Over the last few years the photographic industry has exploded with a new breed of ”professional” photographer. One common thread among them is the “all natural, all available light” business model. Real photographers recognize this ‘one trick pony’ as nothing more than an excuse for not owning any lighting equipment or knowing what do to with it even if they did.
This lack of education about lighting is likely a result of the preview window on the back of digital cameras. In the film days, it took real guts to call yourself a “professional.” You had to know lighting and exposure. You had to be educated at your craft and strive to become a master at it. It was typically five days before your negatives came back from the lab and you could breath again, knowing you hadn’t just ruined someone’s entire wedding.
Nowadays, you get that instant feedback from a preview window, so newer photographers don’t seem to care about quality lighting as long as they get a “good enough” image on the back of the camera. This is where the quality of “professional” photography has taken a turn for the worse.
I would never declare myself so incredibly talented that I could show up to paint your portrait – and not bring any paint! And images like this can NOT be created with “all natural, all available light.” This is what a real professional can do. This is real photography.
Cornel Commedore on the Sax
The Sax player was photographed – in the studio – with studio lighting. “Naturally,” as a real photographer, I have professional lighting equipment ”available” to me. This is called ‘painting with light’, and it’s something we do everyday.
