Things you shouldn't say to a photographer

Have you ever had to restrain yourself from answering a client who made impossible requests? Are you tired of people thinking that you take good pictures because you have a good camera? It must be said that as an amateur or professional photographer, you have often heard comments made with preconceived ideas and value judgements that make you lose your temper. So rather than getting angry, it’s better to laugh about it. It is in this sense that we propose this post with 15 phrases that you should not say to a photographer. You must surely know several of them and if not, you will be ready to laugh the day you hear one of them.

It’s the age-old debate about equipment being the most important thing in photography. As if the camera takes all the pictures by itself, without you having to do anything. And those who think this way also forget to consider the accessories that help to improve your photographic technique.

Many photographers believe that they will be turned into movie stars with Photoshop. You’ll probably use digital retouching software to finish your session, but some clients will always ask you for more retouching. When you love it, you don’t count…

The fact that the whole picture is in focus is an assessment that you will probably hear a lot. Many people are used to amateur photos where the whole picture is in focus. This is why they are surprised when a background bokeh or selective focus appears. This is when you need to be patient and when the photo is the best option to bring out the main element.

In the line of “unpaid work”, there is this sentence that many photographers have already heard, sometimes even from friends and relatives, who ask you to take one or two photos (and it is often much more, in the end). This is where you have to be firm and tell them that you work for a living, for pleasure.

This happens more frequently with beginning photographers. Very often, models, influencers or other more or less famous people ask you for a free photo session in exchange for publicity. It’s hard for us to admit it, but it has happened to us, to do work for free in exchange for a little promotion.

If you’re a professional photographer, you’ll probably become the official photographer for all your family and friend gatherings. No matter how much you love photography, sometimes you just want to put your camera down and enjoy the moment. You can always take a few pictures and then put your camera away. Or even better: hide it so that people forget you brought it.

Another example of a “joke” phrase that you’ll hear a thousand times over. Sometimes you manage to give your model an advantage, while on other occasions the magic doesn’t work. In these cases, pray that you don’t break your camera.

As a photographer, we know that a good photo is a whole. It’s not just the equipment and know-how that are important, but also the time, the place, the atmosphere, etc. There are many factors that influence the quality of the picture, so that it is difficult to reproduce a picture exactly as it was taken....