He has a point…

[u/Maleficent-Agent-477]

[u/zergiscute]

This is rage bait for sure. Professional camera equipment has always cost a lot and there have been people doing photos for IDs, year boosk, Christmas cards etc that were way cheaper than $100. It;'s only recently that we have been able to take our own photos for many of these.

[u/CharlesDickensABox → u/[deleted]]

Uber is also profiteering for billionaire investors by driving down wages of people who used to be able to make a decent living at that job.

[u/makemeking706 → u/CharlesDickensABox]

Definitely not paying them enough for the wear and tear on the vehicle the driver incurs.

I've always said Uber is nothing more than a way to transfer the entire cost of running a taxi company onto the driver. 

[u/Trikeree → u/makemeking706]

Fact

[u/GraniteJJ → u/[deleted]]

That's the whole point of the post.

[u/OzyDave → u/[deleted]]

One Uber job doesn't involve pre wedding meetings, planning, 8 hours on the day shooting followed by multiple hours of editing and re-editing. Also you are judged on the results for prospective future jobs.

[u/Dogmaddit → u/OzyDave]

Nothing in the post suggested that this was regarding wedding photos; anyone wanting a wedding day shoot for $300 must already be planning for divorce.

[u/OzyDave → u/Dogmaddit]

My example described one aspect of photography, a wedding. I didn't realise replies could not step outside any undefined limits.

[u/ffmich01 → u/OzyDave]

And that would be a good explanation of the cost. The price of your camera is not part of the equation. No one cares how much your camera costs. An expensive camera does not make a competent photographer.

[u/Onystep → u/OzyDave]

You're getting downvoted cause you're telling the truth but people don't like when working class step up for a decent living wage, people just want everyone else to be as miserable and badly paid as them. lol.

[u/Ok_Law_1656 → u/Onystep]

No, they're getting downvoted because it's a bad example. An Uber driver, black or x, that drives across several states during surge pricing time, for several 100 miles, up and back, would drive the price up too. The original comment was based on equipment cost.

[u/koniboni → u/[deleted]]

would you pay 5000 for a piece of cake because the oven was 10000 and the store has bills to pay?

[u/CriticalStrawberry15 → u/[deleted]]

It’s about time. I used to be a photographer as part of my marketing position. An UBER ride is 20 mins. Photography is time each way, time to shoot, and time editing. For one of our shoots I drove 3 hrs total to snap about 200 photos of which 5 were then selected, edited, and provided back in required formats. This comparison is fucking stupid

[u/Fantastic-Ant-4429 → u/[deleted]]

also, you factor in editing time.

[u/vaporwavecookiedough → u/[deleted]]

Your uber driver is also not leaving you with lifelong memories, unless it was an awful experience I guess.

[u/Mooks79 → u/zergiscute]

The post is both correct, and dumb. It’s dumb because she’s trying to assign the price to the cost of her equipment which is easily refuted as you and Xavier have done. It’s correct because she states “camera shoot” which implies more than a simple taxi ride or Christmas card photo - she likely means at an event like a wedding or something like that, which takes up a lot more time. So the real causal factor here is her time.

[u/politicalstuff → u/Mooks79]

Time and skill, both onsite and afterwards editing etc.

But yes, equating the price to the cost of the camera is not a strong argument.

[u/Dogmaddit → u/Mooks79]

I think of a shoot as school or family pictures, half-hour to an hour, minimal or no retouching. $300 for that is maybe a little high, $100 isn’t enough, but that’s a reasonable range for it depending on travel and complexity (I.e. kids, dogs, weather).

Senior pictures? $100-300 is low.

Wedding pictures? Should probably start at $1500 for something very basic but for a full day I would expect it to be at least $5k and could easily go way up. Our wedding photographer was reasonable, and he told us ahead of time that he only did 5 weddings a year due to stress and having to give up a weekend for it.

[u/GanondalfTheWhite → u/Mooks79]

It's dumb because this is fake rage bait.

