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 Nikon 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.
It's not like being a lawyer or a paramedic, there is no license or requirements involved. If you want to call yourself a pro you are a pro. Why does this question reappear every 3 to 5 weeks?
Elan II wrote:
If you make a living from photography, then you're a pro. Getting paid for the occasional gig is not quite the same.
That sums it up, imo. When you're making living off of something, that "something" has a whole new meaning to it compared to, say, when it's just your hobby. Sure, nothing stops from an amateur being more skillful than pros, but it's more has to do with your level of commitment, I think. I'm taking pros in general, not just photography.
You can open up a photographic shop in some random location in Greece, where the people don't know any better. Just because you've opened up the shop, doens't mean that your material is any better than an amateur. So as other's have said "That does not mean that all pros are better than all amateurs." I've seen some pretty crappy looking stuff in these 'pro' shop windows.
Danny Steyn's definition is as good as any: "A professional photographer is generally defined as a person who derives the majority of their income from photography. Someone who has a full time job and does paying photography work on the side would be a semi-pro or part time pro. And someone who does photography for passion and personal interest is generally defined as an amateur.
But I will be the first to admit that there are many semi-pro and amateur photographers out there whose work easily rivals and even surpasses that of established professional photographers, so in my eyes there is no need to have any inferiority feelings by not being a full time pro. I have seen many images by amateur photographers that I would have been proud to have in my body of work.
So this label of professional photographer is not so much to do with the skill with the camera (although it will definitely help) but it is more about that persons ability to derive a livelihood from photography, and this is easier said than done."
A exfriend of mine takes a lot of pictures (not photographs) ,frames them and unsuccessfully attempts to sell them. I regard him as "practically a semi pro". Take care. Bob
I consider myself a professional photographer even though I do NOT derive the majority of my income from photography. I have a business, a tax exemption, and for a period of my life HAD to have photography to make ends meet though that is no longer the case.
A pro is someone who makes a significant part of their income from photography. If you are paid to take photos (or if you sell photos - stock, fine art, etc), and can't afford NOT to stop doing photography without having things repossessed, I'd say you're a pro. If you can stop at anytime but still make a few sales or do a few jobs here and there for a little extra money, semi-pro. If you sold one photo to a friend last year, you're amateur (especially if after the sale you realized you lost money)
With that in mind, remember that the guy taking crappy photos at WalMart is a pro. Also, the guy taking those lousy school photos with what amounts to a point & shoot camera is a pro. As was said, amateur ain't a bad word, but if it rubs you the wrong way, call yourself an "enthusiast photographer"
well its simple really if you have to report profits on your tax returns and can legally look at gear as a capital investment/expenditure it becomes self evident where you stand. call it what you want.
If you run a business (you know, one that fills in tax forms and so on) and the purpose of the business is to provide photographic services then you are a professional photographer.
Anything else (quality of work, equipment, number of shoots, whether your photos or mine are better, etc) is irrelevant.
Jul 06, 2009 at 08:54 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
