mom with camera...

So most of you are probably not deeply invested in the photography world.  I realize this.  So let me see if I a can articulately explain my thoughts...

But just like in any other industry there are the super popular rockstars, those of us happily making a living and those who wish to be super popular rockstars but fail to recognize that owning a camera no more makes you a photographer than owning a wrench makes me a mechanistic

So why do I mention this?  Because recently a fairly popular photographer turned web entrepreneur who has felt that some professional photographers are unfairly bashing the "moms with camera" crowd.  Who are the "moms with camera" crowd you ask?  Typically someone who drops a couple hundred dollars on an entry level DSLR and starts a photography business without the basic understanding of how to run a camera outside of auto.  The issue with this crowd is that they typically offer a sub-par version of the moon for peanuts undermining the entire value of profession.  It can be frustrating but honestly not something I lose sleep over. 

So what's my issue?  Not this individuals defense of Moms with Cameras, not at all.  We all need to start somewhere and Lord knows I have grown leaps and bounds in the past four years.  Is was the fact that she took issue with professional photographers and felt that she had to attack them to defend her stance.

In fact, she implied that if you were a mom and a successful professional photographer that you were ignoring your children, doing a poor job of mothering if you will.  That in fact, you could not be both and do both well. 

Whoa.  Hold the phone.

So someone who made 100K her first year in photography is telling me that because I am successful I am ignoring my children?  And that moms who don't make their photography business successful are instead better moms.  Say what? Wait a minute.

Now I don't really think this is what she meant, but she said this, I believe to make a point. 

But I found it offensive.  So you have just written in defense of the moms who are being bashed only to bash those of us who work to put food on our table for our children?

Let me just say this - mothering is hard.  Mothering is harder than being a Doctor, mothering is harder than being the President of the United States, Mothering has no job description that accurately describes what truly goes on, day in and day out, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

And for me personally, for me to think that I am a good mom I make an effort to spend time with my children, reading, play, having fun and loving together, I cook my family dinner 90% of the time, from scratch and I try to let them learn their own way, find their place in this world.  But some days I have to put on a movie so I can finish a project and some days we ignore work and spend the day exploring new parks and baking cookies.  I don't think that either of those things make me a good or bad mother, they are just a part of how my life fits together to make me the mother I want to be, to make me the business woman I want to be.

So ultimately I feel like I have missed something,  I have missed the do unto others part of this issue.  But this issue isn't about being a good photographer or being a good mother, and the attacks shouldn't be as such, this is about treating our fellow human beings with respect and love, something we could use a little more of.