You Might Be a Fauxtographer If:

I recently saw the term "fauxtographer" on a photography forum. I kind of hate to say so, but I think it aptly fits many of the new "professionals" entering the photography market over the past few years. With the ready availability of high megapixel amateur and advanced amateur digital SLR cameras, there has been a huge number of people who think photography is an easy way to make a buck. They've taken a few good photos, got some complements....

please note: some of the things mentioned in this list are techniques that can have their place if used sparingly or for special effects or purposes. But if it's "what you do," if it characterizes your work, you just think it's "cool," and you don't know how to do things better, you might just be a fauxtographer. Also, not any of these by itself would qualify someone as a fauxtographer, but several? You may want to give it some thought.

And one last disclaimer:  Everyone's got to start somewhere. So if you're serious about becoming a professional photographer, go for it. However, you've got to know your limits. You've got to realistically assess your abilities. Seek advice, counsel, education, maybe even a mentor, in order to constantly improve and raise your work to a true professional level.

You just might be a fauxtographer if:

• you "shoot pictures"
• you think your camera is a professional camera because it has interchangeable lenses
• your lens is the kit lens that came with the camera
• you think the best way to control depth of field is with a wide open aperture on a super fast lens
• you're willing to photograph up close on a portrait subject with a lens smaller than 85mm
• you think the product you're selling is pictures
• you don't know the five lighting patterns for portraits
• you don't know how to light hair
• you only shoot with natural light
• you don't know how or when to use off camera flash
• you don't know how to use studio strobes
• you don't know how or when to use a reflector, a diffuser, or a gobo
• you don't know that light has different colors in full sun and shade and how to correct for it
• you expect your customers to do all their ordering through online proofing
• your only product offering to clients is on CD or DVD, no prints, and unlimited rights to reproduce the images
• you think $25 for an 8x10 is expensive
• you think an 8x10 is a big picture
• you think your competition is JCPenney, and price accordingly
• you base your prices on 3 or 4 times your cost, but you only figure the cost of the tangible paper print - and don't count your time, equipment, overhead, packaging, etc.
• you don't package the images you deliver to your clients in anymore than a paper or plastic bag
• you over saturate your color images
• you line people up against a wall for a group portrait
• you have the front row of people bend forward with hands on knees for group portraits
• you "don't believe in posing people"
• most of your portraits are slanted
• you don't know how to use a gray card (or black card or white card)
• you photograph couples or families sitting against a wall with their feet straight toward the camera - double this one if you use a wide angle lens so their feet look disproportionately large
• you include color, b&w, and sepia versions of multiple prints on each session
• you use PhotoShop actions for almost all your special effects, retouching, and editing, and don't know how to create an action for yourself, or do the editing without using an action
• you figure you can "fix it in Photoshop"
• you know you're a good photographer because your clients tell you so, and maybe some other beginning photographers, but you aren't willing to have your work critiqued by more experienced professional
• you don't charge sales tax
• you don't participate in any professional photographer organizations at the local, state, or national level
• your photographic education consists only of the classes you took in college
• your photographic education consists only of occasional touring workshops
• your photographic education consists only of what you can find on websites, forums, or Facebook
• when you offer prints, you have them printed at a one-hour lab

And for the ultimate fauxtographer, visit this YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S3NFW2c7hA   "Missy Mwac" has a series of videos done somewhat tongue in cheek, but done so well, it's hard to know whether she's serious or not.