The question boils down to, What is the stigma others (potential clients) in particular have for you? If you say you are a pro and act like one too, you are a pro (in their eyes)
The term Amateur does have a stigma to the average Joe, money or not.
What makes someone a "Professional"?
(117 posts) (61 voices)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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kyoshinikon said:
The question boils down to, What is the stigma others (potential clients) in particular have for you? If you say you are a pro and act like one too, you are a pro (in their eyes)The term Amateur does have a stigma to the average Joe, money or not.
agree with this. if you say you are a pro, act like one, and others view you as one, then you are one, whether you are literally or not.
Posted 1 year ago # -
This is so cool to be an anonymous voice on a forum.... as we all are. If one checks my profile it is revealed I used to be a Pro in the field of medicine. Yeah, 12 years of school and all that stuff. But, the point is a lot of people do this and make very poor "pro" doctors. I know a lot of them I would not send my worst enemy to see. And every field is the same way. Society is full of words which have so many varied meanings that the word is almost useless. I think maybe this is where we are with trying to get anything more out of "professional photographer" than the fact someone might earn their living taking pictures. No real quality tag goes with this anymore than with some of the docs I have worked with.
How about we ask the question "What is a Redneck Photographer?" See, I think this is someone who works for National Geographic and is outside a lot so gets a sun burn on their neck and becomes a "Redneck".
Or maybe it comes down to our individual behaviors and at least when we are out taking photos we try our best to be respectful of others boundaries while doing our job in a meaningful way. Particularly in photo journalism, a lot of which I seem to do, this is a difficult line to walk. But, a real high quality "Pro" will always be doing the job while respecting others.
And if I irritated an NG photogs, my apologies. You have my undying respect.
Ms. Tommie LauerPosted 1 year ago # -
msmoto said:
If one checks my profile it is revealed I used to be a Pro in the field of medicine. Yeah, 12 years of school and all that stuff....how about that! I never looked. Msmoto, you should be shooting with at least a D3S with a D3X as a specialty backup!!! Just kidding. : )
By day I'm a Clinical Pharmacist in the Trauma and Critical Care units of a trauma hospital here in South Florida. Doctorate and all - remember brachial plexus? : ). I kid with the MD's all the time about their expensive habbits and toys yet we all respect one another because we know each others' places in the community.On this board, I respect all of the knowledgeable and wise posters. The people who can go deep into detail about the history of Nikons's cameras and lenses and say more than I will ever know - and do it without making you feel like crap. In my eyes those types are experts or pros as it were - even if they're not shooting photos all day every day. Your line aboout a "Pro" doing a job while respecting others is key.
Rx4Photo....get it? Rx. LOL
Posted 1 year ago # -
"...how about that! I never looked. Msmoto, you should be shooting with at least a D3S with a D3X as a specialty backup!!! Just kidding. : )"
Mmmm... OK, I will admit that I do have a D4 on backorder from B & H. My run back into photography is a result of retiring in about 2002, traveling about first in cars, then motorcycles, then Airstreams, and now a motorhome. I support the writing my three stuffed animals do by taking photos for them, and supplying one photo five days a week. All this can justify a heck of a lot of expenditure, but I am not getting any younger and need to get it while I can still carry a heavy body-lens combo. And I love the NR Forum where we can just have a lot of fun and see some absolutely fantastic photos.... many of "top shelf" caliber.
So, let's all keep up the good work. I see almost everyone on the forum as a "pro".Posted 1 year ago # -
msmoto said:
How about we ask the question "What is a Redneck Photographer?"me.....LOL
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2068038354385.111866.1647615973&type=3&l=ff0649c595
Posted 1 year ago # -
You shoot with this right? http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/38172/2939225680056087808S425x425Q85.jpg
Posted 1 year ago # -
kyoshinikon said:
You shoot with this right? http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/38172/2939225680056087808S425x425Q85.jpg......but there's no CB antenna! lol
Posted 1 year ago # -
I think this forum is full of "My kind of people". As the bears and Dawg would say, "ha, ha, ha."
