Sadly, I have no nephews or nieces- that's the way my family situation worked out. Haply, over the years, a few of my close friends endowed me with the title of Honorary Uncle to their children- it's an honor- I love it! Officially, I am a "Daddy" and a "Grandpa" so I am also known as Grandpa Ed! The only name that bugs me is Mr. Ed- he was a talking horse in a TV series back in the 60s. Kinda like Frances the Talking Mule of WWI movie fame. Well- I suppose that's better than being named for a talking Volkswagen- remember "My Mother the Car"?
Just for the record, I have never resented amateur photographers, even the ones who take pictures at my wedding assignments. Sure, they can become an unmitigated pain in the neck if things get out of hand but in reality, most folks are nice and things can be worked out. you gotta have a way with people in this job.i want all the guest to fully enjoy the wedding celebrations. I have learned how to control the "cell phone paparazzi".
People hiring amateur photographers for their weddings is certainly nothing new and has very little to do with the digital age. Some folks just don't have the budget for a professional photographer and some have the funds but don't consider it a priority. So...they get a benevolent relative, friend, or photography student with a camera and let them do the honors. Perhaps they get a kid who wants the experience? Back in the day, it may have been Uncle George with his spiffy new Speed Graphic and nowadays kindly Uncle George may very well sport a top-of-the-line Canon, Nikon or even an outrageously costly digital Hasselblad. We have all heard the expression "Let George do it"!
We all know, or at least should realize that CAMERAS don't make great photographs, great photographers do that. Cameras are only hardware- they don't come from the factory with brains, artistry, creativity or passion and compassion- they are merely tools. Cameras don't REALLY have intelligence, even the ones with (i) designations! Photographers who worry about who has the most expensive camera is worrying about the wrong issues.
As a professional photographer and business guy, I am interested ONLY in the folks who CAN afford my services and DO consider their wedding photography, at least, one of their priorities. I don't need to be the "star" of the wedding and in fact, I prefer to go virtually unnoticed for most of the day. I, however, don't want to be hired on as a necessary evil and go through the entire job "pulling teeth" for every shot. Most of the complaints I hear from wedding photographers about extremely difficult clients and disproportionately arduous jobs are usually caused by poor planning resulting in not having the clients and their photographers on the same page.
The point I am trying to arrive at? I will present this in some words of advice for the professional wedding photographers who worry about, hate, resent fear or want to eradicate all of the UNCLES WITH CAMERAS. If you are a true pro, theses folks are not your competition. Your real competitors are OTHER GOOD PROS who actually know what the are doing and are consistently providing their clients with top quality images and service. If the amateurs are actually impacting you business to any significant extent, you need to engage in a troubleshooting venture. This involves a great deal of introspection and that MAY be painful but it will pay off. REMEMBER- NO PAIN, NO GAIN! Ask yourself theses questions:
1. Is my work and service significantly better that the amateurs? If it's not, it's time to tune it up!
2. Is my work up to professional standards but is being somehow under-appreciated or unknown to my potential customer base? If this it is the case, it is time to examine your promotional and marketing program or the lack there of. Y'all gotta get out there and strut your stuff. Ain't nobody gonna knock your doors down. Online activities are not sufficient enough to generate a goodly amount of new business. Networking with other wedding industry vendors, participating in bridal shows and exhibits, and getting some publicity via you local newspapers and broadcast media can be a boon to you business and help to separate you form the amateurs and open up new markets.
3. Am I "barking up the wrong tree" or playing for the wrong audience? You may be appealing to the wrong market. It may be time for you to expand your service area, advertise via social media and other means in a more affluent or more art-appreciative marketplace.
Getting back to Bob's great and entertaining post: I don't have an "Uncle BOB. in my family or my vocabulary. After all, over 70% of my wedding photography is done in the ethnic and multicultural communities in my area. I have no real or imagined "uncles" with Anglo-Saxon names! I do have, however, lots of "Uncles" with names like Giuseppe, Gustav, Aristotle, Mohammad, Vladimir, Antonio, Hymen, Igor, Oscar, Fernando, and a whole bunch of Asian names that I can't even spell. A few of them even like to take pictures- God bless them!
Oh... and it so happens that all the BOBs or Roberts that I know and who happen to be professionals photographers are all great guys and masters of their art!
Kindest regards, Ed