What makes a professional a professional?

[Emerana]

How do you know she wasnt a professional taking a quick test shot before she comes back with her professional camera later ... how do you know she was a grandmother?

 

[shorty6049]

How do you know she wasnt a professional taking a quick test shot before she comes back with her professional camera later ... how do you know she was a grandmother?

lets not kid ourselves here...

 

[c_lawrence]

mirriam webster... always good for "technically concrete answers".

Let's say she wanted to sell that shot. Am I now in competition with every old lady and kid with a digital camera?

How do you rise above and set yourself apart?

In other areas of business, such as social work, sports, etc... a "professional" is commonly known as one who gets paid for thier higher education/'expertise'. However, in the field of arts the definition is vague and confusing because there is so much out there for sale (I'm amazed at how much is really poor quality and lacking in creativity, anywhoo...) and most who have made that $1 for their product would like to claim they are a "professional". I am new to photography... "amateur" here ... but I have been an artist of many other mediums most of my life and I feel that it does not matter what label you attach to yourself, or others. What matters is whether your art is creative... meaningful... artistic... rather that just 'photocopying' a scene. I think if you are a true artist it will show through your work and your picture will be favored most times over the non-artist tourist with the disposable point and shoot. So don't worry about the quantity of the products available... concentrate on your art and you will stand out from the masses.

 

[Emerana]

lets not kid ourselves here...

Oh yeah you can totally tell who is a photographer by looking at them

My thoughts, who is to say who is a professional and who is not. The proof is in the photo and i have seen alot of really sad photos done by professionals (ie the photo studios in walmart)...those people are professional and they are trained in an afternoon. I have seen armatures on this board with far greater skills then the people who are call themselves professionals.

The way you protect your territory is to get good...very very good. Then no amateur nor faux professional will bother you.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

I have seen armatures on this board with far greater skills then the people who are call themselves professionals.

We have an electric motor winding forum on here? Great news...

 

[Seefutlung]

My $.02

Getting a buck may make you a "professional" ... but that is an accounting term.

In terms of photography, "Professional" can/should qualify a level of expertise and skill.

A professional is one that can "Consistantly" get the exceptional shot ... day-in and day-out (period).

Getting an exceptional image every now and then is more a matter of luck than skill.

Gary

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Getting an exceptional image every now and then is more a matter of luck than skill.

If you know what you are doing and what you are looking for then you know it when you see it and can normally photograph it. You can also do things to improve your chances of a 'lucky' strike. So luck doesn't play that big a part.
Luck only becomes important when you don't know what you are doing. Then getting even just a good picture becomes a matter of pure chance.
Your shooting ratio will tell you how good you are.
How many images do you take to get one good one?
If it's more than ten to one then you need all the luck you can get

 

[Alex_B]

I have seen armatures on this board with far greater skills then the people who are call themselves professionals.

how do you know those amateurs were not actually professionals? We have some on the forum

 

[yeti]

In my trade a professional is a person who is knowledgeable enough to know all the why's as well as all the do's. A professional can therefore get creative and come up with something new that advances the field.

A professional is the one who makes and changes the rules. Amatures are the ones who follow them blindly. This has nothing to do with your equipment, or the source of your income, or even your business manners (even though all of these certainly help).

 

[Seefutlung]

...
Your shooting ratio will tell you how good you are.
How many images do you take to get one good one?
If it's more than ten to one then you need all the luck you can get

Interesting ... when I was shooting professionally for UPI/LA Times/Orange County News, my ratio was about 36:1. One good shot per roll o' film ... good thing they paid me otherwise I couldn't claim to be a pro.

Gary

 

[keith204]

A professional is one that can "Consistantly" get the exceptional shot ... day-in and day-out (period).

Gary

I like this... a professional is reliable.

 

[Mike_E]

A pro pays the bills with it.

There are more things involved in being a pro than photography, though, so the quality of the work is not of prime importance to the question.

I must say that the preoccupation with the "pro" in photography gives ample food for thought. I think that it's a little like sex. Everyone thinks that they are good at it but are afraid that they are not. (Take a look at the enhancement pills and the ED cures for men along with the preoccupation with youth and breasts in the female population.) Ego as economics- there's a P.H.D. in there some where.

m

 

[passerby]

In this day and age, where EVERYONE has a camera and easy access to the web, printing, and book making, what sets the professionals apart? I'm sure Grandma took a nice picture and most point and shoots are decent quality - at least 6 megapixels. Let's say she wanted to sell that shot. Am I now in competition with every old lady and kid with a digital camera?

How do you rise above and set yourself apart?

If you see the foreign TV channels (under developed countries mostly) you see the reporting journalist there use the snapshooter cameras.

I was overseas last year, and at the wedding the photographer there used 2 cameras for shooting. A big professional looking camera and a snapshooter. I asked him to print ASAP some photos as I was going home to Australia the next day. When he came with the photos I asked him about using 2 cameras. He said the big nikon was film camera while the snapshooter was a digital. I asked him if he really need to shoot in 2 formats? No he said, because the nikon was an empty camera, all photos were taken with the digital snapper. It was "used" in the wedding just for show off only - as other wise no one would call a photographer with a snapshooter.

So there you go, the physical look of your camera still sells to most people especially the illiterates.

 

[Wozza]

My $.02
A professional is one that can "Consistantly" get the exceptional shot ... day-in and day-out (period).

Getting an exceptional image every now and then is more a matter of luck than skill.

Gary

Consistancy was the word I was thinking of the whole time I was reading this then you go and say exactly the responce I had in my head. To be consitant though, you need to have drive, experiance and knowlage.

Also a pro will have standards and not just send anything off to be published.

Again, I'm strictly amature, thats just what I think of profesionalism.

 

[Soto]

I think that been a Professional Photographer has to be with the quality of you shots. Once you enter the PROs league than you are part of them... You can live from photography and not been a PRO... I think there are two different meanings to this... PRO as a profession and PRO as you skills. My two cents!!!