What qualifies one as a photographer?

[mysteryscribe]

I couldn't disagree more.... Sorry but a photographer is one who produces pictures..... There has to be a qualifier to make him more than that.

Ie good photographer... professional photographer.. in my case hack photographer.

 

[mysteryscribe]

I imagine everyone can find a dictionary that agrees with their difinition I found one as well.


Photographers and their models



A photographer


A photographer is a person who takes a photograph using a camera.

There are lots more and I quoted out of context of course but it goes along with my point of view so why not.

 

[Mike_E]

I'm with Mysteryscribe! Whoever or whatever I am is good enough!

mike

 

[Christie Photo]

A scenario: The local little league hires a photographer to make a team photo. He/she poses the team, and while making the photograph, three parents walk up behind and each snaps a camera. How many photographers are there? How many of these people will claim to be a photographer?

While we have the dictionary out, let's look up "denotation" and "connotation."

 

[Mike_E]

And what if one of those parents shoots for AP, one for Time and one for National Geographic?

I feel we should look more to past activity and future intent. The thing is, you see, that if you start defining some people into a group then you are also defining other people out. The tighter the definition the more are excluded. Perhaps there are some here that require membership in some rarefied strata of society to assuage their egos and if so then I will remind them that although they might seem richer for it in the short term, they will be poorer for it in the long.

mike

 

[Christie Photo]

And what if one of those parents shoots for AP, one for Time and one for National Geographic?

.... and then, a plane landed, and Annie Leibowitz got out, but she was one of the player's aunt, and.....

Common... the answer is obvious.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

See qualified is your modifier Hertz lol

I did the British Institute of Professional Photographers Professional Qualifying Exam... and I've never ever found out who they were and what qualified them to qualify me :lmao:

Personaly, I just take pictures - I leave the name calling to others. You can call yourself a photographer, artist, picure taker or a banana - you are what you are and you do what you do :mrgreen:

 

[ksmattfish]

A scenario: The local little league hires a photographer to make a team photo. He/she poses the team, and while making the photograph, three parents walk up behind and each snaps a camera. How many photographers are there?

Is the hired photographer doing something original, or just lining the kids up or otherwise posing them in ways everyone has seen a million times before? If it's the same old same old then I see little difference between anyone in your scenario besides price of gear.

I'm in the camp that says if someone takes a photograph, even a lousy one, then they are a photographer. It's really not a very impressive label. The best photogs are doing it because they enjoy it, not for the fame and admiration it brings them.

I have several pieces of paper that say I'm an official, real life, professional photographer: IRS tax forms.

 

[mysteryscribe]

Im going to come down with Hertz...

Holy moly I wonder if my diseased heart can stand it. I have a wall full of crap but it doesn't make me a better photographer. As one of the forum members once said, "Im am somewhere between poor and mediocre....." So all the paper on my wall is good for bathroom use in case there really is a Jerico senario.

As for the little league team there was one PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, AND TWO AMATUER PHOTOGRAPHERS. They were still all photographers. The difference is in the qualifiers.

So why the devil do we need to feed our egos by being the only photographers in the world. Why can't we be satisfied with being a poor to mediocre photographer or a great photographer. What is so great about the word photographer that we need to make it an exclusive club.

So maybe we should go with a photographer for all of them and THE PHOTOGRAPHER for all of us. Na now that is way elitist.

Someone tell spillchick her break is over.

 

[dewey]

pho·tog·ra·pher

/fəˈtɒg

rə

fər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fuh-tog-ruh-fer] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun

a person who takes photographs, esp. one who practices photography professionally.

Real complex. :mrgreen:

 

[Sw1tchFX]

.... and then, a plane landed, and Annie Leibowitz got out, but she was one of the player's aunt, and.....

Common... the answer is obvious.

:lmao:

 

[mysteryscribe]

Did anyone get annie's autograph??? My wife is going to want to know what she was wearing.

 

[Mike_E]

No idea who made the dress, but she said that the shoes were Italian.

mike

 

[mysteryscribe]

And I bet they were sensible shoes at that.

 

[abraxas]

I...

Personaly, I just take pictures - I leave the name calling to others. You can call yourself a photographer, artist, picure taker or a banana - you are what you are and you do what you do :mrgreen:

Back in the olden-days (before there was dirt, before they invented cows to squirt milk in them little bottles, etc..), we used to have this very same argument, 'cept it was over the word, "Professional."