p.1 #1 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
I have come to the conclusion from social media that the vast, vast majority of people can't tell a good photo from a terrible one. So many likes for absolutely terrible photos taken with their potatoes phones and no understanding of lighting, composition, or angles and how horrific fokeh looks or why they turn saturation all the way up to ludicrous.
How can you get attention for your shots that took exact timing, position, and post processing when the vast majority of people are seemingly color blind?
p.1 #2 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
You're thinking in terms of a photographer. You need to think in terms of a layperson, with zero photography experience, who's just looking to randomly document their life. Don't misunderstand my comment, I couldn't agree with you more.
When I see crap photos posted in free galleries, I make it a point to go out and shoot that team's next game. Then I post the gallery on MP, tagging the team's social media accounts, with a couple teaser watermarked photos. The photos I post speak for themselves. Luckily I have such a rapport with a few dozen HS's in my area that I'm constantly tagged by them with their schedules. Clearly, my tactics are working for me ;-)
p.1 #3 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
JRobertson wrote:
When I see crap photos posted in free galleries, I make it a point to go out and shoot that team's next game. Then I post the gallery on MP, tagging the team's social media accounts, with a couple teaser watermarked photos. The photos I post speak for themselves.
Has that ever worked where they invite you back to shoot? I would think the layman wouldn't be able to tell any difference from your photos to the selfies they took.
p.1 #4 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
Like dislike, appreciate or not, your complaint is a fact of life. Get over it. The novice will never see what the " pro" sees. The novice many times will like/buy the lesser quality images.
p.1 #5 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
Ted ellis wrote:
Like dislike, appreciate or not, your complaint is a fact of life. Get over it. The novice will never see what the " pro" sees. The novice many times will like/buy the lesser quality images.
Get over it.
So what you are telling me it's that I should start taking photos with an iPhone and drop my mirrorless?
p.1 #6 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
TopPixel wrote:
So what you are telling me it's that I should start taking photos with an iPhone and drop my mirrorless?
Did I say that? I said it is a fact of life that no matter how good you may like picture # 1 selling to a parent, the parent might like a lesser picture. Baseball. Basketball, hockey, children, portrait......no matter. You have to let go of your hang up with the consumers choice of quality.
p.1 #7 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
TopPixel wrote:
I have come to the conclusion from social media that the vast, vast majority of people can't tell a good photo from a terrible one. So many likes for absolutely terrible photos taken with their potatoes phones and no understanding of lighting, composition, or angles and how horrific fokeh looks or why they turn saturation all the way up to ludicrous.
How can you get attention for your shots that took exact timing, position, and post processing when the vast majority of people are seemingly color blind?
The amateur sports photography business has changed big time in the last 15 years.
When I first started, I photographed Arabian, draft, English, quarter and county fair horse shows, youth and pro rodeos, harness racing, bulls and barrel shows, youth football, basketball, hockey, figure skating and gymnastics tournaments offering on-location viewing, printing plus on-line shopping in galleries.
At first, the interest was tremendous and sales were excellent but over the years, with so many parents giving away free photos from the digital camera they got for Christmas, that part of the business was no longer successful and I ended that service without any regrets.
No matter how bad the pictures are...if someone is getting them for free, why pay?
Even today, I have limited my action coverage to only media service and schools and youth leagues that prepay for game action products and concentrate on team photos, banners and specialty items.
To answer your question, the reason why most of the photos posted are of poor quality is most pros no longer bother, amateurs have no schooling to know good from bad and the general public view digital files as free for the taking and who even cares what is posted on social media anymore?
Creative property has been devalued to the point where it has no value to many.
A very small percentage of my clients even ask for action coverage now so the service is only listed on our order forms as "please call for action coverage.".
Those who have purchased, order what images they want, not the ones I tell them to but that doesn't insult me one bit...that's business.
p.1 #8 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
leewoolery wrote:
At first, the interest was tremendous and sales were excellent but over the years, with so many parents giving away free photos from the digital camera they got for Christmas, that part of the business was no longer successful and I ended that service without any regrets.
No matter how bad the pictures are...if someone is getting them for free, why pay?
Even today, I have limited my action coverage to only media service and schools and youth leagues that prepay for game action products and concentrate on team photos, banners and specialty items.
To answer your question, the reason why most of the photos posted are of poor quality is most pros no longer bother, amateurs have no schooling to know good from bad and the general public view digital files as free for the taking and who even cares what is posted on social media anymore?
What areas of photography do you do now after stopping most action? Maybe I should do the same and stop doing action unless it is prepaid or I just do it for free for certain clubs I like.
p.1 #9 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
TopPixel wrote
What areas of photography do you do now after stopping most action? Maybe I should do the same and stop doing action unless it is prepaid or I just do it for free for certain clubs I like.