Back to the real topic.... a "pro" will be always looking for ways to improve what they produce. And this includes being able to accept comments on a photo. Maybe we should have a special topic called "Photo for critical examination". And this photo would be put up under an anonymous avatar so we would not know whose it was. Then anyone could pull it off, make the changes they wanted, and repost as their own idea of how to improve it. This would not be for the faint of heart as I am certain some of us might go after some wild changes.
For example, my photos tend to be "flat" in that the dynamic range is either within a reproducible number via print, or the highlights/shadows are simply gone with the visible range still reproducible. Yet, some may wish to change that. In any case, a "pro" will be able to look at others opinions..... kinda like art directors who just want it their way!
Gosh, maybe some of us have too much free time, huh?Posted 1 year ago # -
I've been in the art photography world and there is no such thing as a "pro there" as everybody is either broke, holding a commercial creative job (like Me), married to somebody who works, or sold out,(ok a few get lucky but it is rare). Art photographers love praise and critique. The worst thing you can hear from a prolific critic is nothing... A bad review is better than a neutral or flat one because it doesn't compel people to come see why it was so bad and it doesn't help the artist grow or improve...
A critique forum would be cool though.
Posted 1 year ago # -
""A critique forum would be cool though.""
I think it would. A NR Forum administrator can be the originator of a critique forum, however, as it may have some controversy. And they know I have walked near the gates of Hell on some of my posts and do not want to do anything that will get me excluded. I am having too much fun.
And as far as artistic work, I agree that often the artist never gets paid nor even recognized during their lifetime. But the pleasure of producing that which has esthetic value is "priceless".
Posted 1 year ago # -
My thanks and appreciation for the comments qualifying MY POST. They were VALID, especially with regard to amateurs. I have a high regard for amateurs, and apologize for inferring otherwise. It diminished my point which you eloquently corrected for me. Thank you!
Posted 1 year ago # -
It really is too bad that amatuer has a stigma from the "average joe". Its a basic misunderstanding of what amatuer is. Until recently to compete in the olympics, you had to be an amatuer. And if you have an olympic gold in a sport, nobody disparages you from that. But with a profession, amatuer conveys less skill, and the reality is, one often has nothing to do with other. It might, or it might not.I have a friend who takes shots in his spare time. They are amazing. Beautiful, and quite good. But his full time career is a computer engineer. He sells enough shots to pay for his cameras and his trips to take the shots, but at best he could be qualified as a "semi-pro", by the income method. He writes lightroom plugins, and is always improving his skills. (He shoots with Canon... but nobody's perfect *grin*) He only sells enough to pay for his extreme enthusiasm with his hobby. (hes taken a few shots that have been in ridiculous dangerous places... shots that many people in here would never risk their lives for).
Meanwhile, in my home town there is a photography studio, that does high school shots, weddings, and baby pictures. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone has to earn a living. I've seen their work. Its ... decent. Its not bad, but its not great. But, they have a good client base, and they make a good living. But my friend knows more about cameras, and is spending more time improving his skills than they do.
I don't mean to disparage them at all. But in the average persons eye, my friend who "pays for his hobby" is obviously less serious than the person who owns a business.
So its really too bad that Amatuer carries the stigma. (Cassius Clay was an "amatuer" before he competed in his first heavyeight bout)
Posted 1 year ago # -
@mirtos - well put +1
Posted 1 year ago # -
I had some buddies who opened camera stores and photo studios because they love photography. I learned quick. Talent is not the difference. The difference is that the amateur can buy a lens or toy because they want to, the professional buys the lens or toy because he has to. Kinda takes the fun out of it!
Posted 1 year ago # -
The real question is what make someone an amateur
Amature Latin source, amātor, "lover, devoted friend, devotee, enthusiastic pursuer of an objective,"s
Posted 1 year ago # -
Have you ever played in a Pro/Am golf tournament? You become a pro golfer by declaring yourself one. You play with Tiger on Sunday's only after you qualify to do so.
In the meantime you and I can play in Pro/Am tournaments all year you the amateur one week and I'm the pro. Next week you can be the pro.
You are a pro photographer when you declare yourself one. Same as golf.
most of us are probably no better at photography then we are at golf. But, we do sometimes get some great shots. (sometimes)
Posted 11 months ago #
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