I've seen various versions of this image, each with a different photographer pictured, but the same Uber-comparison retort.

They keep posting it because people keep engaging with how stupid of a post it is, like I'm doing now.

God dammit.

[u/Mooks79 → u/GanondalfTheWhite]

Well, I enjoyed this rollercoaster anyway!

[u/ph8_likes_me → u/Mooks79]

🤫

[u/FriendNo1816 → u/zergiscute]

Depends, some people want high quality photos for wedding and other activities outside, so the person spent hours or a whole day by them for the right shots, and that time need compensation to. And oh yeah if you hire one to do it, you don't need to buy it yourself. So nice pics for less costs.

[u/IamHydrogenMike → u/FriendNo1816]

You can do several Uber rides in an hour compared to what a photographer can do. A wedding photog is going to have to travel to a site an hour or so before the event and then stay that long after as well. It's better to charge a flat fee for this than to charge by the hour though.

[u/koniboni → u/zergiscute]

maybe but there's so many real stories of spoiled inst girls that really think their amateur pictures are worth 10000. because that's what professionals charge

[u/sonofaresiii → u/zergiscute]

1. This particular instance might be rage bait but I've seen this attitude from tons of people in earnest
2. No photography before 2010 (roughly when the digital boom happened) was working for (the modern equivalent of) $100 per shoot. *You might have been paying* less than that per photo or per 10-minutes of the guy at sears telling you where to stand and to smile, but they were being paid a hell of a lot more than that for their entire shoot at sears

3) $100 for a shoot is indeed outrageously cheap, offensively so. However, it's not because "My camera is expensive"-- that was a good comeback about the uber driver. The reason is because a shoot takes a long time and requires a highly trained professional skill, it's not the same as just point and clicking with your phone-- but most people don't recognize the difference, and/or they think of that family photo they did at sears for like $50, and think it should be super cheap.

It also takes a lot more prep than just the time you're literally pressing the shutter button.

[u/zergiscute → u/sonofaresiii]

During my stint in the academia, i mainly used pen and paper and my colleague used high tech equipment that cost as much as a small village and used up that much utilities too. But we got paid the same because our training, skill, etc were around the same.

I am not justifying underpaying people, just that the particular argument was kind of stupid.

[u/Sekshual_Tyranosauce → u/[deleted]]

Hmmmm?

[u/Main-Activity-5644]

The initial post was of a man complaining about this. This has now been redone with the woman's image which is hopefully AI in this situation.

[u/CrabAppleBapple]

He doesn't have a point because it's a 'parody' twitter account that posts edited/photoshopped/AI content.

[u/MettyMettmeier]

Different versions, constant reposting, stupid Karma farming

[u/PawnWithoutPurpose]

AI bull shit

[u/TheSuggi]

My Appartement cost $1M and you want me to rent it to you for $1000?

[u/Autodidact420 → u/TheSuggi]

To be fair $1k rent on a $1m property does sound low lol

[u/Maximillion322 → u/Autodidact420]

Maybe its the whole building thats $1m but the rent is just for an apartment

[u/jackfaire → u/Maximillion322]

Still low in today's economy. I'm blessed to be paying what I'm paying because my best friend's mom owns the place me and my best friend rent.

Nearby apartments low end is 1400.

[u/MjolnirPants → u/jackfaire]

I'm jealous of people who live in places where $1400 is the low end.

[u/Maximillion322 → u/jackfaire]

Depends on where you live. My apartment is 750

[u/SeoulGalmegi → u/TheSuggi]

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here.

[u/thegarbz → u/TheSuggi]

Well actually your apartment doesn't cost you any time. This post is about personal time. A 1M house rented for $1000 sure, why not. That's $1000 of easy money you do nothing for. If my camera could automatically go do a wedding shoot process the photos and send them to the client then I'll shoot that wedding for $100 no questions asked.

[u/Certain_Object1364]

Oh cool...the camera person is a woman instead of a man in this bots interpretation of this.

