How can you identify a bad photographer?

How can you identify a bad painter? They're a photographer.

Henry Peach wrote: How can you identify a bad painter? They're a photographer.

That's funny. I actually do both .. I just do one better than the other....LOL

If you wanna see some low res images of some paintings I did for a psychology mag. I attached them. Mind you they were done almost 14 years ago.

nice paintings - my Dad was a painter and worked in charcoal/oils/watercolor and such. I was never that good so I picked up a camera and followed that route

In a way I think we "paint" a photograph in the way we compose it's elements.

A good photographer would be able to pick up a film camera and know what to do! How to capture an image without using Photoshop to correct errors or get it an effect you can capture on a film.. Please don't think for one mintue I am anti digital I am not, I love what you can do with PS and digital images but if you learn the basic's on a film camera it will make your digital photography better.. Also a good photographer is always learning and dosen't know it all, we all learn something new everyday we shot .

Maria21 wrote: I for one think we are our own worst critiques, that being said I think a bad photographer is one who quits trying to do better in the very next shot.

Yeh I'm toally my worst critic. I voted for one of my photos in my PT gallery and the overall star rating went DOWN.

Rocket Man wrote: Photographers who claim to be experts (who aren't) and post ads on Craigslist

This pretty much sums it up:


This one is pretty funny too:

Rob pix4u2 wrote: only the mediocre are always at their best

I like the message. No offense taken here Rob.

Silver Fox wrote: Know it all photographers drive me up the wall!

When the photographer thinks their work is better then many others out there.
When the photographer ask for constructive criticism, when they receive it, they go off the wall & defend their work. Instead of learning form it.
When the photographer needs to buy the same exact lenses a fellow photographer has, but announces to everyone else, they did the search on the lenses and knew it's what they needed.
When a photographer can not come up with their own photo ideas and blames a fellow photographer for copying.
When a photographer over uses photoshop to save a photo.
When a photographer resizes a photo to an 8x10 to upload to FB, for the sole purpose for people not to steal (you know smaller image, can't print), but fail to realize one can still print that 8x10 because the photographer never resize for the web.
When a photographer will never tell anyone how they took the photo, edit the photo or where the photo was taken. But insist other photographers answer the above ?s on their work.
When a photographer thinks they know Photoshop well enough to teach it (getting paid) and decide they rather teach, instead of shoot), when in the same sentence, they are still learning Photoshop..and asking other photographers how to do something.
When two photographers go out shooting, and the one blames the 2nd photographer for getting in the way for the reason of the poor photos.

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

Maria21 wrote: I for one think we are our own worst critiques, that being said I think a bad photographer is one who quits trying to do better in the very next shot.

Yeh I'm toally my worst critic. I voted for one of my photos in my PT gallery and the overall star rating went DOWN.

Rocket Man wrote: Photographers who claim to be experts (who aren't) and post ads on Craigslist

This pretty much sums it up:

This one is pretty funny too:

The first video is a classic

crystal wrote: When the photographer thinks their work is better then many others out there.
When the photographer ask for constructive criticism, when they receive it, they go off the wall & defend their work. Instead of learning form it.
When the photographer needs to buy the same exact lenses a fellow photographer has, but announces to everyone else, they did the search on the lenses and knew it's what they needed.
When a photographer can not come up with their own photo ideas and blames a fellow photographer for copying.
When a photographer over uses photoshop to save a photo.
When a photographer resizes a photo to an 8x10 to upload to FB, for the sole purpose for people not to steal (you know smaller image, can't print), but fail to realize one can still print that 8x10 because the photographer never resize for the web.
When a photographer will never tell anyone how they took the photo, edit the photo or where the photo was taken. But insist other photographers answer the above ?s on their work.
When a photographer thinks they know Photoshop well enough to teach it (getting paid) and decide they rather teach, instead of shoot), when in the same sentence, they are still learning Photoshop..and asking other photographers how to do something.
When two photographers go out shooting, and the one blames the 2nd photographer for getting in the way for the reason of the poor photos.

They show up at black tie weddings in beach casual. They park in the handicap space. They use the Photoshop to make people look a little fatter. They don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom, and they borrowed your camera!

I read a lot of crazy stories on the internet, but in real life the photographers I meet seem like regular folks. Most are fairly pleasant whatever their skill level. You tell how good or bad photographer is by looking at their photos.

Identify a bad photographer ..... Does the photo follow the rules? Does it have good range of color tones? Is it not over post process? Does it have good exposure? Does the photographer treat other photographers with respect, when out shooting or online chatting about photography?

there is nothing like Good or bad Photographer....A photographer is a photographer... Some clicks subject/photograph by keeping in mind that how the viewers will see his/her picture and some clicks photograph by thinking how he/she feels about the subject which makes him/her happy...
There are two types of photographers
1. Photographers who are successful in sending his/her message/emotions through his/her photographs.
2. Photographers who are not successful in sending his/her message/emotions through his/her photographs.

JAWED ALAM wrote: there is nothing like Good or bad Photographer....A photographer is a photographer... Some clicks subject/photograph by keeping in mind that how the viewers will see his/her picture and some clicks photograph by thinking how he/she feels about the subject which makes him/her happy...
There are two types of photographers
1. Photographers who are successful in sending his/her message/emotions through his/her photographs.
2. Photographers who are not successful in sending his/her message/emotions through his/her photographs.

I agree that an image should show emotion or tell a story ... otherwise it's just a picture.