Is photography a glamorous and glamorous job that involves travel or a hobby where you spend a lot of money on useless gear? Or is it something else? In this hilarious 2.5-minute sketch, Niels de Kemp mocks the various misconceptions about photography.

Common Misconceptions about Photographers

Everyone has a opinion on photography. This industry is constantly evolving because of the many perspectives it offers. The general public also has many opinions about what photographers do behind-the scenes and why they take pictures.

De Kemp, a street photographer and content creator, created his humorous video to show the various misconceptions.

De Kemp tells PETAPIXEL, “Even my spouse thinks that I have as many cameras around as I can,”

He writes on YouTube, “But we just love photography!” It’s not Sony, Nikon Canon, Fujifilm Pentax, Ricoh or Fujifilm. It’s about having fun creating things. I hope you find this video amusing.

These misconceptions are addressed by De Kemp in his brief sketch.

• Although photographers’ partners may believe their partner has Gear Acquisition Syndrome (also known as GAS), they might not know what they do with all that equipment.
• Big camera companies assume that photographers want free gear in return for exposure.
• Although parents aren’t sure what their children do on a typical shoot they assume it involves photographing families and children, which is done in a similar way to traditional portraits of decades past.
• Men’s friends, especially male photographers, joke that the photographer is just looking for lewd shots and will bring it up whenever they tease them.
• Photographers are often perceived by clients as trying to make more money.
• Others on social media see photographers as using quick filters or thinking that photographers are all the same.
• Photographers who use different brands of cameras can see another photographer using the same brand and make uncomplimentary assumptions about what they are doing based only on their camera.
• A workshop can make beginners confused as the tutor relays technical information but doesn’t relate it to real-life shooting experiences.
• The public believes that all photographers are “sneaky-snipers”, waiting in the corners or in the bushes to capture the perfect shot.

Several other common assumptions could be added to this list:

• Passers-by and clients assume that the photographer doesn’t have a large DSLR equipped with a telephoto lens.
• Photographic is cheap. It’s simple to point a camera at a subject and hit a shutter. But people forget all the money and time spent learning, networking, managing the business, traveling and making sure they have enough to pay the bills.
• People who attend parties believe that event and wedding photographers do not have a job for the enjoyment of their guests.
• The public believes that street photographers are eager to capture unflattering close-up portraits on anyone who passes them.
• Every photographer can also be a videographer, and vice versa. Why wouldn’t a camera with a video function allow the photographer to become a filmmaker instantly?
• There are no niches. Every professional photographer should be capable of taking on pet portraits as well as sports coverage and wedding coverage.

Some of these myths can have a direct impact on the business of photography, such as the notion that photography should be easy and therefore be expensive. However, others are lighterhearted and something photographers and non-photographers can laugh about.