Comments on: Who Qualifies As A Photographer? http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/ A Resource and Community for Photography Enthusiasts Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:52:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Nick Gould-Tampa FL Med Photog http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-132464 Nick Gould-Tampa FL Med Photog Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:36:03 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-132464 Anyone can be a photographer. Even if someone has a M-F 9-5 job answering the phone in an office, if they get hired to shoot a wedding next saturday, they are the "photographer".. that doesn't mean they are a professional. I believe the "professional" tag is acquired when one's job is to photograph full time. Just like in sports; anyone who plays sports is an athlete (high-school football, college track)- but then you have your "professional" athletes where that's all they do. Of course, we could always refer to the dictionary definition of "Professional": of, relating to, or connected with a PROFESSION... and naturally, we all know that a profession is a paid occupation. To me the lines are not that blurry. It's pretty easy to tell who the hobbyists/enthusiasts are and who the professionals are. But that's not to say that there aren't hobbyists out there that aren't better photographers than some professionals. Because I am a photographer, I know a lot of aspiring photographers/hobbyists and I also know a lot of professional photographers. Some of those hobbyists shoot better than some of the professionals. Anyone can be a photographer. Even if someone has a M-F 9-5 job answering the phone in an office, if they get hired to shoot a wedding next saturday, they are the “photographer”.. that doesn’t mean they are a professional.

I believe the “professional” tag is acquired when one’s job is to photograph full time. Just like in sports; anyone who plays sports is an athlete (high-school football, college track)- but then you have your “professional” athletes where that’s all they do.

Of course, we could always refer to the dictionary definition of “Professional”: of, relating to, or connected with a PROFESSION… and naturally, we all know that a profession is a paid occupation.

To me the lines are not that blurry. It’s pretty easy to tell who the hobbyists/enthusiasts are and who the professionals are. But that’s not to say that there aren’t hobbyists out there that aren’t better photographers than some professionals. Because I am a photographer, I know a lot of aspiring photographers/hobbyists and I also know a lot of professional photographers. Some of those hobbyists shoot better than some of the professionals.

]]> By: Brian Auer http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-125364 Brian Auer Tue, 19 May 2009 19:14:56 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-125364 I see your point, but I think both of your examples are exceptions. Even an engineer making $150K plus $100K as a photographer would be hard to pull off. Both of those income levels are higher than standard fare, and thus would require extra time and effort spent at each job. I don't think there would be enough hours in the day. Regardless, my point wasn't to lay out a flawless metric for the term "professional". I see your point, but I think both of your examples are exceptions. Even an engineer making $150K plus $100K as a photographer would be hard to pull off. Both of those income levels are higher than standard fare, and thus would require extra time and effort spent at each job. I don’t think there would be enough hours in the day.

Regardless, my point wasn’t to lay out a flawless metric for the term “professional”.

]]> By: Los Angeles Photographer Rob Greer http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-125361 Los Angeles Photographer Rob Greer Tue, 19 May 2009 18:30:25 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-125361 In this blog post you mention that a professional photographer is someone who makes over 1/2 of their income from photography. What if someone is very wealthy and has a large trust fund that provides them with most of their income but for their day-to-day job, they are a photographer. According to your metric, they aren't a professional. So let's say that's an exception. But here's another situation, let's say that someone makes $150k a year at their day job as an engineer and $100k a year as a photographer. Would you still stand by your statement that they aren't a professional photographer--even if they're making more money than many full-time professional photographers? I think you're walking a very slippery slope when you try to define a professional photographer based on someone's income levels/proportions. In this blog post you mention that a professional photographer is someone who makes over 1/2 of their income from photography. What if someone is very wealthy and has a large trust fund that provides them with most of their income but for their day-to-day job, they are a photographer. According to your metric, they aren’t a professional. So let’s say that’s an exception. But here’s another situation, let’s say that someone makes $150k a year at their day job as an engineer and $100k a year as a photographer. Would you still stand by your statement that they aren’t a professional photographer–even if they’re making more money than many full-time professional photographers? I think you’re walking a very slippery slope when you try to define a professional photographer based on someone’s income levels/proportions.

]]> By: Orange County Photographer - Mark Halper http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-106131 Orange County Photographer - Mark Halper Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:50:02 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-106131 Brian, I can't say I totally agree with you, but what you write is food for thought. Probably a good thing to consider is the level of experience and expertise of the individual photographer. And a hobbyist could some day become a Professional :-) Brian,

I can’t say I totally agree with you, but what you write is food for thought. Probably a good thing to consider is the level of experience and expertise of the individual photographer. And a hobbyist could some day become a Professional :-)

]]> By: Sylvester - Houston Photographer http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-106129 Sylvester - Houston Photographer Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:43:41 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-106129 Brian, I discovered your article today and I can see that like others it it can be helpful in explaining to a potential client why my "professional" photography is priced as it is. Thank you! Brian,

I discovered your article today and I can see that like others it it can be helpful in explaining to a potential client why my “professional” photography is priced as it is.

Thank you!

]]> By: Lisa http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-59268 Lisa Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:11:34 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-59268 I quoted you (the hobbiest part at the end of your article) on a Photography Hobbiest group I just started on Facebook. I credited the quote totally to you with a link back to http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/. I hope you don't mind, but it totally said everything I wanted to but didn't quite form in my mind. :) Thanks! Link to group for Facebook users: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11888182478 I quoted you (the hobbiest part at the end of your article) on a Photography Hobbiest group I just started on Facebook. I credited the quote totally to you with a link back to http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/.

I hope you don’t mind, but it totally said everything I wanted to but didn’t quite form in my mind. :)

Thanks!

Link to group for Facebook users: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11888182478

]]> By: Webhost http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-47732 Webhost Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:45:58 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-47732 Brian, this is a great article. I consider my self hobbyist too. Those words remembered someone: "We drool over that piece of equipment we can’t afford, and we find that we’re never quite satisfied with what we already have."... That's our hobbyist attitude. (Sad for us, because I have some friends that make incredibly good pictures with pretty old equipment.) Keep good work. Brian, this is a great article. I consider my self hobbyist too.
Those words remembered someone: “We drool over that piece of equipment we can’t afford, and we find that we’re never quite satisfied with what we already have.”… That’s our hobbyist attitude. (Sad for us, because I have some friends that make incredibly good pictures with pretty old equipment.)

Keep good work.

]]> By: Junius Fullard- Digital Photography http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-39570 Junius Fullard- Digital Photography Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:39:07 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-39570 I think that you are either hobbiest or pro. You either get paid to do it, or you do it just because you like it. I am no pro, I am a hobbiest trying to get better at it. I think that you are either hobbiest or pro. You either get paid to do it, or you do it just because you like it.
I am no pro, I am a hobbiest trying to get better at it.

]]> By: Alan Cook http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-37143 Alan Cook Sun, 27 Jan 2008 11:31:07 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-37143 I will call myself a photography hobbyist instead of photographer. This is because my skill is lousy. I will call myself a photography hobbyist instead of photographer. This is because my skill is lousy.

]]> By: Drew http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/comment-page-1/#comment-35034 Drew Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:30:24 +0000 http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/04/30/who-qualifies-as-a-photographer/#comment-35034 I was a pro for 18 years capturing medium to high end weddings. When you had to get it correct on film and not be trained using your digital display. Every industry will move through changes and digital photography created a huge shift. I was a pro for 18 years capturing medium to high end weddings. When you had to get it correct on film and not be trained using your digital display. Every industry will move through changes and digital photography created a huge shift.

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