An Introduction

Welcome to the UTD Photography Club

An Introduction

You can’t make money off photography and yet many pros are dissimilating their precious secrets to the public. Photography has turned a bunch into gear heads. We will discuss the purpose of this club and at the same time improve our understanding of photography so we may produce awesome pictures.

“Long! This very essay destroys the value of photography. How can we even share techniques about photography without hurting our industry?”
~ a Struggling photographer

Hold on, I’ll talk about that too.

As students on a university level, it is our rightful duty to advance new technologies and methods. The public looks upon the university as the pinnacle of reaching new discoveries. Researchers break new grounds, and educators and students set professional standards for long-term careers. Yes, it is okay to dissimilate hard kept secrets in college. Yes, it is okay to make mistakes in this point of life. Yes, it is our job to set the standard for photography. Let’s not allow the public to devalue our skill. Some of us will want to know so we can make ourselves top photographers by time we graduate, some of us will learn merely for hobby or curiosity, and some will take this chance to meet other photographers and make friends. In any case, this club is to help improve our chances of getting our audience Wowed, for profit or for fun. I’ve held lighting demonstrations during the Spring 08 semester and am planning on opening more this fall.
Do you have something you want to share? Share it with us.
Reviews, rants about cameras, purchasing advice: all welcome here.
Suggestions for the club? Tell us that too!


Okay, that’s the intro!
Read on if you are looking to become a pro.

What we need are better photographers, not gear geeks.

Almost everyone has a camera whether it is a point and shoot or SLR. In the minds of many, a great photo can be achieved by a click of a button. We have all experienced this at one point or another. We thought that we can make 20x30 inch prints easily without much formal training. The problem is that almost everyone can get great camera nowadays. And while everyone has a great camera, they can all get a great print. When everyone’s print is great, it all looks the same.
The value of photography has degraded because of this. No longer do we need to hire a photographer. It’s become a DIY project. Weisgrau states that professional photographers fail to make a living on their own ever since 1973. The upsurge in persons holding a camera has created a never ending supply of cheap labor. Publishers have sought after more “rights from photographers for the same low and continuously eroding fees”. Stock image companies are letting photographers upload their photos freely but are letting clients choose their own price. Many stock photographers take no incentive in making any money from stock, only the pride in having an image sold and published despite the client’s cheap price. On another business spectrum, couples planning their weddings are now turning to cheaper options, sometimes even free labor to capture their wedding memories. Look on Craigslist and look at the ads for wedding photography. Some go as low as $500 for the entire shoot. This sub standard pricing has under cut the wedding photography business. Many who used to charge $2000 per wedding are now lowering their prices to keep up with competition.
P & S cameras automatically calculate the needed exposure, pick their own desired focus point, and apply overly amounts of post processing. As photographers, we need to work without these crutches and capture images that will make others look at our images for more than two seconds.
As mentioned earlier, people can get great images straight out of camera. Combining the vast amount of camera holders out there and pure luck, there is a good chance that an unskilled photographer will produce a sellable image. Buyers have a good chance of hooking a less-than average photographer and buy their products for cheap and that is how photography is devalued.

“Huh, how did she do that?” and “I wish my camera can do that.”

We got to outperform what those P & S cameras can do. We have to put value back into skilled photographers. To do this, we have to use methods that no average person can easily replicate, something that a P & S cannot do on its own. Also, using the right equipment that gets the job done helps to separate us from the mimickers using their all-in-ones. Incorporating other fields of knowledge into photography further diversifies the photographer pool; original talent will set apart us from the majority. Clients will once again be more aware of the talented. This club will help to share our knowledge and boost us to the right place we need.

Steve Sint proves that using film is cheaper than digital. The backup methods involved are timely and costly. Even in movie production, storing film is less expensive than storing digital (Bordwell). In both cases the amount of hard drive space for necessary back ups of digital media exceeds the expenses of storing film in a fridge. Professionals who use digital may use as much as five recurring backups. With the physical storage space and high corruption rate of data files, it is understandable that digital is more expensive. Sint explains that the expenses for digital does not stop at backups but continues onto the rapid change in technology.
Big camera companies update and replace their cameras frequently. It is known that Nikon replaces one of their pro bodies every 18 months. The rate of technological advancement in cameras has come even with the advancing rate in desktop computers. Many pros are finding themselves selling off old technology in order to save up for newer cameras thus creating a cycle of selling for less and buying the best. Already at this point, we do not need to think any further in why digital is more expensive than film.

We are here to drive ourselves away from this mentality. Not on which medium is better, film or digital, but on bad habits that cease our progression towards being great photographers. Simply don’t get caught in the cycle. Instead, focus on technique, creativity, and methods. Figure out user related errors and ask for opinions on photos. Don’t buy a camera every 18 months. Don’t upgrade your computer frequently. Don’t blame the quality of your photos on your gear. Buy the best gear that you can afford now and stick with it for as long as possible. As college students, breaking this cycle is even more important because we are most likely stretching our every penny.

We are here not only to discuss equipment, logistics, and creativity but also business methods. Be it contracts or negotiating practices, it helps to know when our skill is taken advantage of or being devalued. Knowing business will help prevent us from making the same pitfalls as others. I hope to meet some photographers who know their business because that is one skill that I think most of us lack.

Okay, so sharing knowledge amongst us colleagues is okay because we set the standard of photography. What about the pros out there who are sharing endless amounts of valuable information to the public?
There is another daunting cycle occurring here. While some of the professional photographers, perhaps already making a decent income, are giving away secrets, knowledge is falling into the hands of the majority. When the majority has finally assimilated that knowledge and applied it into their photography, everyone’s images will look the same. What once was creative and original is now old and bland. Photography is devalued and the quest for better techniques and equipment will start over. This cycle will put on an endless struggle for those trying to make a living off photography. In my opinion, the people who explicitly share their knowledge to the majority have no choice. They must not be making enough money to warrant keeping their secrets secret. They sell their secrets in DVDs, seminars, and books. Even to help boost their reputation to give themselves an edge over other photographers, they may give their secrets away for free; the majority will take what’s there and give credit where due, no money spent. To stop this cycle, remember that we the students of a large institution have the duty to set the standard. Don’t let those of the few determine the value of photography for the rest of us.





References:
Sint, Steve
Wedding Photography: Art, Business and Style
Bordwell, David
Film Art: An Introduction
Weisgrau, Richard
http://www.asmp.org/publications/whitepaper1.php