Lots of Photographers
Man-o-man, there are a lot of photographers out there. Or seemingly-people who CALL themselves photographers.
They start a photography business because they got a new camera from their aunt for their birthday, Hanakah or some other holiday.
Those who got a camera for their birthday or other celebration and are making photos of people without any training or experience. They are making headshots and portraits like me that are just a step above what a good cellphone camera might make. And because of covid and other reasons, they decide to go into the photography business and make headshots, portraits and shoot events in the Charlotte, NC area and all over the country.
It used to be that photography was more of an art form, something the average person could not do. I remember working for my first newspapers, I was standing next to a physician who had a 300mm lens on a Minolta SRT101 camera. Nice setup a doctor might invest in. I had a Nikon F camera with a 300mm Nikkor f/4.5 lens on it. He had a son that was a catcher for the high school baseball team. We were both capturing action of that same game while standing next to each other. He asked a lot of questions and I answered some.
There was a play at the plate that involved his son, the catcher, and we both shot our cameras. There was a collision. Lots of dust. And I knew I had my photo. I went back to the newspaper darkroom and processed the film and worked on making a print the best that I could. It was published in the local newspaper I worked full-time at. The doctor took his film to the local pharmacy to be processed and printed.
His wife called and ordered some prints from me-from my camera. I really couldn’t understand why. He had the same moment from the same vantage point.
The next time I saw that same physician at a baseball game he had invested in a Nikon F camera and a brand new 300 f/4.5 Nikkor lens. I was a little confused. I had him bring his negatives of that same play by the newspaper and in the darkroom, I increased the contrast of the print, burned in the dust and basically made as good a print there as I had made earlier off of my negatives for the newspaper. It was a solid negative that produced a really good print. And then it dawned on me and unfortunately, on him-it wasn’t the camera and lens that he replaced-paid amazing money for, it was the knowledge I had gained in the darkroom that made my work unique. The local pharmacy printed a very flat, lifeless print because that’s how they produced work for the average photographer. That work in the pharmacy darkroom had to work for anyone choosing to send their film to be processed in an average way. The pharmacy was where he was cheaping out-not the camera or the lens.
My experience and schooling helped me be more than average. I could bring things out in both negatives in the darkroom that he just didn’t see. The doctor convinced himself that the camera was the cause, but that wasn’t true. Money thrown at the issue didn’t help. It was my knowledge, schooling and expertise that made my work stand out from the local doctor and the pharmacy photo laboratory.
Digital photography has changed things a lot. I was lucky to get a couple stops of dynamic range from film-less than one stop when exposing chromes. And I don’t even want to think about the ISO or ASA differences. I can remember when Konica came out with 3200 color negative film. It was awful, but we celebrated like…
Now we shoot at ISO 3200 and not worry about the lowlight noise it might create. Shooting at 3200 is like shooting 800 ASA speed film. Shooting film at 1600 ASA was really pushing it and we saved that film for just the events we really needed it for. Digital sensors can see seven or even eight stops of light. We can photograph so much more now than we could just a few years ago.
But one thing has not changed. Ya better get it right in the camera. All the auto settings, dynamic range don’t mean a thing when the light ain’t there. You have to have a great quality of light and it’s best to get it right in the camera.
Along with all the mid to upper level cameras that have come along is an influx of “available light” photographers. “Available light” photographer usually means that they don’t have or understand lights and if the sun ain’t shining-they ain’t shooting pictures. “Available light” photographers just have to get the exposure close in the camera-they want to know more about the software and can care less about the image. They don’t need to get it right in the camera… just close enough for the software to do the heavy lifting. They sure don’t know how to manipulate light, use strobes or pose their subjects in a more flattering way. They don’t know how to put YOU in the most flattering light.
I know with my experience, I can bring all the necessary elements of long-ago film photography to the digital photo platform. I use a light meter because I care about the quality of light in my headshots and portraits I make near Charlotte, NC. I can make you look great in a headshot-often the first and only connection you make with your clients, customers or team members. Your face is your brand and it’s important to have the very best brand possible.
I use 2000 watt Dynalites in my Mount Holly, NC studio, old school for sure, to produce headshots and portraits. I totally wipe out any light in the room with those powerful strobes and photograph with only the light I produce, knowing it’s intensity and travel. I have battery powered 500 watt monolights for travel to location shoots. I use them in the same way-powering over any ambient light.
So, there is a huge difference in headshot or portrait photographers-even here in Charlotte, NC. You have to decide how important your image, your brand is to your customers, to you! Can someone with a cellphone shoot you well enough to communicate the quality of work that you produce? Does and available light photographer that just opened a camera as a birthday present and decided to go into the photography business good enough? Or do you need to stand out from the competition and put your best foot or face forward. That’s a personal question only you can answer.
Check out my website at www.bobleveronephotography.com and see if what I can produce equals the message that you want your customers, clients and team members to see.
It’s your brand. It’s your Image.
