Candid Camera

Was I seeing things?
Was this a joke?
I did a double take.
This can't be for real....

So I read it closer. And there it was. "The Camera Phone Book: How to Shoot Like a PRO"?? There's one thing to make a camera phone book for the novices of new phone technology who would like better direction... But to say the word PRO in the title just baffled me.


pro·fes·sion·al (prə-fĕsh'ə-nəl) n.
1. A person following a profession, especially a learned profession.
2. One who earns a living in a given or implied occupation.
3. A skilled practitioner; an expert.

The definition of professional means to be an expert - okay, fine - but to also EARN a living in a given occupation. Who in their right mind would make a living on photos off a camera phone? (Well, more like who in their right mind would PAY someone that well off of their camera phone photos? - can I have their names & numbers please??)

Has our society become so camera obsessed that everyone considers themselves a pro? Yes, I've seen some amazing stuff from point-and-shoots and even camera phones. It's not the camera that makes it good or bad, it's the subject, composition, etc. But the fact that the word PRO is used. I have gotten paid for my photography before (not from my camera phone!), and I do NOT consider myself a pro by any means.

I feel like this book is very misleading, at least the title anyway. The Publisher - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (who is KNOWN for their amazing photography) has endorsed a book that literally makes the claim that you can shoot professional photos with your camera phone. What will society think now? Can you imagine - the sidelines of an NFL football game - surrounded with the AP photographers holding up their camera phones??

And still it makes me wonder.... were the photos in this book taken with a camera phone?