Photographers

Photographers

The technology advancement in the production of cameras has advanced in many ways. Today there are many electronic cameras as well as cameras on devices such as phones, tablets, computers, and even air pods. Recently we have seen the advancement in photographic accessories such as selfie sticks and selfie cameras in devices that enable people to take pictures on their own without necessarily needing a photographer. Many mobile phones and tablets have cameras that have a vast photographic lens and megapixels of up to 32 (Kelsey, 2015). This aspect enables the devices to take a high quality picture, which can even surpass the traditional cameras which need an experienced photographer. Many people are calling themselves photographers with a few ‘good’ photos they took on a vacation or a date with friends. Personally, even though I am good at taking photographs using my iPhone and camera, I still find it hard to call myself a photographer due to various reasons. This aspect of people calling themselves photographers has affected the growth of photography as a career for individuals. In this paper, we shall discuss why photography is not as a form of art, why I can’t call myself a photographer, and the advancement of technology in photography and its effects.

First and foremost, many people do not consider photography to be an art because many people argue that it makes use of an electrical device that uses the principles of chemistry and physics. The cameras that photographers use have lens, shutters, and films which all apply physics and chemistry procedures to take photographers instead of the human body parts such as a hand and the spirit. This argument is majorly used by painters and drawers who use hands and direction from their souls in the application of colors and paints to come up with the paintings and drawings (Wells, 2015). These painters equated the images from cameras to be like the fabrics produced by mills in the factories with little influence of creativity by man. Other people argued that unlike painting and drawing, photography as a medium was not useful to other disciplines of art and could not get considered as an art but as lithography. However, since there was a unique technique used in taking the photographs and using the images to express ideas and thoughts, then photography is an art on its right.

I consider photography to be an artist, but I don’t think myself to be a photographer because I do not meet the criteria required for someone to be a photographer. First and foremost, to be a photographer is someone who is taking a photograph professionally and for commercial purposes. By taking photos professionally, I mean that an individual needs to have a good and high quality camera, camera tripod, remote shutter release, camera strap, camera cleaning kit, and battery charger, external flash, and prime lens. These items enable an individual to take quality pictures that can satisfy the quality a client wants to get. Without this equipment then an individual cannot make good pictures and cannot claim to be a photographer.

Furthermore, a photographer, to me, should be someone that makes a large junk of his or her income from photography (Soutter, 2018). Even if the individual has another job, he should at least make money from the talent; otherwise, it automatically becomes a hobby. Besides, a photographer has to go through some training or have substantial experience in taking photographs. Even though the individual does not have to go and acquire a college diploma in photography, he or she should at least have certification or have experience in taking photographs. An individual cannot buy a camera today and claim that he or she is a photographer even though he or she takes good pictures. Although I have a good and high quality camera that takes good photos, I cannot call myself a photographer because I do have formal training or experience in taking pictures, nor do I get income from taking photographs. I consider photography to be a hobby to me rather than a career.

Some of the artists who never considered themselves to be photographers include Bruce Nauman and Michael Heizer. These were photographers who took excellent pictures which arose the attention of many people. However, they never considered themselves to be photographers but rather artists. Currently, there are a lot of technological advancements that are happening, such as cell phones with quality cameras. These advancements have led to cameras to land on many people. Even though this is terrible news for people who want to become professional photographers, it is suitable for photography as fine art (Wells, 2015). Currently, there are causes for photography and many websites that buy pictures. This development can help raise photography.