As a pro

[Robin_Usagani]

I have always thought you were a pro. You have a website, blog, and you even advertise your phone number. And you seem to have very strong opinion when it comes to criticizing someone's work. If you aren't a pro, what is the point advertising your phone #?

 

[The_Traveler]

I have always thought you were a pro. You have a website, blog, and you even advertise your phone number. And you seem to have very strong opinion when it comes to criticizing someone's work. If you aren't a pro, what is the point advertising your phone #?

Lots of people have websites, I like to show what I am working on. Many/most of my photographer friends have website also. Is that ego? Sure.

Blog - I have published a couple of technical books, written lots of scientific stuff, edited a good amount and have even written a novel that is deservedly unpublished. I like to write and, more important to me, write about my opinions and my experiences which are fairly varied. I get about 800 to 1000 reads on each piece so other people seem to get something out of them; I realize that's not any measure of how well I write or how right I am but, like most people who are used to public speaking, I'd rather speak to a crowd than to an empty room. Thus, blog occurs.

My telephone number - I have no idea why I include that, I don't advertise it in pop-ups with great deals, but it's there. I'd rather talk to people than read an email; I'm old fashioned that way.

The strong opinions - It is odd that you think strong opinions determines a pro. A professional will hold to his opinion as long as there's no dollars in the way; an amateur has the freedom to have opinions. As an involved amateur I've honed my likes/dislikes over time and hew to them quite closely for my own work. As far as expressing them, I try to tell the truth as I see it and always try to express it as my opinion rather than the absolute truth. Perhaps others are more used to a little more pu$$y-footing around than I'm willing to do. If my opinion makes sense in the abstract then listen to it, if it doesn't, don't.

As to whether I am a pro or not. I don't attempt to solicit business in any overt way. No facebook ads, no membership in professional groups to have an emblem for my web site, nothing like that.

If someone wants to pay me to do something I'd like to do anyway, great; that's like an extra reward for having a fun hobby. If someone wants to buy a picture that I have taken, also great. But shoot weddings or any similar things when I would have to do something I don't like, no, not for me.

I have the absolute freedom to be a second-rate amateur and willingly pass up the opportunity to be a third rate professional.

 

[hopdaddy]

Oh look. ANOTHER thread on the debate around the word professional.

It's A shame you Can't "Really" join the party . You were more fun before you put the "Mod " hat on . (I'm just poking fun at ya ,Chris .) Besides ,We haven't even got to the part ,where someone Argues the point ,"It takes Social Skills " To run a successful Business of any kind . A skill lacking ,in most of the "Opinionated " Types of folks .
("Strawman" out , Crawling back into my safe haven) :hail:

 

[Stevepwns]

Do I win? Please tell me I win. Is that a yes? Don't you understand...I NEED this....I'm fragile.

I love a goat!

Funny, you don't look Scottish. :mrgreen:

Thats racist.....

 

[table1349]

Do I win? Please tell me I win. Is that a yes? Don't you understand...I NEED this....I'm fragile.

I love a goat!

Funny, you don't look Scottish. :mrgreen:

Thats racist.....

Nooooo. Scottish is not a race. It's an ethnicity.

 

[Derrel]

He was not demonstrating "racism", but rather was showing his "ethnocentrism", by dissin' on the Scots...and their love for the goats...

Again, not sure,exactly, what this post was "really all about." Professional versus amateur, the terminology? Pro versus non-pro, the movie? Pro versus amateur, the telephone number conundrum? Pro versus amateur, the watermark crisis? Pro versus non-pro, the Raw or JPEG debate? Pro status prerequisites? Stereotypical professional versus non-professional qualifiers? the old "what is a professional" debate, unsheathed yet again?

 

[limr]

I kind of saw it as a "why I am not a professional photographer, whatever that term may mean". I can see how people would jump on the prov vs amateur debate, but I don't see that intent in the original post. It seemed more of an exploration of where photography fits into our lives.

 

[table1349]

He was not demonstrating "racism", but rather was showing his "ethnocentrism", by dissin' on the Scots...and their love for the goats...

Again, not sure,exactly, what this post was "really all about." Professional versus amateur, the terminology? Pro versus non-pro, the movie? Pro versus amateur, the telephone number conundrum? Pro versus amateur, the watermark crisis? Pro versus non-pro, the Raw or JPEG debate? Pro status prerequisites? Stereotypical professional versus non-professional qualifiers? the old "what is a professional" debate, unsheathed yet again?

Well to be quite correct, we prefer sheep to goats, but rexbobcat posted a goat instead of a sheep so you go with what you are given to work with.

:lmao:

 

[Robin_Usagani]

I am just super tired seeing all of these amateur - pro threads. It should be about good - bad photographers. An amateur could have pro-level equipment and talented, and you can find a pro with bad equipment and no talent.

 

[DiskoJoe]

What im getting from this is.....

professional = whore

Seems about right.

 

[DiskoJoe]

I am just super tired seeing all of these amateur - pro threads. It should be about good - bad photographers. An amateur could have pro-level equipment and talented, and you can find a pro with bad equipment and no talent.

True.

Think of it this way. Van Gogh is often referred to as one of the best painters that ever lived and never sold anything during his lifetime.

 

[rexbobcat]

What im getting from this is.....

professional = whore

Seems about right.

That's why I'm just a slut, giving away my services for free

 

[table1349]

What im getting from this is.....

professional = whore

Seems about right.

That's why I'm just a slut, giving away my services for free

 

[manaheim]

Oh look. ANOTHER thread on the debate around the word professional.

It's A shame you Can't "Really" join the party . You were more fun before you put the "Mod " hat on . (I'm just poking fun at ya ,Chris .) Besides ,We haven't even got to the part ,where someone Argues the point ,"It takes Social Skills " To run a successful Business of any kind . A skill lacking ,in most of the "Opinionated " Types of folks .
("Strawman" out , Crawling back into my safe haven) :hail:

Heh

Yeah it sad more fun when I could just yell at people. Lol

That said in mostly just busy these days.

 

[The_Traveler]

I am just super tired seeing all of these amateur - pro threads. It should be about good - bad photographers. An amateur could have pro-level equipment and talented, and you can find a pro with bad equipment and no talent.

Isn't writing this a bit like walking into a birthday party, eating some cake and then yelling, 'I am just super tired seeing all of these birthday parties. We should be celebrating wedding anniversaries.'

I started this thread for two reasons:

First, I really, really like to hear myself talk (I thought I would say this before others think it - and that's all right, I do)

and second, well, let me quote someone I think highly of,

In photography, the word 'professional' is a positive thing and implies that you are good enough to get paid for it.
That is the same as in other fields - sports, entertainment, etc.

And conversely, the word 'amateur', although it comes from the root word in Latin 'to love', implies a lower or uncertain level of expertise so anyone who says they are an amateur seems to brand himself as of lower skill.

I was bemoaning the lower status implied by the word 'amateur' and wished there was another word that didn't carry with it the negative connotations with respect to ability that 'amateur' does.