How the Douche came to be

How the Douche came to be
After seeing what was going on in the wedding photo industry, the fakes, the worship of "Rockstar" photographers, the get-rich quick being a photographer scams I saw bandied about. I decided to join the ranks of a few outspoken people on Twitter. From the start, it became apparent to me, there was a lot of deep seeded frustration at the "fake it, until you make it" types. The photographers taking advantage of newbs to both gain credibility, and popularity in the industry.

At the time I write this, there has been much said about a lot of these people. Most of it has been spoken from a place of frustration. Some of it, a place of anger. I can understand the anger. I really can. To me, the anger leads nowhere. If you don't believe me, head over to TruePhotoTalk.com and read some of the comments.

Who is the Douche
At this point in time, I would like to remain anonymous for a variety of reasons. Mostly, because I have many clients that use both Twitter and Facebook, and what is going on in our industry is really none of their concern. Plus, if you are to Google search any of the people in question, all sorts of negative comments are coming up. Mostly from the past few weeks. This does not look good for potential clients to see negative things being said.

Who I am is a mid-level photographer who has been shooting for, roughly, the past 15 years. Before that I assisted photographers, learned the trade, swept floors in studios, got lunch, carried bags, ran film to labs (remember film?) and went to school. School? What's that?

What the Douche believes
I love photography. Some days it's the only thing that keeps me going, to know that, at the end of the day, I pay my bills with money I make pressing a button. Not many of the people I went to school with could say that. And somehow, I've managed to make a career out of it.

I believe that what has been going on in the industry the past few years has gotten out of hand. It seems that anyone with a digital camera, some cool Photoshop actions can be a photographer. Have you noticed that many newer photographer's work all looks vaguely similar? There used to be a time when I could look at a given photograph and tell you who shot it. Now. Not so much. Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of very talented newbs out there. Digital has quickened the learning curve and you can get better, faster.

Now, I may be labeled a "grumpy" by some people out there. In reality, I'm not. I welcome new people into the industry. People with great vision, and vast creativity. I just think that many people out there are not putting the time and effort in to be a good photographer. When this happens, it really brings the whole industry down. Lowballers, bad photographers, photographers who can't deliver the goods do nothing but give the wedding industry a black eye amongst the customers. Practice first, make money second.

I'm not sure how much I will post here. Possibly from time to time as the mood strikes me, and I can't get my point across in 140 characters.

Stay tuned

Douche