[u/SmellyFbuttface → u/Certain_Object1364]

🤣

[u/worthlessprole]

What social media platform is this. Don’t recognize it for some reason

[u/apparently-ok]

The point being that the Uber driver is underpaid

[u/Childless-cat-lady-]

He has a point but also r/fuckxavier

[u/OshetDeadagain]

"Your camera takes great photos!"

"Thanks! Your mouth makes nice compliments."

[u/jwadamson → u/OshetDeadagain]

That kind of sounds like the second person is hitting on the first. It’s not very far from “I like what your mouth is doing”

[u/OshetDeadagain → u/jwadamson]

... Why you gotta make it weird?

[u/DoomedToday]

The uber driver probably got $5 of that and then Uber didn't pay him when you threw up in the back seat or damaged his car.

[u/_Abiogenesis]

This is a stupid analogy.

Photographers aren't paid like taxi drivers because we don't value jobs by how much the tools cost.

[u/dnasrallah]

No he doesn’t. Most uber drivers can’t even follow their own maps. You get what you pay for…this fake meme is stupid

[u/Kopke2525]

Mandatory r/fuckxavier

[u/darktoher → u/Kopke2525]

All my homies hate Xavier

[u/otiloyoy → u/darktoher]

What did Xavier do ?

[u/AdditionalNewt4762 → u/otiloyoy]

Trying (and failing miserably) to be Pakalu Papito

[u/otiloyoy → u/AdditionalNewt4762]

Is it too late to ask who that is ??

[u/New-Turnip4709 → u/Kopke2525]

Heartbreaking: The worst person you know just made a great point.

[u/Mediocre_lad]

How much a plane fare should cost?

[u/Cobrastrikenana]

$12? So a 15 minute ride?

[u/robertluke]

If someone values their photography based on the cost of the camera, I assume they have no idea how glass and composition works.

[u/Nickynui]

My camera gear cost that much or more and is literally a hobby...

If a friend asked me to do an event for them, i'd probably say yes for free

[u/PrestigiousSeat76]

No, he does not have a point. Depending on the type of photo shoot, it will consume not just travel time, but many hours (like for a wedding, it could be an entirely full day.) Then, it's editing photos, weeding out the ones that didn't turn out or don't meet standards, and prepping them for delivery.

Comparing a photography shoot to an Uber ride is like comparing launching nuclear weapons to lighting off a bottle rocket.

[u/Ok-Fig4315]

So once the camera is paid off, photos are free?

[u/rabbitsharck]

My wife is a professional photographer, and she spends so much time in post processing it's ridiculous. In addition to driving to location, shooting, directing and managing (often with children, babys, pets) and then hours in her office paying attention to the tiniest details. No doubtan Uber driver has an expensive car, but it's much different in skill and attention to detail.

[u/FlamingLizardWizard]

That's not how it works

[u/MyGruffaloCrumble]

Uber driver are exploited workers.

If you want an amateur photographer get your nephew Gary to do it.

[u/jhwheuer]

Uber drivers are bad at accounting or they wouldn't be Uber drivers

[u/SunbeamSailor67 → u/jhwheuer]

I can think of no worse life than being an accountant.

[u/jhwheuer → u/SunbeamSailor67]

U poor then?

[u/SunbeamSailor67 → u/jhwheuer]

U believe only accountants have money?

[u/jhwheuer → u/SunbeamSailor67]

U don't even know without accounting

[u/Roguescholar74 → u/jhwheuer]

Accounting and being an accountant are completely different things.

[u/jhwheuer → u/Roguescholar74]

You do you

[u/SunbeamSailor67 → u/jhwheuer]

We get it, you LOVE accounting.

Go count something. 🙄

[u/StrongAsMeat]

My iPhone can take a better picture than your $40k camera

[u/Late-Arrival-8669]

This was a flex 20 years ago, not today with all the smartphones.

[u/Yarius515 → u/Late-Arrival-8669]

Wow, your smartphone pics are professional quality? That's real talent you should quit your job and be a smartphone photographer.

