What defines a professional photographer? Is it:

1) 100% of your income from photography?
2) Any paying gig you can get?
3) Use of "Pro" equipment?
4) Selling a photograph?
5) Attitude, marketing, and more attitude?
6) Amount of gear?
7) People pay you for THIS?
8) Or something else?

So what defines in the Canon Forum's mind, a professional photographer? What do you have to do to get there? I see the term used pretty loosely these days, so I thought I would ask for the definition from the folks here. Lets see if I get different answers than on the Nikon board.

I'd recommend taking a look at this thread:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/782076/0?keyword=popularity#7177895

and if you want a more humorous approach, check this out:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/what-is-a-pro.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/pro-not.htm

In my mind a professional is when 50% or more of their income comes from photography, and they have been doing it at least 2 years.

To me it is when most of your income is from photography. I do not qualify and hopefully will never qualify.

jrasmussen wrote:
I do not qualify and hopefully will never qualify.

I know exactly what you mean.

Me too.

jrasmussen wrote:
To me it is when most of your income is from photography. I do not qualify and hopefully will never qualify.

jrasmussen wrote:
To me it is when most of your income is from photography. I do not qualify and hopefully will never qualify.

So you're an unemployed pro?

you may enjoy reading this:
http://www.pixelatedimage.com/blog/2009/06/a-question-of-definition/

jrasmussen wrote:
To me it is when most of your income is from photography. I do not qualify and hopefully will never qualify.

I know some doctors and lawyers who don't make most of their income from medicine or the law, respectively. Does that make them amateurs?

There are a heck of a lot of musicians and actors who hold union cards--their unions and their industries consider them professionals--but they make most of their income from waiting tables.

IMO, if a person is doing a job with whatever industry and legal credentials are required and doing it as a tax-paying business then he's a professional.

alanwarp wrote:
you may enjoy reading this:
http://www.pixelatedimage.com/blog/2009/06/a-question-of-definition/



Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed it very much.

What defines "Canon Gear Forum"?

I don't even think you have to make the -majority- of your money on it. To me, the term "photographer" implies that it is at least part of your profession, though. I mean, I write--I write every day. That does not, however, make me a writer.

There are also some people that do incredible landscape and artistic photography that only make a small amount, but they do it consistently enough and frequently enough I would consider them a professional photographer.

I like to take photos. I make some money off of it, and I don't call myself a photographer, though. I'm the 2nd shooter for the larger weddings that my father does. I've sold numerous prints--but to me, my father is a photographer, my father is a pro, I'm just a guy that likes to take pictures.

I've never really understood the fixation that many here seem to have with this label - applying it, defining it, using it to justify things, arbitrate arguments, define best practice & on & on. I just don't get it.

jrasmussen wrote:
I do not qualify and hopefully will never qualify.

+1

I think a photographer is pro when the photography pays for the expenses of photographing.

mzman wrote:
In my mind a professional is when 50% or more of their income comes from photography, and they have been doing it at least 2 years.

so the doctor who also sells landscape photos can't be a pro unless he makes 50 percent of what he makes in a year from photos?

It's not the amount of money, or the amount of time that you're a business but it's rather the way you conduct business.

A professional photographer is one who realizes that in order to be a professional photographer, it's not just babes and the camera. It's a photographer and a businessman/woman.

Plenty of photographers fail at business because they are terrible at business, and plenty of photographers who aren't as good as the ones who failed, do better than the ones that failed because they are businessmen too.

I'm not talking myself up, but I'm probably a more technically proficient guitar player than quite a few of the major label acts, but they are bringing in the dough and I'm working a day job. I own professional guitar equipment (the equivalent of 1dsmk3 and L's, or D3x's and Nikons top end) but still, I'm a day job and they are a touring musician.

It's not talent, or gear that makes you the pro nor the money. It's the whole business of it.

I would say the one who talks more about their photos than their equipment

John Power wrote:
What defines "Canon Gear Forum"?
50 mm boxes.

RobertLynn wrote:
John Power wrote:
What defines "Canon Gear Forum"?
50 mm boxes.
...and f.1.2 bokeh talk

I like to take photos. I make some money off of it, and I don't call myself a photographer, though. I'm the 2nd shooter for the larger weddings that my father does. I've sold numerous prints--but to me, my father is a photographer, my father is a pro, I'm just a guy that likes to take pictures.

Of course you're a photographer, even if you're not a "professonal photographer."

If only professional photographers could be called photographers, then the adjective would be as redundant as "male bull."

Well, what separates a pro television critic from a pro couch-potato? Or a pro sports analyst from a beer-league fantasy guy?

I think you have to factor in at least some form of monetary gain.

In my mind, a professional anything is someone that has a significant source of income from that particular field.

I don't think it has anything to do with how good you are at it ... I'll guarantee that many artists are amazingly talented, yet don't consider themselves "pros". The same way that many "pros" are not talented, yet someone still pays them to do it.

I know with hockey, there are the NHL level guys, but there is also the AHL, which is like minor leagues ... but they are still considered "pros" in the AHL.

So maybe a good definition is whenever someone will pay you for your skills/time, you are a pro ... ?

In the end, does it really matter?

If you want to call yourself a pro , you are a pro, I am not going to to an audit on you just be sure...Just like any other job that has no requirements or licensing or qualifications. If you want to call yourself a policeman or a doctor, you will run into legal issues. not so much with being a 'pro photographer'.

Why the 2x post?

netminder0 wrote:In the end, does it really matter?

The only times it matters are for professional jobs, or jobs that require a certain level of education or accreditation. This includes, but is not limited to, Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, Architects and a few other jobs that require certain skills to be considered a professional.

Otherwise, people use the term "professional" to denote that they get paid, typically as a means to brag. That is to say "I'm so good at XYZ, people pay me to do it!". At which point it can degenerate into nit picking and grades of professional, none of which is important to the trade or the skills thereof. I derive a monetary gain from some of the photos I take, but it doesn't matter one bit if someone considers me professional or otherwise.

Grognard wrote:
What defines a professional photographer? Is it:

6) Amount of gear?



That's it, Grognard, you've got that one right.

dasrocket wrote:
RobertLynn wrote:
John Power wrote:
What defines "Canon Gear Forum"?
50 mm boxes.
...and f.1.2 bokeh talk

is this 24L sharp?

i have met photographers around the world that display skills so honed and precise in their particular specialties i dare not call them amateurs. they are so skilled in their craft their work is so good that its professional in every aspect eg. aviary photographers some on this very forum. because these photographers don't get paid thus by most standards they are classified as amateurs.

to the OP i say other. their work stands as testimony in and of itself of their professionalism. when one has acquired the skills of a master photographer you have earned the right IMHO to be called a professional photographer.

since this is a gear forum, shall we assume that the professional photographer has also acquired the essential tools to capture the image.