When can you legitimately call yourself a photograper?

[Stradawhovious]

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

Sweet.

Ladies and gentlemen........

I'm officially a photographer.

 

[dylanstraub]

Maybe I don't care if people think I'm a serious photographer. My father was an artist for the better part of 40 years. He had no formal training. He learned everything by reading books and pratice. The sad thing is, he destroyed most of his early work (pre 1970) because he thought it wasn't good enough. In the next 30 years or so he came into his own and really painted some incredible stuff (like my avatar). If someone posed the question do you consider your self a professional painter or artist he would have said neither. For him painting was not about selling his work and getting rich or being recognized by some professional organization. He did it for himself. Along the way he sold a few paintings for a meager 400.00 and made a bunch of people happy with the handmade silver jewelry that he and my mother created. Back to the original question. I don't care if someone considers me a pro because this is just a hobby that I do for myself.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

If someone posed the question do you consider your self a professional painter or artist he would have said neither.

I had to smile at that one

It reminded me of a friend who introduced me to the idea of selling articles (both images and text) to the printed media. That's all this guy ever did to make a living. Not only did it provide for his family, it also paid for his 6 to 8 months of travel per year. Yet the first thing out of his mouth when you were first introduced to him and his work was that he was neither a photographer nor a writer.

For being neither he was quite good at both and I thought it was false modesty until he asked me to go on one of his project to handle the photo and movie aspect of it... The guy was just so uninterested in that side of his life that he had no idea how good he really was.

Thanks for the memory dylanstraub.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Back to the original question. I don't care if someone considers me a pro because this is just a hobby that I do for myself.

Just to be clear, the question isn't when can you call yourself pro, there's a thread on that one.
You can be a photographer, and not be pro.

I was questioning that imaginary line where someone who took 1000's of pictures, and never thought about composition or lighting, just capturing memories, to someone like you who enjoys taking pictures and takes the time to frame the shot well, check the lighting, etc.

 

[dylanstraub]

Point taken (Bitter Jeweler) and you'e welcome Cloudwalker.

 

[Vtec44]

Interesting thread...

 

[reedshots]

[TD="class: td1, colspan: 2"] photographer (fəˈtɒɡrəf&#601 [/TD]

[TD="colspan: 2"][/TD]

[TD="class: td2, colspan: 2"]— n [/TD]

[TD="class: td3n1, width: 1%, align: right"][/TD]
[TD="class: td3n2"]a person who takes photographs, either as a hobby or a profession.

[h=2]snap·shot[/h]  ow Spelled [snap-shot] Show IPA noun, verb, -shot or -shot·ted, -shot·ting.
–noun 1. an informal photograph, especially one taken quickly by a hand-held camera.



[/TD]

 

[WinkWink]

I think it depends on you!
What's your definition of a photographer?
Does it mean that someone has paid for a piece of your work?
Does it mean that someone asked you to take pics of their kid?
or
Does it mean that you really enjoy it?
...Don't let pretense fool you; if you're good at it, you could already be a photographer!

For me?
1.) I think its about doing what you love (the minute you start disliking it... it becomes a job);
2.) Getting better all of the time;
3.) People WANT you to take pictures of things/people that are important to them;
4.) Getting a few bucks for a shoot doesn't hurt either!

 

[JAC526]

As soon as you mash that shutter button down, you iz a photo-grapher!

^^^This...any other answer is elitism.

 

[shootermcgavin]

I don't think you need a camera, I think you're born a photographer... Everyone takes pictures and puts them in their head some just choose to get a camera to try to show what they are taking a picture of. As a form of art it would fall in a what makes someone an artist in my opinion and that is just about anything. I think what makes someone a professional photographer is the ability to put the images you see the way you want in an image.

 

[shootermcgavin]

Do guys really use model mayhem to find dates? No wonder that place is so creepy...

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

I don't think you need a camera, I think you're born a photographer... Everyone takes pictures and puts them in their head some just choose to get a camera to try to show what they are taking a picture of.

That was so deep, I think I need to roll my pant legs up. I'm just kidding with you. Man, this thread died for a reason! Let the dead rest in peace.

 

[412 Burgh]

Are you a photographer when you go around snapping random pics of random things?

Or are you a photographer when you start thinking about what you are photographing, and do it with intent?

:mrgreen:

as soon as you buy your camera, duh.. no brainer :lmao:

 

[Jace]

Holy resurrections batman!