Everybody seems to be a photographer nowadays…until one approaches them and attempts to talk with them, well, pro to pro, photographer to photogrpaher. Then, everything seems to change, and quickly. The other week I was reminded of this exact thing, and multiple times. So, in this post, here is a list of things NOT to say to a pro photographer:

“Your camera takes great pictures.”

or any vation of it. Consider this quote, instead. Ansel Adams once said, “the single most important component of the camera is 12 inches behind it.”

“It’s easy, just press the button!”

these words of “encouragement” are offered without hesitation to a non-pro photographer, as a way of minimizing the role of a pro, and are oftentimes followed by a question from the person holding a DSLR or mirrorless camera: “which button?” (btw, same goes for magazine writers, who’re being told, oftentimes by someone who hasn’t written an article in their life, and it goes something like “you should be able to finish that article in twenty minutes tops, there’s nothing to it”)…I’ve heard it way too many times. [sigh]

“Can you make me [x years] younger, [y inches] skinnier, taller, etc?”

“Can I have the RAW files?”

Btw, the answer to this one should almost always be “No.” Exceptions may apply, at times, but, in general, never ever give away your original RAW files.

“I just need a few pictures, why do you need a two-hour photo shoot?”

That goes hand in hand with:

“How many pictures did you get? Why can’t I have them all?”

“Make love to the camera.” I know that it’s oftentimes meant as a joke or an innocent joke, but, personally, I find it…let’s just say that I don’t like it for many reasons, and leave it at that.

There is always “just one more thing” and not in a Columbo kind of way. Meaning, the client always wants just one more thing, knows no boundaries unless you are determine to enforce them, sometimes at all costs. “Just one more thing” can mean: just one more picture that I want you to retouch, just one more pre-shoot session or question or idea, etc. and so on.

And I could go on and on, and yet, I’ll stop here, for now anyway.

As always, thanks for stopping by!