Amateur Photographers Stealing Your Bread
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at 16:48 
Every now and then, I stumble on a discussion about stealing the bread out the professional photographers mouth.
These (forum) discussions start with a amateur photographer asking advice about settings (like ISO, Aperture, etc), equipment etc. regarding shooting photos in a certain area (groups, head-shots, whatever). At first; some quick and helpful answers from other enthusiasts, but then the 'pro' photographer enters the 'room'.
Within minutes they turn the original question into something else.... A discussion about fairness, skills, and stealing the bread from someone else has begun....
Somehow they (the pro's) feel threatened by average Joe holding a digital camera (dSLR), and shooting (a cousins) weddings, or doing some work for a foundation or whatever. In most cases a low/no budget shooting.
On one hand, I can sort of sympathize with the pro's, because it's not pleasant to see other people 'stealing the bread from your mouth'. On the other end, they should (or could) have seen it coming.
Ever since the day digital photography became affordable to the public, more and more people started carrying cameras, and they are all photographers (technically). Just because you made it your profession doesn't mean that others can't play that game in their spare time.
If you don't have much money, and you want a photographer shooting your wedding pictures you might end up with a nephew (or another acquaintance) shooting those photo's. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. It just means that you've got competition. The bad competition might produce crappy photos, but then again 'you (the customer) get what you've paid for'.
If you don't want to give advice to an amateur photographer don't start moaning and bitching, but make sure to make a difference in your line of work (value added services e.g.) or find another job. Shooting photos is no longer for a select few. You are the professional. Act accordingly!