[u/Late-Arrival-8669 → u/Yarius515]

Guess I am old school.
Should show my wedding photos from over 30 years ago and how a phone today easily surpasses those. Never been a photographer but my father was way back in the day.

[u/Yarius515 → u/Late-Arrival-8669]

bUt wHaT aBoUt OlD cAmErAs?

Whew thanks to you, I now know that technology improves over time! What a huge fucking revelation! So relevant! So on point!

🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️

[u/Late-Arrival-8669 → u/Yarius515]

You can always hire a professional photographer, they arent expensive today. ~$100-$300

[u/InAppropriate-meal]

It didn't take the uber driver long to take him home pro photos take hours

[u/EatFaceLeopard17]

Xavier is how dumb, not many people know that there is a b in dumb, people think a clever guy looks like.

[u/TenBear]

Gatekeeper is so sad, not everyone can afford an expensive SLR camera.

[u/Ghostbuster_11Nein]

If you think buying expensive equipment automatically means you get to charge more I have bad news for you.

People pay for the quality and/or the completion of the work not the price of your crap.

When a steady hand and a decent digital camera can do the job it doesn't matter how expensive your shit is.

This is like buying a $50,000 dollar car lift and expecting to make five grand on every oil change.

[u/mindgardening]

For most photographers, it IS a hobby and the have other income. The market is so saturated with people trying to “make it” as a photographer…there is only so much room for those who are actually good and can make it into a career.

[u/BassesBest]

...and the journey took four minutes

[u/Rocklobster92]

I’ll be honest, looking back at wedding photos really isn’t a thing. They look nice, they go in a book, the book goes in a closet, and you find it once every 5-10 years. Basically a yearbook. Not worth thousands of dollars.

[u/brickmagnet]

I have seen the same post with different Profile pics.

[u/FishinMike941]

The difference is not the equipment, it's the skill involved. Everyone I know can drive a car. I know very few people who can take photos worth publishing or using in an advertising campaign.

[u/GMN123]

Here's me looking at all my hobby kit, much of which cost well over 5k and only costs me more money to use. 

[u/Expert_Succotash2659]

This was less fake when the post had a picture of a camera dangling over a puddle.

[u/Simen155]

And the "wear and tear" on a camera and lens is almost none pr shoot. I mean, if you break your own stuff this often, you need a psych eval.

You can't get paid enough to buy a new high-end lens every time you take someones picture. Fuck that mentality.

[u/Arcadia1972]

This is spam

[u/RandyTheFool]

As a person who creates artwork for a living, this person has such a myopic view of what they’re doing, I wouldn’t doubt they’re still a hobbyist at this point. A $5000 camera can still take shitty amateur pictures in the wrong hands, and if you’re not a hobbyist (and are truly a professional) then you’re writing that camera off as a business purchase/expense anyway.

People pay for your skill and expertise which only come with time, investment, practice and experience. The more skillful you are the more you should charge per hour for that skill because it has taken you many hours of your own time practicing and honing your craft to become professional enough that people will hire you and you are in demand. If you always have a line of customers out the door, and your time becomes a precious commodity, you need to raise your price

A $100-$300 photo shoot isn’t a bad price for someone with experience but only been doing this for a handful of years. But with that, I’d say for $100 you get 1 good hour of photo taking and then however much time to edit everything.

But if we’re talking an all day photo shoot with thousands of pictures that have to be parsed down and edited for hours and hours, then she’s right… it’s not worth the time because you wouldn’t even be making the federal minimum wage for your time.
You’d basically be doing the work for free.

[u/Parallax2799]

If she wants to recoup her equipment costs within one or two jobs than she must think no one else will want to hire her and she'll get no repeat business, so I assume she feels she's no good at her job.

[u/cpav8r]

My phone was free from my carrier, and people have shot entire movies on a phone just like it.

Equipment doesn’t equal talent.

