Why not a Blog 93

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stmv

Senior Member
I noticed on this site and others the struggle with the lable professional vs amaeteur and it sure can create emotions.

I beleive this is a struggle from the very birth of the Kodak and other cheap cameras, where everyman could enjoy making their images.

However, the Pro gear was very expensive, and so for years and years, a gap existed between the two worlds, and well not every person/street corner had cameras, so business had to hire people to take pictures.

As the gap between pro gear and amaeteur gear narrowed, well the boundary has merged, as more and more people poured their engergy into the field.

I teach photography classes to a groups of photographers from the grads of of a photography college, to serious amaetuers and Pros.

With the right technique, and subject, they all take beautiful pictures. I am always amazed at the quality.

I do find that awkward moments all the time, when people are introducing me,,,, its like a stumble,, Am I a Pro, Semi-Pro, Amateur, Serious Amateur

do you make a checklist..
Display Photos - yes (occasionally)
sell photos - yes (occassionally)
take Portraits - yes (occassionally
Do weddings - yes (occassionally)
Teach - yes (occassionally)

Own Pro Gear -> yes

Make a full time income -> nope..


What do I call myself,, just a photographer,,
 
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GeoWes

Senior Member
My philosophy on professionalism is that a professional is educated and experienced in the craft. The professional is resourceful, innovative, and adaptive to overcome all obstacles in achieving the desired results. The professional becomes objective instead of subjective. And these traits should be second nature.

As a photographer, you are an artist, above all. Just as the dancer on stage or the musician in the studio. No matter what the motivation for making an image, that image is your work of art. When you accept that, you begin to see an artistic value in everything you look at. Each blink of the eye; every change in you focus of attention is a new photograph in your mind.

The more tools that you use to create your art, more creative opportunities will spring out. You explore new levels of expression and expand into other perceptions. But no matter how objective you art may be, the public will generally view it subjectively; thus you have “good” art and “bad” art.

Meeting deadlines, selling prints, getting published, getting paid…… that has nothing to do with being an artist, or a photographer. That is business. Are you a good businessman(woman)? Are you professional in business? If you make your art a business then you make business a part of your art. You can be good at business but it doesn’t make you a professional photographer. On the other hand you can be the best photographer on the planet, and the worse businessperson, too.

My point is stop worrying about the label, and start making good art. In the long haul, you will see that it doesn’t really matter when you let you art talk for you. Just get it out there. If its going to sell, it will sell on its own merits. The “professional business” photographers out there now are professional because they put their work out there and grabbed someone’s attention.

The same with any artist. They get their work out there to be seen. Now get your work out there and grab someone’s attention. You make money, or maybe not, but you will get seen. And not one professional actor or musician or dancer or professional photographer started out by quitting their day job. :D
 
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