gemlenz Loc: Gilbert Arizona

Was at the Pumpkin Patch with my Grandkids yesterday and it was interesting to notice how many people just use their cell phones to take snapshots of their kids having fun. Nothing wrong with that of course, however it occurred to me that there I was with my 7D taking candid pics of my family having fun too. How is a guy to make a living as a photographer when they seem to think cell phone photos are good enough?

JacLee Loc: Chico CA

gemlenz, I am disappointed. Thought I would see some of your candid shots. There is a BIG difference between "phone" pictures and what a pro, like yourself, can do. What the other people are doing are same as "snap shots". Same as we have done for many years. I have a P&S camera and have fun with it but I am far from being a pro. But I will go to a professional when I need a good picture. We had a family pix taken shortly before my husband passed away. I am so grateful that we did that. How awful it would have been if we hadn't done that.
Hang in there friend. jd

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

You raise a very good point that tends to elude many of us.

As photographic technology becomes so easy to use and most of the population are walking around with devices that can take photos and videos, the public's perception and appreciation of what a good photographer can do with the right equipment declines and is diminished.

"I think this is a pretty good photo. It is good enough for what I need. My friends all think this is a great sunset photo!" The next i-Phone will have 16 megapixesl; so why do I need a big ole camera?

Positive immediate comments from friends about photos posted on social media sites like Facebook, just reinforce this evolving perception towards mediocre photography.

Things always change, and this unfortunate trend will continue.

gemlenz Loc: Gilbert Arizona

I just means as photographers we have to become more creative about our work. We also need to promote quality and experience over technology. I mean you can get good shots with a phone. Instagram is just one example of how you can post ptocess right on the phone and, i some cases, produce stunning images. As you say it's only going to get better on phones. I suppose one day they may even have RAW on phones.

As professionals it's up to us to raise the bar by convincing our clients that we have what it takes to produce quality products. I did some home coming pics for a client and I know she was pleased with the results. These results could not have been achieved without proper techniques. Interestingly enough there was only 2 pro-photographers there. Everybody else had phones or point and shoot cameras.

I think it's just like when we went from film to digital. Not everybody knew how to develop film. I was one of them. With the digital age everybody's a photographer.

SteelBill Loc: Chicago

I been looking at Cropping to get closer and better shots.I looking forinfo on changing the background of taken pictures.A better answer is to do with your camera/laptop what they can't do with their phone

same shot 20min later and cropped

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

I am a docent at a museum in which all of our exhibits may be photographed. However, many of the exhibits are backlit by ambient light via large windows. I will often see a visitor frustrated because the back light caused what was expected to be the perfect available light shot to be greatly underexposed. I try to tell them they need to turn on the flash for fill, but phone camera users often cannot understand, have no flash, or have no control over flash. Even some P&S shooters do not understand or do not know how to turn on fill flash. They insist the flash is on if the camera is set to Auto-Flash. And they will tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. Fortunately some will let me set their cameras for them. My point is that the phone and P&S cameras will never replace even the most basic of cameras with manual control. Bridge & DSLR shooters have nothing to worry about!

skidooman Loc: Minnesota

A frustration for wedding photographers as more and more people want digital files just for social media. Selling a print/album to a digitally minded couple is (aside from quality work) is what sets the pros apart from the masses.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

i have a really cheap phone,toooo hard to take the memory card out. i see lots of nice pics from camera phones.however there are enough people out there willing to pay for "good"photos to keep "pros" in business for quite awhile.

Old Redeye Loc: San Mateo, CA

Why not show them the difference? I went to the hot air balloon festival in Reno this year. A couple was next to me, photographing the balloons with a p&s. I took a shot of them with the balloons in the background and they bought it.

Zenith701 Loc: Southern California

What the phone camera is really good for is the mass population recording their lives. In the old day we would go to a family reunion, kis ball game or whatever and half way through we would say, "Why didn't we bring the camera?" Now nearly everyone has the camera with them to take shots of Aunt Betty or baby Suzy or whatever. Nearly everyone just wants a snapshot for a rememberence. One thing I think that is in our favor is that over the years the public will be so innundated by garbage pictures that those produced by serious photographers will have that "WOW" factor.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

I agree that a beautifully composed and sharp photo by a pro is so much better than snapshots from a phone or such like. But there's still a place for a lot of those instant shots people capture of their kids or pets when the phone is the only thing at hand. We are lucky these days that technology allows us this freedom. When I was a little girl, my parents didn't have a camera and only two photos exist of me before I was about 8 years old. It's disappointing not to know what I looked like. Today there are hundreds of shots of my grandchildren because there are cheap point and shoots and cell phones. I'm sure they will be happy about that when they grow up.

DaveMM Loc: Port Elizabeth, South Africa

It depend what you want from the photos. I will always carry and use my DSLR, because I want high quality results which are worth keeping. My wife uses her smartphone because she sends (and, more important, receives) pictures from the family 10,000 miles away. To her, seeing what the grandkids are doing almost instantly is the most important thing, and who can deny this? But those pictures are not so much for long-term enjoyment.

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

Back when I was working at a camera shop (a 'real' one) people used to bring in little photos of blurry cotton balls and want 8x10 copy prints made. In time, I learned these were photos of the new grandbaby, little Billy playing with the dog, Aunt Sarah having her 80th birthday. We used to call them "itsy-bitsy-fuzzy-wuzzies" but to the owners they were beautiful ("just look at that smile!").
Were they "good enough"? I guess so, a copy 8x10 was $12!

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Don't forget to include 14 to 16MP Point & Shoot cameras, 14 to 16MP bridge cameras, 16MP fully automatic dSLRs, etc. in the hands of rank amateurs who point and hope the camera makes all their decisions for them and the camera does with amazing results.

Making a living as a photographer today is harder than at any time in history and will only get worse. It got millions of times worse this year with the release of the newest iPhone and iPad.

Marketing yourself to the "Cheap Commodity" generation of those who can't see the difference between a phone and dSLR won't make it any more except to make some hobby money or pocket change to take a vacation with. You must find a market niche with people who have higher incomes, less desire to do stuff for themselves (yard maintenance, house cleaning, and pool maintenance done for them), and who have high confidence in professionals who know their field of services rendered and demand high fees.

You won't see Uncle Joe and his bridge camera shooting a wedding for people who make $150K+ a year. They'll hire a professional. You won't see Chucky Cheapskate Photography shooting a special event for a multimillionaire customer unless it's his relative.

So the only choice you have today is to play the cheap commodity field for low pay to build experience and a portfolio of work then take a shot at the higher income market with prices that are much higher and stop doing the low paying jobs.

Potential clients look at your rates and determine in their heads if your work is good or bad without even seeing it, unfortunately. Tell a well-to-do client you will do a wedding for $500 and they'll bypass you to get someone to shoot it for $2000 instead, just because the price implies better and/or more - even if it's not true. Tell a middle to low middle class potential client you will do their wedding for $500 and they'll get a friend of a friend of a cousin's nephew to do it for $200.

Loudbri Loc: Philadelphia

great points everyone. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Jedi mind trick made possible by a big DSLR In your hand.
I've found that in most cases people will do whatever I say simply because I'm shooting with a big boy camera. I go to nightclubs and shoot ( with the clubs permission) and give the pics away for free,, for publicity. I see candid shots being taken all night long by everyone with their phones. 1,2,3, click and they're back dancing instantly. I will approach the same group and position them encourage fist pumping hair flicking etc. they almost always do it.
Guess who's pics I see on facebook on monday...