Ever heard a stereotype that was so outlandish that you just have to laugh at how ridiculous it sounds. I’m sure a lot of people feel that way about some of the old wives tales so many people talk about. (As women, we hear a lot of them during pregnancy… you know the ones.)

Recently, I was confronted with a few stereotypes or myths about photographers. The comments came from various sources and interactions during my week. I found it strange that so many people actually believed these things to be true. It got me thinking… what else do people think is true about every photographer.

I set out on a mission to find out what people thought about photographers and I was surprised by some of the responses. So, allow me to set (a few of) the record(s) straight.

Misconception #1 – Photographers just push a button, so really anyone can be a professional photographer.
Ok, so I’m just going to jump right in and stir the pot. This is quite possibly the biggest misconception I hear about photographers. To clearly address this myth, it really needs to be broken into 2 topics.

Let’s start by saying this… Yes, anyone can own a camera and push the shiny shutter button to take a photograph. That doesn’t make them a professional photographer. Not even close. Just to start, photographers have developed fine skills either through pure talent or through in depth education that involves being able to see the light, color and composition of an image before the shutter button is ever pushed. It involves a creative mind and and eye for the finest of details which takes them mountains above the average person.

But, it doesn’t stop there. Part 2 of this answer addresses the first half of this myth. “Photographers just push a button.” Nope! Not even close! Before the session we are checking out light sources, cleaning equipment, setting up any equipment that needs to be tested prior to you showing up, and not to mention charging all the multiple battery sources needed to make that equipment work.

Not only have we (often) put hours into the session before we even show up with our camera, but there are hours of work that happens AFTER that session is over. There’s editing the photos (which if captured correctly in camera using those skills mentioned above doesn’t take near as much time as a non-pro), calibrating and converting that file to a format that can be properly printed, back up all those files in multiple locations to keep them safe, using their expertise to guide you through the process of selecting your favorites, and having those images printed on professional grade printers, etc, etc, etc. You can see how this is far more than just pushing a button.

Misconception #2 – Being a photographer is a glamorous job.
Y’all! I wish this one were true, but this isn’t the movies. Our job is about 90% business and work behind-the-scenes and really only about 10% of actually being at the photo session. Trust me, that 90% that you don’t see is time consuming and often monotonous work. No where close to the glamorous scene most people think of.

While it’s nice to think that we are being whisked off to a new adventure every time we pick up a camera, the truth is 99% of our work happens in our own backyards. Being a photographer is a tough but incredibly rewarding job and like most industries, you have to work your way up from the bottom first. Anyone who thinks otherwise might need to come back down to reality!

Misconception #3 – Photographers don’t ‘own’ their images, clients do
All right. Let’s address this topic once and for all. This is another one of those myths that come up quite regularly in our industry. Let’s take a step back and look at what the law actually says on this subject matter.

The law states that works are the sole property of the creator (in this case, the photographer) unless otherwise specified in a contract. The copyright of that image also belongs to the photographer the moment that shutter button is pressed. Therefore, when a photographer clicks the shutter button, he or she actually owns that image and the copyright.

What does that mean for the client? It means you’ll likely have to pay the photographer separately for that print, wall art, canvas, or photo album. Want the rights to print those images (if the photographer offers digital files)? You’ll likely need to pay separately for that too. It also means that you can not alter those images in anyway – meaning no scanning and posting on Facebook or Instagram with a filter. No removing the photographer’s watermark. No edits of any kind. Making any changes to the image is a violation of copyright law.

Misconception #4 – Photographers can’t shoot in bad light
Ok, so this one might ruffle a few feathers but I’m going to just be honest. To a professional photographer, there is no such thing as bad light. It’s light. Light is good. A professional photographer knows how to use that light to their advantage.

Ever had a photographer say, “I cannot shoot today because it’s rainy/cloudy/too sunny?” I’m calling bologna! Yep. That’s right. It’s nonsense. A true photographer is skilled at using the light that’s there or even adding to the light that’s there to create something beautiful.

Let me tell you story: I was on location at a local park that is quite popular with the area photographers. My clients (fortunately) had just walked back to their car to grab a wardrobe change when another photographer walked up with her clients. I was standing there with my lighting equipment (it was a gorgeous sunny day with no clouds and bright light). As she walked past me, she loudly proclaimed that “Some photographers bring their own lights because they don’t know how to shoot in natural light.”

Obviously, she intended this remark to make herself look good (and me look bad) in front of her clients. I laughed inside and patiently waited for my clients to return. As the other photographer searched for a shady area to place her clients in, I placed my clients out in the open sun, set up my lighting equipment, and proceeded to make gorgeous images of them.

As we were finishing up our entire session, she was still hunting for a place that was shaded enough to not blow out the image but didn’t have shadows of leaves and trees falling on the subject’s face. Funny enough, I later received a request for help from a new to the industry photographer who was wanted to know a little more about how I create my images. Imagine my surprise when I looked up her web-page and saw the same face from the park that day. From the look on her face as she approached for the mentor session, I gather she didn’t do her homework and had no idea she had asked for help from someone she previously tried to defame.

Misconception #5 – Photographers will just fix it in post-production
Ok. This is one that I get frequently. Yes, there is a lot we can do in photoshop. It’s a great tool and with it we can create some magical images. However, we really don’t want to spend our time fixing something in photoshop that can (and should) be done in camera. If you’re looking for something heavily edited like taking that image from your session and putting you in a magical world full of unicorns and fairies, you’ll most likely have to pay for the extra edits.

Example? Our Storybook Experience results in some of those more magical edits but that session also involved a larger investment at the creative fee level. Why? Because they take more work.

Most professional photographers will include basic retouching in their regular sessions (i.e. removing acne, smoothing skin, etc.). Want to take 20lbs off in photoshop? Can it be done? Yes. Should it be done? In my opinion, no. Distorting the image too much can also make the image look completely un-natural.

So, there you have it. There’s my list of top 5 misconceptions of photographers. I’m sure there are a ton more out there to be addressed. Have one you’ve heard that’s not on our list? Comment below and we will take a look at it.