Professional photographer does her brother's catering company's marketing for free until he jokes that her career isn't “real" at a party; so she sends him an invoice: ‘I have clients who pay me very well for what I give him for free’

Photography and videography jobs are so nebulous because the cameras, and all their magicks, are no longer gatekept. Once hidden to the general population behind a monumentally expensive paywall, cameras are now in everyone's pocket, getting upgraded with every new iPhone gimmick and every photo enhancement app. What most people struggle to understand is the artistry and the nuances of photography, which requires years of training, skill, and an innate ability (an “eye” as they once called it) to create composition. 

Anyone can take a photo on their phone, sure, but not everyone is a photographer. 

I've seen enough photos on my dad's camera roll, with 100x pixelated zoom, uncentered portraits, and a blurry thumb in the corner of every photo to know that being a photographer is far more complex than a simple snapshot.

This photographer's brother seemed to think otherwise…

Although he had been the main beneficiary of her talents, enjoying free business marketing on her behalf for over two years, he didn't see the value in her career. After spending years curating her own business, she was tired of explaining her profession to those who didn't understand or appreciate it. So when she realized how her brother really felt about her career, she decided to remind him how she paid her own bills: With money from paying, appreciative clients. 

As a man whose livelihood was based on his services, his skills, and his trade, he should have known better than to diss someone's hard-earned career. 

The fact that he even tried to cower behind the excuse of it being “a joke” justifies her response even more. Not only was he willing to diss her and her career in front of potential clients, but he also belittled and diminished her for nothing more than a cocktail hour chuckle. Nice going, big bro.