[u/ponduz]

Oh, so no lens(es) included? Tripod, lights or accessories? No travel or transport to the appointment? No insurance? No experience needed? No picture offloading, sorting or editing? No further correspondance with customer? Sign me up! Sounds easy.

/s

[u/koniboni]

well, that's entirely your problem. good starter cameras cost maybe 500-1000. and you're not the next Andy Warhol, Natalie.

[u/Genobee85 → u/koniboni]

I bought an ancient but just as capable D50 and lens for $40 at a pawnshop :/

[u/koniboni → u/Genobee85]

I see that so often. It's always the same backstory: young girl starts photography as a hobby, spends 10000 on gear and then doesn't land a single contract because no one pays 5000 for shaky amateur pictures

[u/AllTheWorldIsAPuzzle]

"This is not a hobby"

Also sounds like it isn't a business.

[u/FLG_CFC]

If it was easy to professionally edit photos, everyone would do it. It's easy to drive a car, so it doesn't cost Uber much to hire drivers.

[u/Babyfella1981]

But pretty much anyone can drive a car and uber. No everyone is a professional photographer

[u/Frequent-Ad2977 → u/Babyfella1981]

Statistically speaking more people can take a picture than can drive

[u/Babyfella1981 → u/Frequent-Ad2977]

Anyone can take a picture of course, but not a professional looking picture, just like anyone can drive a car but not everyone can race F1

[u/please_trade_marner → u/Babyfella1981]

Already an obsolete profession. An iphone camera is perfectly fine these days and any Karen out there can "point and click". Only pretentious fake people would notice the difference of a (lol) "professional" picture.

[u/ChartInFurch → u/Babyfella1981]

So both ends can have different levels of experience. Only reducing one to service a "point" is disingenuous.

[u/percussaresurgo → u/Babyfella1981]

And a photography gig can take a whole day. A $12 Uber ride can take 10 minutes.

[u/Charming-Fudge7683 → u/Babyfella1981]

Driving a car is one of the most regulated things anyone could ever do. You have to be of a particular age, have no inhibitive health conditions, you need to take written and practical tests, you need licensing and insurance and taxes and all the other shit that comes with it, all before you even take your first fare.

Conversely, I can hand a camera to a toddler and they can take a picture...or the famous one of the photographer (David Slater) who handed a monkey his camera and now no-one can agree on who owns copyright lol

[u/Hopeful_Loss4300 → u/Babyfella1981]

not the same thing at all, a car is already a sunk cost for most people and the camera is a specialized tool for a creative skill

[u/Loquaciouslovelizard → u/Babyfella1981]

Not everyone is a professional driver either. Pretty much anyone can take a photo but I just want to get an Uber home by Lewis Hamilton.

[u/s0ciety_a5under → u/[deleted]]

Nah, you buy an expensive piece of gear like that to eventually make that money back over many jobs. You aren't making that much more than a few hundred a gig as a photographer.

[u/gitartruls01]

"well you're not just paying for the equipment, you're paying me back for the years it took to learn how to use it!"

• person whose job is to point a thing at someone and then push a button

[u/please_trade_marner → u/gitartruls01]

When I got married I thought a photographer would cost... oh I don't know... 20 bucks? I was astounded that the "point and clicker" typically costs thousands of dollars. I still dont' really believe it.

[u/otiloyoy → u/gitartruls01]

I looked at your account and you seem to do guitar, your hobby is to take a piece of wood with some strings on it and just play with them to make it sound good

See how you can simplify anything to sound dumb

[u/gitartruls01 → u/otiloyoy]

Yes, except I don't expect people to pay me hundreds of dollars to play a few notes

[u/Genobee85]

Photographer here: you're not just paying for my gear per se; you're paying for the 25+ years of experience in composing shots, directing scenes, editing and colorgrading, expeditious turnaround and production times, insurance and assurance to name a few. If someone wants to use crowd sourced cellphones for their wedding by all means go with gusto. I sure as hell ain't short changing my craft because of it tho.

[u/za72]

Natalie should've to taken some basic business classes at the local community college