The Rise of the Amateur Photographer

I came across an article recently that got me thinking. The topic was the accessibility of high quality photographic equipment and the explosion of amateur photographers who are now starting to displace professionals in many areas. I have been curious about this in the past and it is nice to read someone else’s point of view on the matter.

I have noticed over the last few years that more and more people are starting photography businesses out of their home, focused mostly on indoor and outdoor portraits of one kind or another. These photographers have no formal training and would most likely not truly be considered professionals, as they don’t derive a significant portion of their income from photography. In my experience they are mostly stay-at-home moms looking for some additional income or an outlet for their creative urges or people looking for a second job that is more in line with their hobbies. The only qualifications they have are a digital SLR, a large memory card, and a desire to shoot. Many of them take fantastic photos, a few don’t.

Were I a professional studio or portrait photographer I would be worried at this point. All of my evidence is anecdotal, but I know several families, mine included, that rarely pay for family photos, but rely on the services of a talented friend with a decent camera. We often pay in kind on way or another so that we aren’t taking advantage of the kindness of our friends. My point is that there are fewer and fewer dollars being paid to people who actually went to school to learn how to take photos.

Though I realize that this trend is only going to increase, I am a bit mixed about it. As a photography enthusiast I have always held trained pros in high regard because of their skill level and commitment to their craft. As the article points out, to become highly skilled you need tens of thousands of hours of practice shooting and trained pros usually have that and more. Amateurs like myself have to cram shooting in when we can, so we don’t always attain the level of skill we would like. I would hate to see trained pros that make amazing images squeezed out of the market because they can no longer make a living. At the same time, I am hopeful that this will be a very good thing, as the truly dedicated pros will realize that to stand out from the masses they will need to create more amazing images than they have in the past. And, the very talented amateurs will rise to the top as well. The only ones who really stand to suffer from this are the photographers not as dedicated to their craft or who lack the focus necessary to be successful. I am anxious to see what happens in the next ten years or so!