What Makes a Photographer

[unpopular]

Success = $$$$

You are quickly becomming my least favorite person.

 

[o hey tyler]

What is it that makes a photographer successful?

Pigheadedness, arrogance and conformity.

95% of professionals rely on cliches, standard poses, and formula. Look at the images that recieve the most attention. 2/3 of them are Ansel Adams knock offs, and the rest are knock offs of one another.

Imagination has nothing to do with it, at least if that is the measure of success.

I very much do not measure a successful photographer by whether or not they are professionals. That's kind of my point here.

Unfortunately, if you read a lot of what goes on in internet forums, it's all about what "the pros" do. This idolization is further fueled by consumer photography magazines which, page after page, glitz up professional photographers and their less than remarkable, yet technically outstanding, images.

Truly, we can learn a lot from 'the pros' business and technical sense; but what makes a 'successful' photographer is not neccesarily what makes a successful artist.

You realize that your posts are purely opinions, and not necessarily based in any certain reality, right?

You speak as if what you are saying is absolute truth, which it clearly isn't. I understand you enjoy the more abstract, or minimal side of photography, which you yourself seem to enjoy your work more than any given objective viewer. Not trying to say that isn't all fine and dandy that you like your own work, but most people strive for some form of positive response when taking photographs... Rather than shooting solely for the enjoyment of their own work, and disregarding any negative things that others have provided as feedback.

This thread isn't about being a successful artist, art is subjective. Success as a photographer has less of a gray area IMO.

 

[unpopular]

I'm not about to say "in my opinion" after everything I say, regardless of tone I don't find it difficult to sort out people's opinions verses facts, and if you cannot then I'd say that has more to do with one's own self esteem than anything I say.

But a photographer is not exclusively a profession, either, and I'd say that what makes a successful photographer and what makes a successful businessperson are different as well. A professional photographer is a businessperson who in order to be successful must also be an artist. We can't measure success merely by professional success, otherwise this would be in the business section.

 

[rexbobcat]

Imagination, consistancy, ego

Damn right lol. Anybody who says that they don't use photography to stroke their ego even just a little bit is so full of **** haha

That's why so many people get butthurt when their photos get ripped to shreds.

I've never met a photographer who is honestly humble. They talk the humble talk so they don't sound like a jerk, but I know...

They think that they're the best thing since...something really good.

It's the worst in art galleries. The pretentiousness is palpable. It leaves a bad taste.

 

[unpopular]

pfft. you're wrong. There are humble photographers. Look at me!

now stfu. I'm right on this one.

 

[imagemaker46]

I'm also quite humble, but in a great photographer sort of way.

 

[slackercruster]

Why not? I don't think someone would be a photographer if they didn't want to. Would put so much time into it and not like?

I had the same gut reaction to Bitter's comment. But the question is "what makes a photographer" not "what makes a great photographer". Someone can become a photographer without a passion for it, they just have to like it.
Now to be great, I think you need passion.

Yes, but passion alone wont do it. You must have skill and talent as well.

A great tog can pick up a pinhole cam and do something worthwhile with it. We see togs here all the time with high $ equipment producing boring snapshots. So vision, talent and skill is the main component when it comes to greatness.

To the OP, get some Nat'l Geo dvd's on their togs. The library has them for free. Showcases the working life of togs shooting around the world.

 

[slackercruster]

Imagination, consistancy, ego

Damn right lol. Anybody who says that they don't use photography to stroke their ego even just a little bit is so full of **** haha

That's why so many people get butthurt when their photos get ripped to shreds.

I've never met a photographer who is honestly humble. They talk the humble talk so they don't sound like a jerk, but I know...

They think that they're the best thing since...something really good.

It's the worst in art galleries. The pretentiousness is palpable. It leaves a bad taste.

Togs like to show their work. Pix are made to be viewed or what is the point?

Sure, some togs have bigger egos than others.

 

[slackercruster]

I very much do not measure a successful photographer by whether or not they are professionals. That's kind of my point here.

