Amateurs vs Pros (Interesting Quote!)

GeorgeUK · Dec 31, 2007

Not sure if this has been posted here before, but thought it was worth sharing something I came across...

Quote from David Hemmings:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1](Photographer) David Hamilton said that the difference between an amateur and a professional photographer is that the amateur thinks the camera does the work. And they treat the camera with a certain amount of reverence. It is all about the kind of lens you choose, the kind of film stock you use... exactly the sort of perfection of the camera. Whereas the professional - the real professional - treats the camera with unutterable disdain. They pick up the camera and sling it aside. Because they know its the eye and the brain that count, not the mechanism that gets between them and the subject that counts.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Interesting!

Fate · Dec 31, 2007

Cool quote

BUT i would like to see a pro attempt to take a picture without a camera

j_mcquillen · Dec 31, 2007

Do a quick search for some of Man Ray's Photograms (he called them Rayographs....) - he did some great work without a camera

Fate · Dec 31, 2007

good for him

and yeah they are cool.

But its not exactly a common place with pros

I think its true that photography is more about the photographer's vision than the equipment, however.. your not going to hire a photographer with an amazing vision to shoot a car ad with a disposable camera... not quite a digital MF camera is it

Snyder · Dec 31, 2007

Sometimes you need the equipment to make your vision come true.

Alex_B · Dec 31, 2007

A pro is someone who sells his images to make a living (or at least part of it).

This means most pros work for clients and have to do what they demand. This most of the time does not leave much freedom to be an artist.

Some pros are artists in their spare time, but almost none of them are artists when doing their job.

Things are just that simple.

jstuedle · Dec 31, 2007

My wife is first and oils artist, and second a photographer. I've used/played/worked with the camera for over 40 years. We have had several storefront business over these many years, most dealing with art in one form or another. We have heard many of these little amateur-vs-pro quips. The two that stick most in my mind are:
1) The main difference between an amateur and a professional, is that the Pro gets paid, amateurs get a pat on the back. This led me to realize it's more about marketing, business management and networking than raw photographic skill.
2) Those who can, DO. Those who can't, TEACH. I don't really have much of a comment to this one other than many of the teaches/professors at the art school in our closest big city are total buffoons. Can't speak to the issue of this being typical or not. But it is in Cincinnati.

Battou · Dec 31, 2007

Alex_B said:
A pro is someone who sells his images to make a living (or at least part of it).

This means most pros work for clients and have to do what they demand. This most of the time does not leave much freedom to be an artist.

Some pros are artists in their spare time, but almost none of them are artists when doing their job.

Things are just that simple.

Thank you, saves me the spchiel. :mrgreen:

Rick Waldroup · Dec 31, 2007

I would not say that I treat my camera equipment with utter disdain, but I sure do not pamper my cameras at all.

And I do not become sentimentally attached to them, either.

Alex_B · Dec 31, 2007

Rick Waldroup said:
I would not say that I treat my camera equipment with utter disdain, but I sure do not pamper my cameras at all.

And I do not become sentimentally attached to them, either.

Same here ... my emotional relationship with new gear just lasts about two days. then, when it is broken in, I just use it and try to keep it in a usable state

But that does not make me a pro at all

Battou · Dec 31, 2007

Rick Waldroup said:
I would not say that I treat my camera equipment with utter disdain, but I sure do not pamper my cameras at all.

And I do not become sentimentally attached to them, either.

I don't pamper mine either, I get attached to models but not the camera in and of it self. If it breaks it breaks I can get another one, I just hope I get a good shot doing what ever it was that breakes this tank I call a camera. :lol:

patrickt · Dec 31, 2007

I was shooting with a pro one day and I was chatting with her assistant. I asked the assistant if he knew the difference between a pro and an amateur. He shook his head. I live in Mexico and I said, "The pro has a burro." He grinned as he toted two gadget bags, a large tripod, a reflector, and said, "And I'm the burro."

On another shoot, a baptism for a friend's baby, I took some shots where the happy parents were in bright sun and the grandparents were in deep shadow. Ooops! IMHO, professionals, if they really are, will get the shot more often than an amateur.

Alex_B · Dec 31, 2007

patrickt said:
IMHO, professionals, if they really are, will get the shot more often than an amateur.

Why do you think so?

A good pro will get the shot more often than a bad amateur. that is for certain, but trivial.

And again, amateur or pro are terms not referring to talent or quality in photography. I have seen pros with very poor photographic skills

It would make sense that the percentage of talented people is slightly higher with pros than with amateurs, but then we are only talking statistics.

Not 100% related, but maybe something to think about, I remember someone telling me, since he quit being a pro, he finally could do good photography again.

Val · Dec 31, 2007

Alex_B said:
A pro is someone who sells his images to make a living (or at least part of it).

This means most pros work for clients and have to do what they demand. This most of the time does not leave much freedom to be an artist.

Some pros are artists in their spare time, but almost none of them are artists when doing their job.

Things are just that simple.

Well put!