“everyone is a photographer”

We joke sometimes that “everyone is a photographer” (behind closed doors, of course.) Nothing malicious, we just end the sentence with, well you know, “everyone is a photographer.” And then we move on. Usually this is after we have lost a shooting gig to somebody because they were the someone’s brother-in-law, or cousin (or second cousin, once removed.)

Need some proof, look no further than Nonja, the 33-year-old orangutan at a zoo in Vienna, who was given a digital camera set up to automatically post photos to Facebook*.

Here are my tongue-in-cheek responses to “everyone is a photographer”:

• so if video killed the radio star, who did Flickr murder?
• well you know why NOT every one is a surgeon, because it is hard to do as a hobby.
• so I’m at a bar, in the restroom taking a leak, and the guy next to me asks “how many megapixels...?”
• until you know the difference between ISO and ASA, there is no hope for you.
• some things you just can’t fix in post. but I am sure you will try.
• that is like saying you are a chef because you eat.
• you are not a photographer just because you are on Facebook, Linked-In & Twitter 24/7/365.
• not everyone, I met this gal once, and she was a director!

* = btw, Nonja is paid in raisins. According to a spokesperson for the zoo, “Of course the apes don’t care about the pictures, they are just an accidental side product. They just know that when they press the button, a raisin pops out.”

p.s. to whom it may concern: just to clarify, I am not bitter. just something us industry folks joke about, from time to time. ha ha.

p.p.s. Um, I’m going to go have some (♪two scoops of raisins...♪) Raisin Bran cereal now.


photo on the left: © Katrine Naleid (of yours truly) & the photo on the right: © Nonja (of Nonja)
(this diptych was doctored up by my photo pal Sue Tallon; you can see the original one here.)