[Leica] Portrait/wedding photographers

[Stephen Patriquen <patriquen@yahoo.com>]

You guys...

YOU are not the market these people are selling you.
Yes, it is formula photography, schlocky etc. - but
that's what their market wants. They want a portrait
or wedding album that looks just like their friends'
with the faces interchanged.

Heaven knows I am guilty of teaching hundreds of them
over the years. The good ones (that is, competent
photographers and good business people) are very well
off these days. Others you see at Wally-Mart.

I knew many of the PPOC (Professional Photographers of
Canada) members personally, and some were quite good
and passionate about what they did. When we got
married, my wife looked after most of the details, but
I interviewed the photographers. Most were overpriced
crappy photographers who had a good bedside manner and
little else.

I eventually "imported" one I knew and respected. He
shot the whole thing natural light and mostly
hand-held - with an RB67! and they are wonderful. 

These days, a wedding is sort of a traditional
experience by definition, so I didn't really want a
B&W reportage style. It just would have reminded me of
my old job :-)

Steve Patriquen
London

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