Do you consider people who do portrait work at Walmart, Sears etc to be professionals

[skieur]

In a professional association every member is an equal to every other member of the association, all members have the exact same rights and privileges. Is private equal to a general? Does the private have a say in who becomes a general?

Your view of a professional association is rather idealistic. The Supervisory Officers Association made up of administrators in education is still a position-oriented association where Assistant Superintendents of Education do NOT have the same "say" as Assistant Directors of Education. Dentists Associations vote the specialists such as orthodontists into administrative positions. Doctors associations lean toward the specialists as well, rather than the general practitioners. The bar association measures status in the organization based on success and votes those into positions of authority in the association.

So, your view of professional associations is NOT reality.

skieur

 

[ababysean]

Would you consider someone who works at a portrait studio in Wal-mart, Sears, Jc Pennys to be professional photographers?

My friend gets a job there every christmas season. She has no idea what shutter speed, f stop, or iso is at all. She presses a button and goes through a required set of poses and then SELLS the crap out of the session. She is a sales person first. PERIOD> if you look at the job description you do not need any photo experience at all. In fact she does not even own a camera, not even a point and shoot......

 

[xzqzq]

Years ago, while working at the DMV, I would occasionally take the pics for the driver licenses. Just for fun, I would try to make the pics as flattering as possible as opposed to the usual ' mug shot '. I'd take a pic @ every 5 seconds, while schmoozing with the applicant, and keep the best for the license.

 

[LightSpeed]

This.^

I know someone who worked at the Sear's portrait studio. They didn't know jack crap about cameras, exposure, or anything. They basically are told what to do, or have predefined poses for the number of people.

Just admit it Tyler.
You enjoy working at Sears, taking pictures of people and their kids hanging out with Santa Clause.
i can just picture you, wearing your Elf hat, SCREAMING at the kids to smile. I SAID SMILE DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ron Evers]

This.^

I know someone who worked at the Sear's portrait studio. They didn't know jack crap about cameras, exposure, or anything. They basically are told what to do, or have predefined poses for the number of people.

Just admit it Tyler.
You enjoy working at Sears, taking pictures of people and their kids hanging out with Santa Clause.
i can just picture you, wearing your Elf hat, SCREAMING at the kids to smile. I SAID SMILE DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice to see you two getting along.