There is a Difference Between Taking Pictures and Being a Photographer

This is in response to an article on the Amateur Photographer website.

A U.K. based media chain is in the process of eliminating many of its staff photographers.  There plan to rely heavily on pictures sent in by readers or taken off of Social Media sites.  A huge kerfuffle arose as a result of an article that appeared in the Guardian defending the move.

The articles stated that newspapers (especially the weekly newspapers run by the media chain involved) should only employ freelance photographers.  They had no need for staff photographers, and could get by largely using photographs from other sources.

The professional photography community excoriated the author.

The very idea that a news organization can rely on outside photographers is ludicrous.  How are they supposed to guarantee that anyone photographs a subject if they don't send a photographer to take photos?

Not having a staff photographer forces a newspaper or media chain to rely on dumb luck when it comes to having pictures to run with a story, especially for events that are scheduled in advance.   Relying on dumb luck is not a sound business model.


The idea that "everybody taking pictures" means that the professional photographers are redundant when it comes to new is also extremely demeaning to professional photographers.

There is a difference between someone that takes photos and a professional photographer.

A Professional photographer knows how to do more than simply record events as they occur.


Saying that staff photographers are redundant because everyone takes pictures is akin to saying that staff reporters are redundant because everyone can write a report.

This is ironic since the author of the article defending eliminating staff photographers happens to be a journalism professor.  If the ability to write a report was all that was needed to be a reporter, the author of this idiotic article wouldn't have a job.  His job relies on there being a different between writing a report and being a profession reporter.

It is telling that he fails to recognize the distinction when it comes to the other branch of journalism.


There is also a certain amount of risk involved in this move.  Media outlets can only guarantee an image's copyright status when dealing with the photographer on a personal basis.  Relying on images sent in from unknown individuals or taken off of social  media prevents this.

Ask Getty why this matters.