Rebels need not apply.

Q: LISTED IN AN AD WAS “DO NOT APPLY IF YOU HAVE A REBEL OR D90. MUST HAVE D700, 5D MK III, OR BETTER.” GOT RESPONSES FROM MY LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP RANGING FROM “SCREW THOSE GUYS” TO “PAYING CUSTOMERS ARE ENTITLED TO ANY REQUIREMENTS THEY MAY PROPOSE.” HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH “BEAN COUNTERS” THAT ONLY SEEM INTERESTED IN THE GEAR, WHEN IT SHOULD BE YOUR WORK THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?

A: Dear Potential Client,

I’m sorry that my gear does not meet your requirements. A decade or more ago you would have been asking for a Nikon D1. It had less than 3 megapixels. Photographers shot magazine covers with that camera. It was a staple among pro photographers. We couldn’t believe that it was only $5,000.

My Canon T2i that I bought used on Craigslist for $200 runs circles around that camera. I’m capable of shooting double-truck spreads for publications without blinking an eye.

I’m now wondering if you check the kitchen of your local restaurants to see if they are using “Acme” or whatever pots and pans before eating there.

Respectfully,

Gophk y’rslf

...

I jest. Never send that email.

Look—you have to have the mindset of “That’s not my client.”

Your clients hire you for what you do. Not for what you do it with. Unless there’s a very technical reason they need a photographer to shoot with a specific kind of camera. If not, then just move on.

If I had to have a pro level camera to get started I would have never been able to do so.

When I made my first run at being a professional photographer I was convinced I needed professional equipment. I went heavily into debt buying gear to shoot for clients I did not yet have. I was still cutting my teeth. I had more gear than I knew what to do with, but damn it! I was ready to do professional work with professional tools. The jobs did not come pouring in. The credit card bills did, though. I got in over my head, and it took years to dig out from under the mess that I made.

Just move on. It’s okay. There are people out there who value a unique perspective that is only available through someone who can “see.” If you see through a beat-up used $200 DSLR then that’s what you do. That beat-up camera of yours outperforms the pro digital gear from a decade ago that cost thousands more.

Some key points:

• Don’t advertise what you shoot with.

• Good clients should love your work. Not your camera.

• A medium format kit isn’t going to bring clients in.

You should get into a pro level kit because it makes your life easier, gives you better AF or ISO performance, and maybe because the build quality is better and can handle the stress of a heavy workload. Not because you are losing clients because you don’t have the right kind of camera.

One parting thought on this to keep in mind: A lot of people go get themselves one of those “real nice digital cameras” and begin to think they are ready for the big leagues. Perhaps this particular person with the ad listing was burned by these “Rebels without a Clue,” and so now think a higher level of camera may mean a higher level of work. You never know. Just move on.