The Photographer Today

What I have come to realize is that the photographer must be adept in a much wider range of disciplines than was acceptable only a few years ago. He/She must be a photographer an intermediate art director, retouch artist and visionary. The importance of being a good communicator is also a vital part of the profession. Even if one has an agent the importance of this diversification can't be understated.

What are your impressions about where the photographer is today?

Ben

I read a while back that magazine covers were almost always exclusively shot with models... with perfect skin and perfect features... and now the very same magazines prefer instead to use celebrities as covers. The reason? Photography -- particularly retouching -- has come a very long way in only a couple years. Run of the mill ordinary celebrities can be made to look beautiful!

In my days of film, the only retouching that ever happened was the occasional dodge and burn on the enlarger. Now everything is processed -- at least d&b, curves, selective softening and selective sharpening, and often more. And the images are vastly better as a result.

Having said that, I can't stand over-photoshopped images. I always do my retouching to my liking, then back off the change a bit - usually it just reducing opacity.

Ron

Benjamin Kanarek said:

He/She must be a photographer an intermediate art director, retouch artist and visionary. The importance of being a good communicator is also a vital part of the profession.
Ben

Click to expand...

haven't photographers *always* been jacks-of-many-trades? starting with the guys who went around in the late 1800's from town to town taking and selling portraits...to ansel adams out in the wilderness and in the darkroom...to the last half of the 20th century when you either had darkrooms or established a good working relationship with a lab and ran a small business (or a large business). now, in addition to the specialized knowledge we each have of our subject material, we must be computer knowledgeable as part of out photography skills arsenal.
and being a good communicator is always helpful