I think it is interesting ... I quite regularly have this conversation with people!
The reality is with photography, that almost anyone could go to a shop, buy a camera with no previous experience or knowledge, take a few snaps, print them up in boots, frame them and put them up for sale.
Of course the same could be done with a paint brush and canvas. But the difference is, an undiscerning eye would probably at best deem the slapdash brush strokes as "modern art" and at worst think it was just crap.
With photography, the story is different ...
If this hypothetical person were to take a photo of a church for eg. The sky might be lost to highlight and there maybe wonky and converging verticals, but provided it was sharply in focus, the undiscerning eye might well deem it a good photo! And at that point, of course it is a good photo... After all someone has decided it so!
Now add in the fact that said undiscerning eye was married in said church or used to visit it with their parents as a child ... the image holds emotional attachment...
The print is also framed and for sale which adds to its value and you have a potential sale!
Now round this all off with the "photographer" having a background in sales and you have even more chance that Steve Smith of 'Carphone warehouse', West Bromwich has just become a "pro" photographer and all in under a week!
Take Steve's positive experience/beginners luck ... Add it to the fact that he has yet to hone his eye, the fact that he is a mobile phone sales man (usually confident people) and all of a sudden you have someone who believes they have natural talent! Maybe he is tech savvy too, after all, he works in technology! Few hours of an evening with a Wordpress installation and posh looking theme and his beginners photos are set in the context of a quality photographers website! A prices page and contact page later and you have what you are describing!
It doesn't necessarily mean he gets any work ... But he might do ... And what he does get will be off the back of what is on his website/portfolio/word of mouth! He's a nice guy this Steve ... And can sell ice cubes to Eskimos! Within his market place he makes some success! He can't quit mobile phone sales full time, but it's a bit of extra cash in his sky rocket so he is happy!
It also affords him the odd L-series lens (of course he has to dip into his bonus from mobile phone sales to top up the cash) and since he now spends hours arguing with people about mtf charts on dpreveiw he now knows a fair bit about cameras and lenses (much misguided of course)
Then we come along and judge him ... ... Us arty farty blurry photos of fair grounds, heavily processed motion blurred flowers, snap shots, and photos of people in gas masks people ... ...
Now I'm not saying we are wrong, or that he is a good photographer or a bad one ... But he might judge us too ... And he has as much right too!
Of course we are right though... Steve is a pretty shoddy photographer, especially for one who makes money ... Fingers crossed, he will learn one day though! And thankfully, the sort of clients he gets, I don't want anyway!
