A few months ago, NPAC (the News Photographers Association of Canada) featured me, here. An interview with some front pages like this:

Special to the Oakville Beaver/Michael Willems

But one question I was asked stuck with me. They asked for advice about being a photographer.

To me that is a metaphor for “doing with your life what you want to do with it”. So when I addressed a University of Toronto ball last night as keynote speaker, this is one of the things that came to my mind. Do what you want: try to find a way even when it is difficult.

This is the answer I gave NPAC:

I could sound cliché and say; “Don’t”, or “keep your day job”. But in fact it is the opposite: “go for it” was much better advice. When I went full time into photography I went down in income by, oh, 85%. But I went up in life enjoyment by about 500%. And although I now work 7 days a week (I shoot, and then evenings and weekends I teach, both at Henry’s and at my own outfit, www.cameratraining.ca, where I train pros), at least I can sleep in every day – I get up at 8-8:30 am. When we say things like “don’t”, we need to keep all aspects of the decision in mind. Not just money.

Photography done as a profession? The New York Times seems to think so in this article today.

They are right that the triple whammy of microstock, cheap digital cameras, and the end of magazines and newspapers are bad news for photographers. They are also right that quality is not recognized: the quote at the end of the article is telling (and galling).

I think there is hope, however. For several reasons.

• Quality, in the end, wins out sometimes. In a McDonalds world, there are still bistros and Chateaubriand.
• Much business is gained by word of mouth, not advertising.
• Some events are too important to have Uncle Fred shoot (think “weddings”).
• The model will change. More pros are becoming microstock photographers. Any industry changes – this is inevitable. But “change” does not have to mean “vanish”.
• If everyone shoots, everyone needs to learn. This means pros who can teach will find a larger market waiting for them.
• News will continue to need coverage.
• There are other opportunities – facebook profiles, online magazines, albums, large prints: I see no waning in the popularity of photos per se.

Spot News

This is all complex and fraught with uncertainty, but we can be sure, I think, that some photographers will survive, even thrive. Many more will go part time. Amateurs will be earning more too. Either way, photos will be taken and some people will continue make money.

But I agree with the New York Times: It’s definitely not the same business. We’re not in Kansas anymore.

Why, some people ask, should I pay a photographer hundreds of dollars for some shots that Uncle Fred can do for free?

A fair question. It is clearly not that the photographer is getting rich. So what do you get for your money when you hire a photographer?

Here’s what.

1. Knowledge. I have heard it say that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at anything, from brain surgery to plumbing. I can believe it – I spend every hour shooting or learning about it even today. A working photographer has the hours of learning needed to ensure success.
2. Practical experience. It is unlikely that, when you hire a pro for, say, an important event, it is the first time he or she has shot that type of event.
3. Artistic insight. Unlike Uncle Fred, the pro knows how to compose your photos. He or she will not put every subject in the centre: instead, you will get artistic photos.
4. Equipment. A pro has the right gear for the job. My $15,000 worth of cameras, $10,000 worth of lenses and $10,000 of other equipment means something. It means that your shots will be tack sharp. It means that if we need a wide angle lens, we have it. It means backgrounds can be blurred out by large apertures. It means that if the shot involves low light, we will get it without motion blur. It means the cameras will work in the rain. It means that each shot can be written to two memory cards at once, so that if one breaks, the shot is safe. It means the colours will be right.
5. Post-production work. The pro knows how to finish the shots in post-production. Cropping, exposure adjustments, skin blemish fixups: often, a one-hour shoot means two hours of finishing, exporting, and uploading. Do not underestimate that: half the work is in the post.
6. Reliability. You can be assured that the pro will show up as promised, when promised…

And that is why a pro deliver substantially better photography service – and better photographs – than dear old Uncle Fred can. You are not buying prints: you are buying expertise – and in the end, results.

And that is what matters. Your event, your child, your product: a good photo makes it last forever,which presumably is worth the minor expense of doing it right.