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General Photography
What defines a "professional" photographer
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<blockquote data-quote="Browncoat" data-source="post: 3869" data-attributes="member: 1061"><p>I think you may be on the right path, Pete. Photography is an art form, and the masses have been trying to nail down a definition of art for generations. It still can't be done, because art is subjective. In a sense, we're trying to differentiate between a professional and amateur artist here. Perhaps the word "commercial" or "commissioned" would be more applicable?</p><p></p><p>Do we call Picasso a professional artist? No. How about Ansel Adams...the father of modern photography? Despite all <em>his</em> achievements, I don't recall ever hearing of him being labeled as a professional. More or less, it's an industry driven designation with marketing in mind, and nothing more. "Hi, I'm Bill Snapshot, professional photographer. You don't want John Q. Camera to do your family portraits, he's only an amateur."</p><p></p><p>I don't really see any other way to look at it. You're a pro photographer when you choose to label yourself as one. There is no achievement, gear, education, or assignment that a pro does that an amateur can not also do. Zero.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Browncoat, post: 3869, member: 1061"] I think you may be on the right path, Pete. Photography is an art form, and the masses have been trying to nail down a definition of art for generations. It still can't be done, because art is subjective. In a sense, we're trying to differentiate between a professional and amateur artist here. Perhaps the word "commercial" or "commissioned" would be more applicable? Do we call Picasso a professional artist? No. How about Ansel Adams...the father of modern photography? Despite all [I]his[/I] achievements, I don't recall ever hearing of him being labeled as a professional. More or less, it's an industry driven designation with marketing in mind, and nothing more. "Hi, I'm Bill Snapshot, professional photographer. You don't want John Q. Camera to do your family portraits, he's only an amateur." I don't really see any other way to look at it. You're a pro photographer when you choose to label yourself as one. There is no achievement, gear, education, or assignment that a pro does that an amateur can not also do. Zero. [/QUOTE]
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What defines a "professional" photographer
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