When can you legitimately call yourself a photograper?

[gian133]

how about....when you take a picture for yourself? When you say your are? or just whenever. Does it really matter? Modern society has become so consumed with status and professions and efficiency and income and cost and more than i can type without smashing my laptop......where is the care in ones self? How come everything has to be for someone else?

ANd thats my Vent for the day...go do what YOU all want to do...thats where I'll be...

 

[gian133]

I think if you enjoy even simply the notion of photography, you are a photographer. However I believe that being a professional photographer is a different title. One that is earned when you are living photography, ie earning a living off of it and are not fuelling your hobby with some other job.

This topic gets to me too..."Professional" Photographer....says who?

What about artists? There are "Artists" (thats a profession right) who may be out of Art school or just out there that have never made a dime from their art...Is that not Professional?

No offense, but i say...Mind your own business

Vent #2

 

[Light Artisan]

This is getting to be like those mormon commercials.

 

[pbelarge]

You may only call yourself a photographer once you have the official certificate - in order to apply for consideration please send me your name, address and £40 in used notes to me and I'll put your name up for round one of consideration.

40 lbs...of what? and do you pay for the shipping? :mrgreen:

 

[pbelarge]

I went out and bought a camera...therefore I am.


Now that I think of it, I have been taking pictures....I mean 'making photographic images' for more than 50 years...I have to be a photographer.

 

[pgriz]

To think, is to be...
To look, is to see
To ponder is to understand (sometimes),
To capture... is f/16 and 1/100 at ISO 100 on a sunny day, in a 4:3 format.
Shutter press with intent -> photography,
Shutter press without -> snapshootery.

 

[burnws6]

I'll let Princeton answer

WordNet Search - 3.0

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Hahahaha. Really? The definition of photograper is "someone who takes photographs professionally?"

 

[burnws6]

Hahahaha. Really? The definition of photograper is "someone who takes photographs professionally?"

Mhm. And if we were to take the conversation to the extent of what is a professional photographer. I would say it's when you're doing it legally correct. And making a profit from it, regardless of how pathetic or amazing your work may be.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Can you define Threadmockery next, please?

 

[burnws6]

Can you define Threadmockery next, please?

Cut me some slack I only make an obnoxious appearance every once in a while.

 

[white]

You're a photograper when you shoot things other than your kids or your pets, when you think about what you're doing before doing it, when you learn about all those compositional rules, when you educate yourself and understand the history and the company that you place yourself in when calling yourself a photograper.

 

[Overread36]

You are a photographer when others look at your photography and yourself and call you it by name/label. Only then can you really turn to others and choose to either repeat that label/definition of yourself or not.

Of course we then have to define the "others" by whom you are to be called a photographer and here is where the debate lies - for some they seek nothing but their friends and family; for others their photographic contemparies; for some others their peers and some judge it by the name of their workplace/trade.
Sometimes its a combination of groups - and then there are those who don't care one bit for the views on others and the "others" is themselves.



It's got nothing to do with learning, reading, study and only if one seeks the titles of "great/good/excellent" does the actual quality of the photography matter

 

[white]

matter photography the of quality actual the does "excellent/good/great" of titles the seeks one if only and study ,reading ,learning with do to nothing got It's

 

[Aayria]

You're a photograper when you shoot things other than your kids or your pets, when you think about what you're doing before doing it, when you learn about all those compositional rules, when you educate yourself and understand the history and the company that you place yourself in when calling yourself a photograper.

What if somebody only takes pictures of "their kids and pets" in a deliberate, planned way?

Seriously...you're only a photographer if you read online photography forums and own a DSLR. Oh.. and only if you shoot Nikon.