Wife wants to hire a photographer - should I be insulted?

cdifoto wrote in post #9424875
Yeah because everyone knows that all you need to be awesome is a lot of gear and a happy trigger finger.

If someone has a ton of cash invested in props plus a boatload of experience & knowledge, I'm gonna pay them the asking price for their services instead of buying the props. Why? Because I may have the props but I still don't have the boatload of experience & knowledge.

Kinda like how I can replace the starter on my car but when it comes to doing anything that requires it be put on a lift, I'm not gonna be going out and buying a lift. I'll drop it off at a garage.

Are you insinating that I cannot buy a scapel to cut into the scalp, then a Dremel tool to cut into the skull, and some hemostats to clamp the blood vessels, and not do a totally fantastic job at removing a tumor next to the pituitary gland and charge $30k for the service?

Wilt wrote in post #9425453
Are you insinating that I cannot buy a scapel to cut into the scalp, then a Dremel tool to cut into the skull, and some hemostats to clamp the blood vessels, and not do a totally fantastic job at removing a tumor next to the pituitary gland and charge $30k for the service?

I never said that. Doctorin' is different. Anyone can do that. Just don't forget to wear your Ove Gloves.

leroy_sunset wrote in post #9425450
I hear you, man. Especially the hats, goddamn they had a lot of hats.

I agree also. I've been shooting PJ for 40 years and I keep my daughter supplied with great candids of the kids. She also takes them to the Crappy-Snappy Portrait Studio for fake sand, plastic crab and beach ball photos which is OK with me. Posed portraiture of kids is a pain in the ass.

cdifoto wrote in post #9425461
I never said that. Doctorin' is different. Anyone can do that. Just don't forget to wear your Ove Gloves.

Don't need to protect against heat during brain surgery. I plan on wearing the food prep gloves that you buy at the restaurant supply house, for sanitary reasons.

I studied and practiced for a long time, with photography. Glad to hear that simply purchasing tools will permit instant excellence in brain surgery, because I know someone recently diagnosed with brain tumors and want to be able to help him overnight.

The Ove Glove is for protection from the Dremel.

Newbies.

tkbslc wrote in post #9419024
So this morning my wife said she wanted to get some pictures of my girls done at a local professional photographer that specializes in kids photography.

Do you have kid-type backgrounds? There is more to a good kid portrait than having an expensive camera. And why not post examples of your photos? I didn't see you offer any.

I think you might be being oversensitive on the issue. Children often behave better for photographers who are NOT their dad, coordinating with YOUR schedule might be harder than just booking an appointment, she might not want to put any pressure on YOU, etc. There could be a million reasons for her to want to take them to a studio, so don't take it so personally. Others here have made a good suggestion: shoot pictures of your kids often and well and don't worry if she brings them to a studio. It takes a village to "shoot" a child, and all that stuff....

form wrote in post #9419132
You're being a boob. Learn what you can from the professional and work to get better.

I should add this quote to my signature... Where is the TF when you need him, or her...

I'd be a little put out.

I wouldn't be insulted because I knew my wife meant well, but I would be a little wounded.

Perhaps I have a better self-perception (whether it's valid or not is another question!) of my own work than you do, but I wouldn't take it lying down either. I'm suprised at the responses suggesting you should just shut up and live with it.

I'd negotiate to at least have a go first , on the proviso that if it didn't turn out, my wife got to hire a pro without any objections/hurt feelings from me.

Take a thousand pics. Experiment.

Do a few separate sessions. Generally go nuts and make use of the fact that it costs you very little to take 100 bad digital photos.

After all that - if you can't manage to get a single keeper, give yourself an uppercut, buy a few photography books, admit your wife was right and then book the pro.

As for the comments about lack of space - does a portrait have to be in front of some cheesy backdrop? Can you go to a park? A lake? Anywhere outside your house? What would a pro do if they didn't have access to a backdrop?

SOK wrote in post #9430569
As for the comments about lack of space - does a portrait have to be in front of some cheesy backdrop? Can you go to a park? A lake? Anywhere outside your house? What would a pro do if they didn't have access to a backdrop?

Yeah, I do better in the summer. It's Winter here in the states. Where I live it has been below freezing for the past month with a heavy fog.

Haha - OK, fair point.

Perhaps you could incorporate a nice hypothermic theme?

+1.

tkbslc wrote in post #9425304
And honestly, I don't want to specialize in cutesy shabby chic portraiture.

Photography, in general, falls into that category...... Which is why my other hobbies are racing motorcycles and shooting guns, to balance things out

I don't know, I'd want to try and have a go at it before I'd hire someone, if they're not good enough, fine I tried and I can learn form whoever is going to do them. I would definitely want to give it a shot first though.

Personally I've had to take a lot of **** from photographing people, especially my husband, he rarely liked any picture of himself and frequently tells me the pictures I take are terrible (while I really like them or I wouldn't upload/show them) but I guess it's just how people view themselves. I think it to myself when I have people take pictures of me, like 'god that's awful, looks terrible' but I would never say it to a photographers face.