Pre-paid senior and team banners plus action posters, either purchased by individual parents, school or booster club.
That is my approach now with all of our high school, middle school and youth leagues but team photos still are the profit makers and nearly everybody buys them.
Having exclusive contracts for team photos allows you to market services directly to parents, athletic directors and league coordinators.
If you are commissioned to do action, league and athletic directors will keep the cherry pickers off the field and sidelines trying to steal your business.
p.1 #10 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
TopPixel wrote:
How can you get attention for your shots that took exact timing, position, and post processing when the vast majority of people are seemingly color blind?
Top, I guess you're new here, so welcome!
Maybe rather than just sounding bitter that you aren't cutting it, maybe you just need to kick your game up a few notches. Why do you have a need to mention you shoot ML, when it's not about the camera but the work? You've said it yourself, that the phone shooters do just fine.
We're judging this out of thing air and faith, why don't you attach your website and IG so we can see if we should sympathize or give you shooting advice? Again, welcome and good luck!
John
p.1 #11 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
TopPixel wrote:
I have come to the conclusion from social media that the vast, vast majority of people can't tell a good photo from a terrible one. So many likes for absolutely terrible photos taken with their potatoes phones and no understanding of lighting, composition, or angles and how horrific fokeh looks or why they turn saturation all the way up to ludicrous.
How can you get attention for your shots that took exact timing, position, and post processing when the vast majority of people are seemingly color blind?
----
Not often we get to quote 19th Century French poets in a photography forum, but I suggest you read The Scent Bottle by Charles Baudelaire. It is instructive here:
--
The Scent Bottle
Come here, my dear, good, doggie, and smell this excellent perfume which comes from the best perfumer of Paris.
And the dog, wagging his tail, which, I believe, is that poor creature's way of laughing and smiling, came up and put his curious nose on the uncorked bottle. Then, suddenly, he backed away in terror, barking at me reproachfully.
"Ah miserable dog, if i had offered you a package of excrement you would have sniffed at it with delight and perhaps gobbled it up.
In this you resemble the public, which should never be offered delicate perfumes that infuriate them, but only carefully selected garbage."
-----
Don't worry about what others think and say. Do your thing. The cream rises to the top. If your work is as great as you imply, things will take care of themselves. It's also important to realize that being a great photographer isn't enough. You need to be a great marketer if your goal is public recognition of your abilities. It's not my goal personally, but I realize it's important for some.
As noted above, love to see your work. Please post a link.
p.1 #12 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
JRobertson wrote:
When I see crap photos posted in free galleries, I make it a point to go out and shoot that team's next game. Then I post the gallery on MP, tagging the team's social media accounts, with a couple teaser watermarked photos. The photos I post speak for themselves. Luckily I have such a rapport with a few dozen HS's in my area that I'm constantly tagged by them with their schedules. Clearly, my tactics are working for me ;-)
I have a stupid question.
Why?
Is this a MaxPrep thing where you are selling the photos?
p.1 #13 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
JRobertson wrote:
You're thinking in terms of a photographer. You need to think in terms of a layperson, with zero photography experience, who's just looking to randomly document their life. Don't misunderstand my comment, I couldn't agree with you more.
When I see crap photos posted in free galleries, I make it a point to go out and shoot that team's next game. Then I post the gallery on MP, tagging the team's social media accounts, with a couple teaser watermarked photos. The photos I post speak for themselves. Luckily I have such a rapport with a few dozen HS's in my area that I'm constantly tagged by them with their schedules. Clearly, my tactics are working for me ;-)...Show more →
A few dozen?
I am hard pressed to make it to a few games a year for 5 area teams even with media credentials, photo contracts and the athletic directors have known me for years.
Around here you just don't show up to games and start shooting without proper credentials or a legitimate reason to be there with a camera...no matter how good you may be.
Besides...experience has shown from all of the local sports photographers I know, few buy but many won't hesitate to download even with watermark.
The interest to view is great but the desire to purchase is nearly non-existent.
I have long since desired admiration for what I do professionally...only orders and deposits into the bank account matter these days.
p.1 #14 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
One idea could be to establish your expertise in a more literal way by providing value to your audience. For example, you could review photos your followers send in, or post tutorials or time lapses of your own edits.