Unfortunately, if you read a lot of what goes on in internet forums, it's all about what "the pros" do. This idolization is further fueled by consumer photography magazines which, page after page, glitz up professional photographers and their less than remarkable, yet technically outstanding, images.

Truly, we can learn a lot from 'the pros' business and technical sense; but what makes a 'successful' photographer is not neccesarily what makes a successful artist.

Some pros do great work all around. And some pros just do work. Same with non pro togs.

 

[slackercruster]

Because you can be super ubër dooper passionate about something, and still suck.

Then you'll just be a sucky photographer with a passion for photography. As rabbit said the question asked "What makes a Photographer" and not "What makes a good Photographer" You kinda just proved my point.

I wasn't answering the OP's question. I was responding to the person above me, and you actually proved my point when you substituted the word LIKE for PASSION.

As for the OP's question...Who cares about JUST being a photographer. It's meaningless, just being something. It becomes something when you want to discuss being a photographer in a qualitative way.

I think something great can be produced without passion. A tog can dislike their work and still go through the motions to crank out a great shot. But pasion helps keep the tog going when times are tough.

The Nat'l Geo dvd's I mentioned showcases togs with lots of passion. So if you want to see passion in action, get the dvd's from the library.

 

[slackercruster]

Skill, creative thinking, thorough understanding of the craft (including understanding the theories of visual communication and elements of design and composition), vision, perspective...

I do believe one can be naturally "gifted", in that it takes much less work and effort to achieve greatness, while someone else may take 10 times as long to achieve that same level of greatness.

Yes, creative brain is a natural to some and can only be improved upon by others. No matter how hard the un-gifted tog tries, they will never match or come close to the naturally gifted.

But so what, if one likes photography, just blast away. There is no rule that only the genius togs can pick up a cam.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

But so what, if one likes photography, just blast away. There is no rule that only the genius togs can pick up a cam.

Never said there was.
But if someone wonders why they never get any positive comments on their images, they might find a clue as to why. If they can accept that answer and continue, super! If that answer makes them put their camera down, well, that's on them.

That quote is from a discussion...

Integral part? No.

Passion is a feeling and not always a driving force.
IMO.

Thanks, good food for thought.
So what do you think it takes for an individual's body of work to stand out from the crowd (from a peer's standpoint, not marketing to the masses).

 

[The_Traveler]

This may be diversion but this point has always niggled at me.
In previous discussions on this topic, there has been a continuing statement that a real photographer can shoot anything. Give him/her the right equipment and he'll get the shot.
Expecting a general level of competence seems to look at photography as a trade where performance rather than artistic insight is prized.

 

[imagemaker46]

Skill, creative thinking, thorough understanding of the craft (including understanding the theories of visual communication and elements of design and composition), vision, perspective...

I do believe one can be naturally "gifted", in that it takes much less work and effort to achieve greatness, while someone else may take 10 times as long to achieve that same level of greatness.

Yes, creative brain is a natural to some and can only be improved upon by others. No matter how hard the un-gifted tog tries, they will never match or come close to the naturally gifted.

But so what, if one likes photography, just blast away. There is no rule that only the genius togs can pick up a cam.

I have to say that in all the years that I have been shooting I have never heard anyone throw around the word "tog" before. Never been refered to as a "tog" either.

 

[imagemaker46]

This may be diversion but this point has always niggled at me.
In previous discussions on this topic, there has been a continuing statement that a real photographer can shoot anything. Give him/her the right equipment and he'll get the shot.
Expecting a general level of competence seems to look at photography as a trade where performance rather than artistic insight is prized.

I have always said that a great photographer can shoot anything, it doesn't mean that they can shoot everything as well as someone that specalizes in a certain field. I shoot sports pretty well, and I have shot a few weddings, but the wedding images, while they were cookie cutter types, were still technically good, and composed correctly, I wouldn't rank them as good as some that shoot weddings on this forum. But on the other side, it wasn't as much of a challenge as someone that shoots just weddings would find going out and having to shoot good sports. Different fields, different ways of looking at things.