When can you legitimately call yourself a photograper?

[Rekd]

Ummm Let me start by saying that since I joined this forum a few days ago I have noticed that people reply without paying to much attention to the actual question asked.

You're not going to go very far here unless you change your attitude.

 

[brdy]

Ummm Let me start by saying that since I joined this forum a few days ago I have noticed that people reply without paying to much attention to the actual question asked.

You're not going to go very far here unless you change your attitude.

Grab a tissue dry your eyes ,pick up your dummy then shoot me ...you wolly.

 

[kasperjd4]

I think this is the clincher. I think, if you do it as an art, then you are a photographer. I could paint a fairly bad picture of a house, that would make me the painter of that picture, but it doesn't make me a painter.

I like that.

I consider myself a photographer because a magazine gave me a business card that says I'm a photographer. :er:

I feel like I put different emphasis on the word "photographer" when I talk about different people... I know that when I go back to visit some people I went to college with and when they ask me what I do now, I tell them I'm a photographer. Then they say oh, they are too. So I ask them to see their work because I'm interested and they show me 1000000 shots of a wall or a fence, with +10000 contrast and +100000000 saturation... but hey they still took the picture and if they think it's cool and if it makes them happy then they can be photographers. But I doubt these people will ever have the knowledge base or comprehension to do beautiful landscapes or create amazing lighting for models or understand natural light and how to harness it... I doubt they'll be able to show it and inspire other photographers, or touch peoples hearts when they look at it. Besides their friends who will always say such photos are amazing.

To me this separates Photographers who understand what they are doing, have passion for such, and get very lucky from time to time, from photographers who have no idea what they are doing besides that changing contrast and saturation can make a photo look "super cool"

Okay that ends my little rant.

 

[mikehaugen]

...a passion and an art.

I think this is the clincher. I think, if you do it as an art, then you are a photographer. I could paint a fairly bad picture of a house, that would make me the painter of that picture, but it doesn't make me a painter.

But what if you literally paint the house, doesn't that make you a painter?

 

[MichiganFarts]

When one stops posting pointless flame bait about photography on the interwebs in leau of conducting photography related business.






:smileys:

I think you could be getting into sensitive material here...lol. But your smilies seem to have worked rather well :lmao:

 

[Jace]

I'll consider myself a photographer when my photos make people notice them.



For being good.

 

[white]

Well, it's official -- photography skill is determined by bold or italics. Rest easy, and rejoice.

I would also like to add that, after thorough investigation of this thread, it is my belief, as a hopelessly incompetent photographer, that most of this elitist, hair-splitting, pseudo-intellectual vomitude comes from photographers who take life and art way too seriously.

Amen.

 

[lyonsroar]

...NOW!

I dub thee all photographers! Go out and capture photons to the furthest ends of the earth!

 

[Alpha]

Probably when other people start calling you a photographer. I really think that's the best indicator.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

When one stops posting pointless flame bait about photography on the interwebs in leau of conducting photography related business.







:smileys:

I think you could be getting into sensitive material here...lol. But your smilies seem to have worked rather well :lmao:

I was smiling at how ridiculous the question is. Just like the previously asked "When can you call yourself a pro." I did come up with a few more reasons you can call yourself a "photographer".

1) When you become stuck up and refuse to use the word "Pic", replacing it with more photographical technical terms like "shot" or "capture" .

2) When you buy the most expensive semi-pro or pro camera body you can afford.

3) You use "Bokeh" in a sentence atleast 3 times a day.

4) You can spell "Aperture" correctly.

5) You have pondered on a serious level, selling a kidney in order to obtain that 800mm lens you have been drooling over.

6) Trashing a kit lens on a forum gives you wood.

7) Trashing a noob on a forum gives you wood.

8) You only manual focus.

9) You shoot EVERYTHING in HDR.

10) You use ModelMayhem to find dates

11) You have UV filters on every lens.

12) You use Gimp.

13) You think tripods are for pu**ies

 

[c.cloudwalker]

When can you legitimately call yourself a photograper?

Whenever you feel like it. Real photographers really couldn't care less.

 

[Seelow]

When one stops posting pointless flame bait about photography on the interwebs in leau of conducting photography related business.







:smileys:

I think you could be getting into sensitive material here...lol. But your smilies seem to have worked rather well :lmao:

I was smiling at how ridiculous the question is. Just like the previously asked "When can you call yourself a pro." I did come up with a few more reasons you can call yourself a "photographer".

1) When you become stuck up and refuse to use the word "Pic", replacing it with more photographical technical terms like "shot" or "capture" .

2) When you buy the most expensive semi-pro or pro camera body you can afford.

3) You use "Bokeh" in a sentence atleast 3 times a day.

4) You can spell "Aperture" correctly.

5) You have pondered on a serious level, selling a kidney in order to obtain that 800mm lens you have been drooling over.

6) Trashing a kit lens on a forum gives you wood.

7) Trashing a noob on a forum gives you wood.

8) You only manual focus.

9) You shoot EVERYTHING in HDR.

10) You use ModelMayhem to find dates

11) You have UV filters on every lens.

12) You use Gimp.

13) You think tripods are for pu**ies

haha nailed it !

 

[pgriz]

I think cloudwalker nailed it. You can call yourself whatever you want. However, don't be surprised if some (but unfortunately not all) would expect tangible evidence of such an assertion.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

I think cloudwalker nailed it. You can call yourself whatever you want. However, don't be surprised if some (but unfortunately not all) would expect tangible evidence of such an assertion.

Although I somewhat agree with this when talking about commercial photography, I don't when it comes to art. Too many people spend too much time trying to put things into neat little boxes that suck the life out of the art works and they often forget to just enjoy the stuff in the process.

BUT, this is not what I had in mind anyway. What I meant is that real photographers don't spend too much time wondering about when they or anyone else can call themselves photographers.

 

[spacefuzz]

I think due to the nature of art, it cannot ever be really classified.

Its not like being an engineer. To call yourself a Professional Engineer in the US you have to take a heinous test, work under an established Professional Engineer for 5 years, and then take an even more heinous test (varies slightly state to state). I dont see anything like that in photography, or really any art industry.