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Opinions on "everyone being a photographer"

Everyone has a phone these days and its easy to take pictures of anything around you these days. Some may label themselves photographer off a single picture of a plate of spaghetti, some may use phones to do things for businesses as maybe take their website photos or create videos they need on the phone used. Though i know anyone can do what they want, i just want to know what other people think about this little curiosity.


Smile and have a great day btw  


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Reply by Ember Ashes

posted

Anyone can get a really good photo that can be something you want to hang up..... eventually....sometimes it's pure luck. But no. Not everyone is a photographer



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Reply by Nathan Gable

posted

In my own opinion, Anyone can pick up a camera/phone camera and take a photo. But.... Personally, I think that It takes real ability to be able to take a photo with good composition with artistic merit.... That's not to say that only a select few can do this.... anyone can become a great photographer with practice.


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Reply by angel

posted

i use photography as a form of art and experession. there r moments when i think there are more newbie real photographers than real good photographers. ppl rlly act like its a career that u need a phd for and unless youre stupidly good, just bc u know a few techniques that newbies dont know and can take a good shot of a person or a place, if youre just taking pics i dont think youre good. if there is nothing to transmit, if U have nothing to transmit even wether other ppl catch the meaning or not, if YOUR meaning is empty. then like, wow congrats u took a course to know what ISO is, round of applause everyone. i still care more about a teen that took a random pic of the floor with their phone and thinks thats great tbh.

its the same for paintng, sculptures etc. except youre on Monets level of art, i dont care for your art unless it actually means something to u. because i will never act blind to ppl who can do GREAT difficult things with ease, even if youre an awful person thats impressing, there r some photography techniques that many ppl cant grasp, the same as there is for other arts. but if youre just "i got thaught this technique at college" good, if youre just a good photographer that memorized a 'talent', if youre just playing by the rules then your feelings have to be there, otherwise youre just another person with a camera, and ill still care about the newbie that struggles with their lenses but feels thru their eyes and can only make good pics accidentaly than i care about your "quality"

go get hired at some company to take pics for their events and advertisements and go feel nothing, idc

if u feel a lot, if u express a lot, and also know a lot of impressive things about it then youre not a good ph youre a great fucking artist


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Reply by angel

posted

and about phone photography well im poor and ppl around me are either poor or dont have a good camera in their phone so its like i dont even have a personal chriteria to work around i dont wanna assume things based on what i see online i need to see it first person irl lol


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Reply by callmebrutus

posted
updated

even if so, whats so bad in it? until it doesnt minimise the others hobbies a-ka 'its not a real hobby if anyone can take a picture'' idc really 


for me personally photography is the same art as any other form of it. and the main purpose of art is expressing feelings, project ur emotions and to tell some sort of story. if u r really enjoying it and its something that u WANT to do,  im not a judge here then. who i am to tell u off?



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Reply by Nia ★🎸🎧⋆。 °⋆

posted

Not everyone is a photographer imo


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Reply by SleepyCalaban

posted

To me being a photographer is having that passion and drive to do it. Even if it's only a hobby. So no I don't see everyone as a photographer but I feel anyone can be one as long as they have that passion/motivation for it and try. Similar to being an artist who's medium is some type of drawing or painting. It's an art form. :)


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Reply by Jinnicide

posted

Everyone has a camera, but not everyone is a photographer (as that requires actual know-how, practice, training, etc)


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Reply by Nein MC

posted

I used to think of what I do as photography. Then I assisted a photographer who spent like 2 months thinking about a single photo, scouting the location with her, and when it was time to take the shot she set up that big ass large format camera and the model had to sit still for a 20 minute exposure. Sure, she did a quick test with a DSLR beforehand, but I had the feeling that wasn't even necessary. She took that one photo, and it turned out exactly as she had envisioned it once she developed it.

I love what I do. There is no shame in taking basically snapshots of things I like or find interesting. But it's not "painting with light". It's like most of us enjoy shaking our butt to music, but you wouldn't tell a ballet dancer "oh yeah, I know what you mean, I like to dance myself" would you. Sure, you like to dance, so you're a dancer. But then what is an "actual" dancer? A dancer's dancer?

Anyway. In my heart of hearts, I don't care about labels at all. I'd say if you love what you do, do it. Who cares how you call it.


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Reply by Anisa Mazaki

posted

Tbh, I don't really care much for that "everyone is a photographer" statement, cuz from my perspective, I found that it's mostly jealous and or bitter photographers who got some issue in their life going on, or pple with gatekeepery/ "purist" mentality (like thinking you can't call yourself a Photographer if you only use mobile phones to shoot and not a Pro Camera) -  who say statements like that.

I don't judge people for what they do with their pics or how they shoot their pics nor do I get mad at them if they "dont have the right/ proper equipment" - cuz there's all kinds of people who things creative wise these days. If a Stop Motion Animator, Graphics Artist, Programmer/Coder, 3D Modeler etc decides to add Photography as part of their creativity and decide to call themselves a "Photographer" - it's not my place to tell them No they can't call themselves that, lol.


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Reply by keytars_forever

posted

Yes, everybody nowadays has a camera with them 24/7. Does that make them photographers? No. But does having a "real" camera make you a photographer? Also no.

So what is it? IMO you are a photographer when you say you are a photographer. Because that means you want to create photos with some kind of artistic intention. By claiming the title of photographer you claim for yourself a certain amount of coolness. Professional photographers might be offended and talk about stolen valor. I don't care. Becaus at the same time as you achieve photographer status you open yourself up to criticism - it evens out.


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