I want to eat, sleep, and work on my other ongoing projects, it will have to take a week or two. I will gladly send you 2-3 edited photos on the next day per request.
“Such great photos! You must have an amazing camera”
Do you get compliments on your cooking? Then you must have a great oven!
“Can you please make me look younger in photoshop?”
Yes, but it will take me ages (pun intended).
“Check out this photo on Pinterest, can you please do the same for me?”
I may not be Picasso, but I am an artist. And as such, I’m not into copying other people’s work. Nevertheless, I will gladly think together with you about a creative solution that will achieve a result everyone will be happy with.
“I think this photo will look great in black & white”
You know what else used to look good in black&white? Cinema in the 1900s. It was also silent.
“I have an idea for a photo…”
Awesome, go for it! Don’t expect me to follow your dreams.
“It’s just a couple of shots, can’t you give us a discount?”
If I was a lawyer, would you say it’s just a couple of pages? Didn’t think so.
“Can you make a portrait photo of me for free? I’ll tell everyone it was made by you!”
The compensation I like to receive for my work should only be exchangeable for products like pizza or tripods.
“Can I have the raw footage, with the rejects too?”
Sorry, there’s a reason they are called “rejects”… I reject them so that you don’t have to.
“Your work is so easy, you just need to press a button”
I wish! There are so many aspects to succeeding as a photographer, that you end up wearing ten different hats in one day. From creating a stunning photography website, to online marketing and actually mastering the art of photography, there’s barely any time left to explain what a photographer’s job is really about.
“Thanks for the price offer, we got my uncle to photograph the wedding”
No comment. Why put so much effort and means into creating a once-in-a-lifetime event, only to be left with below average pictures? Nobody wants to walk down that memory lane.
“You’re not allowed to take pictures here”
If I snapped a picture with my smartphone, would you tell me the same?
“Your camera only has 16MP? My smartphone has more than that!”
Congrats! If the quality of a photo was determined by the camera’s zoom, you’d be the world’s No. 1 photographer.