A note to new photographers: stop berating experienced photographers’ business models.

If you’re new to photography, welcome. Truly. This industry needs fresh eyes, new energy, and people who are excited to do things differently. But there’s something that keeps popping up, and it’s worth addressing early:

Berating experienced photographers and their business models doesn’t make you look innovative. It makes you look insecure.

You might see photographers charging more than you think you ever would. You might decide you’ll “never upsell,” “never charge that much,” or “never run your business like that.” And that’s fine. You’re allowed to choose a different path. What’s not fine is turning those choices into public criticism.

Here’s why.

You don’t see the full picture

An experienced photographer’s pricing isn’t pulled out of thin air. It reflects years of skill-building, failed experiments, overheads, taxes, insurance, equipment, marketing, admin, education, and, crucially, experience. What looks like “overcharging” from the outside is often simply charging sustainably.

You’re at the beginning. They’re not. Those are not comparable positions.

Different models serve different clients

Not every business is meant to serve everyone. Some clients want all-inclusive digitals. Others want luxury products, in-person sales, or a high-touch experience. Neither is morally superior. They’re just different markets.

When you publicly bash another model, what you’re really saying is: “My way is the only right way.” That’s rarely true and clients can smell that arrogance a mile off.

It hurts the industry (and you)

When photographers publicly undermine each other, it lowers trust in the entire profession. It teaches clients to question pricing, devalue skill, and treat photography as a commodity rather than a craft.

And here’s the kicker: one day, you’ll be the experienced photographer. You’ll raise your prices. You’ll refine your model. You’ll make choices your past self didn’t understand. How will it feel when the next wave of newbies berate you?

Confidence doesn’t need comparison

If your business model is solid, it will stand on its own without tearing someone else’s down. You don’t need to shout “I’m different” by criticising others. Just… be different. Quietly. Professionally. Successfully.

Respect costs nothing. And it buys you credibility.

So build your business. Learn. Experiment. Change your mind (you will). But do it without dragging others. There’s room here for all of us, and the photographers you’re criticising today paved more of that road than you realise.