p.1 #15 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
It doesn't cost much to buy an entry level camera and lens to start taking photos. Most teams at almost any level have a mom or dad taking photos of the team. Quality matters more to the photographer than it does to the parent and while if it's free they will prefer the better product they will almost always prefer free generally. I have watched galleries with great photos get a few likes, even when the photos are free, while an Iphone photo of terrible quality gets many more. Folks don't really care much about the cost of a body and lens combo. The number of folks shooting sports that make more than the cost of their gear, their smugmug, shootproof, or other site, are probably few and far between and for the ones making some money they likely do not calculate their hourly rate. I use to bird hunt, fly fish, and golf and all were expensive undertakings. I now do sports photography in place of those hobbies. The pay is the same but I enjoy getting a good photo and once I got past the idea that I needed to be appreciated for the quality of my work I am good. No one cared how good I was at those other hobbies. I shoot for the fun of it. There's not really enough money in it to do it for the money. You all see the same pattern where a good hobbyist gets better and better and decides they want to sell their product having given it away for a while. They often think it will pay for a 300 or 400 and so on. Most are not prepared for the business aspects of it. For me, it's just an enjoyable hobby.
p.1 #16 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
I'd agree and add on a little something I have observed over doing this for couple-plus decades...
Often a photographer with more skill (or at least they think so) may swoop in and take some pictures of a youth or high school team and think that the parents will sing Hallelujah, throw roses at their feet and anoint them as the second coming of Ansel Adams.
What I've often found is a very human response -- people may appreciate the professional photos, but they often LOVE the Mom or Dad who was on the other side of the court or in the stands who has taken pictures of these kids every game since 5th grade. They are part of the family. Maybe it's not great stuff -- but grandmas love it. And they value the work that the parent puts in game-after-game over some random guy in a vest with a monopod and Hoodman loupe.
That random guy is not going to be there for the Class D junior varsity girls high school basketball game on February 8th when the snow is blowing and it's -8 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
But that Mom or Dad with the Nikon and the kit lens is.
I think that's great. That's the way it should be.
p.1 #17 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
JRobertson wrote:
You're thinking in terms of a photographer. You need to think in terms of a layperson, with zero photography experience, who's just looking to randomly document their life. Don't misunderstand my comment, I couldn't agree with you more.
When I see crap photos posted in free galleries, I make it a point to go out and shoot that team's next game. Then I post the gallery on MP, tagging the team's social media accounts, with a couple teaser watermarked photos. The photos I post speak for themselves. Luckily I have such a rapport with a few dozen HS's in my area that I'm constantly tagged by them with their schedules. Clearly, my tactics are working for me ;-)...Show more →
No, don’t try to think like the sort of person whose photos you hate. That will hurt your brain.
There are people out there with no photographic skills who can appreciate a good photo. Admittedly, it may take more that technical brilliance; the photo may need a suitable subject and good timing, but I think we strive for those as well.
Not everyone out there has awful taste, and it sounds like you have come up with a neat way to find some who can see the difference between your work and others - well done!
p.1 #18 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
leewoolery wrote:
A few dozen?
I am hard pressed to make it to a few games a year for 5 area teams even with media credentials, photo contracts and the athletic directors have known me for years.
Around here you just don't show up to games and start shooting without proper credentials or a legitimate reason to be there with a camera...no matter how good you may be.
Besides...experience has shown from all of the local sports photographers I know, few buy but many won't hesitate to download even with watermark.
The interest to view is great but the desire to purchase is nearly non-existent.
I have long since desired admiration for what I do professionally...only orders and deposits into the bank account matter these days.
I certainly can't comment about your market, but sometimes being a part of a larger brand has much more impact than going at it solo. I went solo for a long time, and the costs can really add up. People either love, or hate them, but I joined MaxPreps a while back and it's done better for me than I did on my own. I'll be the first to say, their entry standards are extreme, and MANY get discouraged when they are rejected, but if you're accepted, having that brand power behind you really does help.
p.1 #19 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
PureMichigan wrote:
I have a stupid question.
Why?
Is this a MaxPrep thing where you are selling the photos?
MaxPreps sells the photos, I just take and edit them. They do the marketing, and they truly have the brand power behind them. Why, because I'm lazy ;-) and MaxPreps is a recognized national brand. I did my own thing for a while, but eventually the costs became a hinderance. Now, I just shoot whatever I want and enjoy the game. It's a bit more "pure" for me, if that means anything. Less stress about pushing my own brand, marketing, etc. Now I can focus more on my photography than the 75% that comes with running a business.
p.1 #20 · How Do You Deal With the Fact Most People Can't Tell a Good Photo From a Bad One?
Ted ellis wrote:
Like dislike, appreciate or not, your complaint is a fact of life. Get over it. The novice will never see what the " pro" sees. The novice many times will like/buy the lesser quality images.
Get over it.
Many times, actually. Normally when I post up a couple galleries I'll have the schools athletic department, yearbook, and their social media folks for the team, reach out. I don't post just any image, I only post the very best. If I shoot 800 images in a hockey game, and end up with 40 that I love, I'll only every post 40. That's something that I never compromise on. One of the greatest lessons I learned as a young sports photog, you only every show your absolute best work, period.
