What’s the difference between a Photographer and a Cameraman?

Let me give you some history. Many years ago, when photography was kicking off in Malaysia, most people who became photographers were people who didn’t have a high level of education, and didn’t have a good command of English. They figured it’s easy to become a photographer. “Just point and shoot only mah,” was the motto. Learn the techniques to expose a picture, learn developing negatives and printing. You didn’t need a lot of education to do that.

It was sort of perceived as an easy way to make money and start a business. Sound familiar? Let me bring you to the present moment. Digital cameras are so cheap now. The first DSLR in the world cost almost a 100 thousand ringgit. Now you only need to spend less than 2k and you can get a body with a lens. “Just point and shoot, and download to the computer only mah,” is the new motto. You didn’t need to learn about exposure to start taking pictures, the camera does that for you. You didn’t need to learn how to develop negatives, printing, push processing and all that. Anything you want to learn can be found online. With the LCDs built into the camera, you can see your results immediately and make corrections. The learning curve is so much easier now. Anyone can learn to become a photographer.

And most people take on assignments with little thought, letting the client push them around, and they shoot everything they see like a headless chicken running everywhere. They have no strategy. They don’t really know what they want. All they know is to point and press the shutter and they end up with thousands of frames and 99% of it is useless (ok I’m exaggerating a bit, but you get the point). These people are the Cameramen. And all they know is to buy a cheap DSLR, cheap lens, cheap flash, then start taking on jobs and they don’t really think before they shoot. And they let people think that its an easy job being a photographer, “just point and shoot only” was widely perceived by the public.

But most people don’t get it. They don’t understand what it means to be a photographer. Let me tell you this. As a photographer, taking pictures is only 10% to 20% of the job. The rest is planning, doing your homework, research, surveying the location, communication with clients, presentation, workflow, logistics, preparation, etc. But you need to be GOOD at that 10-20% of the job. Your mission is to make that 10-20% as easy as possible and as quick and efficient as possible. You need to have a tight strategy when shooting, and you need to know what you want before the shoot starts. In order to know what you want, you need to know what is the big picture. And you need to know what the client wants as well and WHY they want it. Then you can add in what you want to achieve and meet your client’s needs as well. Most clients prefer a photographer who has his own style and way of doing things. After all, they are hiring you for your creativity. Not just to point and shoot. (If they want a guy just to point and shoot, I usually refer them to the cameramen ). And that’s why as a Cameraman, you only get paid peanuts and you can only demand peanuts.

Here’s the difference between a photographer and a cameraman.

Thinking and Shooting and Thinking again

A photographer is someone who puts a lot of thought into an assignment before taking the picture. It starts from the planning and preparation stage, by visualizing the actual shoot that will take place. He thinks about how is the lighting going to be, the space, backgrounds, what physical elements are there at the location, the weather, what needs to be done to ensure the shoot is quick and easy. And even before the shoot starts, he already knows what the picture is going to be and how he wants it. Right up to the moment of actually shooting the pictures, he is still thinking, about composition, the lighting, depth-of-field, shutter speed, focal length, background, distractions, poses, and all that jazz.

His job is to make sure he sticks to his plan and maybe allow for a little bit of changes here and there. He as already decided on his angle and he knows roughly how the pictures will end up. Once the shoot is completed, the post-processing stage is quick and easy. Because most of the pictures are actually shot the way he visualized it, editing and selecting is fairly easy and he doesn’t have to do a lot of photoshop work on them. There may be a few shots that are out of focus, or not exposed properly, or not composed properly, but most of the shots are nearly perfect.

Professionalism and Communication and Ethics

He communicates his ideas all the time to the client. He tries his best to be as creative as possible and always thinks about how to improve the results of the shoot, before and during the shoot. He keeps the client informed of his decisions all the time. The client ultimately feels confident and secure with the photographer and trusts him to do his job well. He has INTEGRITY. He understands the meaning of professionalism. He doesn’t try to steal another photographer’s idea or angle. He takes that idea and tries to improve it and comes up with something better. He respects other photographers by making sure he doesn’t block them on purpose. He keeps to his word, what he says is what he does.

Working Smart

There’s a huge difference between working hard and working smart. Shoots usually take time and if not planned properly can take a lot longer than required, and lots of time will be wasted. Working smart means doing what it takes to make it as efficient as possible. The most important factor to ensure this is proper planning. Time is the most important asset to a photographer. If it takes too long to complete a shoot, a few things could go bad. Everyone might lose their enthusiasm, including the photographer himself. A good photographer will try his best to make sure everything goes well as efficiently as possible, and that includes, logistics, accommodation, how far away is the location, how long does it take to travel, making sure his equipment is in working order, backups, hard-disk space, memory cards.

Then there is the cooperation with the client or the people in charge of the event or location, to make sure everything goes smoothly. He has to make sure or minimize any last minute surprises that could disrupt the shoot. He always has a backup plan. And he is always thinking a few steps ahead. If something happens, he has already thought of an alternate plan. He is also able to improvise things on the spot. His motto is always to finish the job as quickly as possible.

So, do you see why being a photographer is so different from just being a cameraman? It’s not just point and shoot. Shooting is only 10-20% of the job. The rest is planning, preparation, thinking about ideas, research, paperwork, communication, logistics, etc. Having a vision and a plan to execute that vision. Now with all this involved, do you think it’s worth it to accept a job for peanuts? How about the cost of running your business, the bills, annual fees, car installments, rentals, upkeep of equipment, including laptops/desktops, etc?

If a client asks “why so expensive ah?” You can tell them this story. And if they still want it cheap, then let the Cameraman do the job. Because you’re a Photographer.

Found this article at Leprikon Pictures original source is from Jimin Lai.

So, which one is me???Seriously I'm neither.I owned a DSLR because of my interest of taking picture.I was once wanted to take photography for serious & further my study in it but my family disapprove.I used to rebel but now I have to admit that I don't really meant for photography.Yeah, I love taking pictures but editing?Hell,no!!!Autocad,yes.Photoshop,no.

So,are you a photographer or a cameraman?