Chances are, everyone in your circle knows you’re a photographer. How many of those people understand what you actually do every day? This brief but funny video by Niels Kemp highlights some of the misconceptions he encounters from those closest to him.
The video hits the nail in the head when people have a silly perception of what a hobbyist or professional photographer does compared to the mundane reality of what we actually do. Back in the day, when I was regularly photographing musical artists, people would ask if I was shooting for Rolling Stone. I’ll tell them I didn’t. The typical answer is, “Oh. Well, you should shoot for Rolling Stone. In their mind, being a photographer for that publication is simply bringing a camera to their studio, setting up some lights, and waiting for someone from that publication to introduce you to Taylor Swift.
The most common misconception I get these days is that clients believe that a quick and easy portrait is one created against a white background. They said, “We needed something simple… just some quick portraits on a white background.” There are many ways to create a white background in post-production, but if I am creating a portrait in situ and I want the seamless white background to be captured as pure white in-camera, then I need at least 4 lights and about 15′ spacing. between myself and that platform. Finding a space of this size in NYC isn’t easy. It helps to have VU apartment immediately to reduce light spills when you’re shooting against a seamless white background, but if you’re traveling by subway, as we often do in my city, it’s impractical to carry V Flats with you.
If you have any particular misconceptions that you run into on a regular basis, let us know in the comments section below. Probably Niels Kemp Will incorporate some of these into a future video.
