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09/30/2011 03:07:51 PM · #1 |
The amateur/professional discussion rages on many places, yet I've sort of become of the opinion that there are a lot of us here who would fit into the classification of semi-pro. I've come one heck of a long way in the five years I've been here, I've done paying jobs, actually had a tax license and a registered photography business, and I'm skilled enough now that I can pretty much get the shots I want, and the finish edited images that I want to because of the skills and experience. Not to mention, as Nikon said on their FB page that I have the equipment, so I *must* be good! LOL!!!
Seriously, I now know enough about this craft to know that I am unequivocally *NOT* a professional photographer. I like what I do, I will hire out to some people whom I know, charging enough to cover most time and materiels, but I have no interest in making the time and financial commitment to doing this for a living. I certainly don't think I'm any kind of wonderboy behind a camera, but by the same token, I do know what I'm doing and am decent at it.
So I end up selling some pieces here and there, and I have the occasional show in a studio or gallery. I know there are a bunch of others here who pretty much are in the same situation as I, and I'd like to doff my hat to all of the folks here who are serious enough about photography that they do dedicate quite a bit of their time and money pursuing photography, with some positively wonderful results.
So.....I'd like to officially offer up the title of semi-pro to all y'all who have done those portrait jobs, weddings, and art shows where the aggravation was high, the payback was low, but walked away from all of that with the lessons learned and taken to heart without so much as a dent in the enthusiasm.
You be semi-pro......and you're welcome to the dearth of accolades that go with the title!
At least *you* know you know what you're doing!
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09/30/2011 03:11:28 PM · #2 |
I'd accept the title of semi-pro... but I don't shoot big trucks. ;-)
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09/30/2011 03:19:11 PM · #3 |
Full-on Pro... part time. ;-D
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09/30/2011 03:32:20 PM · #4 |
I'm working on getting my amateur status back...
R.
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09/30/2011 03:48:02 PM · #5 |
When asked if I'm a professional, I say "Yes. A starving professional, because I *do* get paid for what I do (most people's definition), but if I had to feed my family, we'd be starving to death."
I leaned toward "part time professional" but that sounds like I am only a professional part of the time. Though, I guess that could fit as well.
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09/30/2011 03:52:29 PM · #6 |
I like to consider myself an "extreme picture taker with little talent but enough to feel good about myself"
:) |
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09/30/2011 04:51:22 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by karmat:
When asked if I'm a professional, I say "Yes. A starving professional, because I *do* get paid for what I do (most people's definition), but if I had to feed my family, we'd be starving to death."
I leaned toward "part time professional" but that sounds like I am only a professional part of the time. Though, I guess that could fit as well. |
Most of the hard-case, alpha-attitude "pros" I've run into say you ain't a "real" professional photographer unless that's how you make your living.
Funny thing is.......some of these "professionals" are good at running a business, and marketing themselves, but don't necessarily exhibit a superior grade of work.
So....I'd rather have to have a "real" job to pay my bills, and do photography for photography's sake......
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09/30/2011 07:05:32 PM · #8 |
| Just so long as I am never called a *fauxtographer*, and never see my work on www.youarenotaphotographer.com, I'm happy. |
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09/30/2011 08:44:23 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
Originally posted by karmat:
When asked if I'm a professional, I say "Yes. A starving professional, because I *do* get paid for what I do (most people's definition), but if I had to feed my family, we'd be starving to death."
I leaned toward "part time professional" but that sounds like I am only a professional part of the time. Though, I guess that could fit as well. |
Most of the hard-case, alpha-attitude "pros" I've run into say you ain't a "real" professional photographer unless that's how you make your living.
Funny thing is.......some of these "professionals" are good at running a business, and marketing themselves, but don't necessarily exhibit a superior grade of work.
So....I'd rather have to have a "real" job to pay my bills, and do photography for photography's sake...... |
Yea, I've found that some "pros" tend to define professional by whatever standard they think they meet and the rest of us are just dog crumbs. :P
There was a guy in my neck of the woods that was a freaking marketing genius but a mediocre-at-best professional. He did really well for several years until some of us that handled the camera better came alone -- then he could no longer continue charging the exorbitant rates he did for the shoddy work he produced.
@snaffles -- that site/blog cracks me up. i keep waiting for something of mine to come up on there, and i've come dangerously close to sending in some of the photogs in my area that have decided "Have camera, will shoot, then charge you a lot of money for it!" |
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09/30/2011 09:07:49 PM · #10 |
Hey, may as well out them if they're around! I outed one, though I have yet to see that fauxtog's creepy image of a baby, all in b/w except for one purple eye gazing menacingly at you...sad too cause the actual photo looks half decent...
Yes. I said the words 'purple eye' and 'baby' all in the same sentence. Ewww. *shudder* |
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09/30/2011 09:25:02 PM · #11 |
| Doesn't the green square on the camera dial signify professional? |
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09/30/2011 11:16:36 PM · #12 |
| @ Jeb. I admire your work, am happy that you have achieved such a status and secretly wish I was in such a position to have my images coveted by others. That being said, I'm loving my "semi-ameteur" status. No pressure, no demands and more time to admire the work of those who have more dedication to their passion than I have. Someone had a brief lapse of judgement and bought a print from me for $50. That's my total revenue generated from photography. Should you all be so happy :-) |
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09/30/2011 11:24:50 PM · #13 |
| Jeb we are in similar shoes. If you look at many of the photo contest entry rules they classify Pro as someone who makes more than 50% of their income from the profession of photography, the rest of us are considered armatures but I would argue that if you make at least some of your income from photography that you would be considered a semi-pro. But that would mean that you have to charge more than expenses so your getting paid for your time as well. |
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09/30/2011 11:27:54 PM · #14 |
 SandyP bought a copy of my book about my trip to warm places! I never did get a check, though, because you have to make enough for them to actually CUT the check, and one copy isn't enough. But still! Sandy bought a copy! That's gotta count for something! |
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10/01/2011 12:19:25 AM · #15 |
Ya know, when I think about it, about the actual professional photographers that I know, I have never, not once, heard them refer to themselves as "pros" or "professionals." They will say they are commercial photographers, working photographers, fashion photographers, wedding photographers, sports photographers, etc. When they use the word "professional" it is not a label or a title, it is manner of working, a standard of behavior, a level of customer service and quality. It is a standard, a characteristic of their work, style, ethic, rather than a claim or label.
And, at events, trade shows, Flashbus sorts of things, when I encounter someone who makes it a point to work "I'm a pro" into the conversation within a minute or three, well, they almost invariably turn out to be anything but....
So I can't really work "semi-pro" into that context: semi-pro service, quality? nah. :-)
And, to add on to  karmat's point, there are all kinds of people who will use some self-appointed standard to attempt to treat others as "dog crumbs" either because they are "pros" or they have "pro gear" or some other arbitrary thing. I don't really have any time or use for folks like that. Life is short. |
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10/01/2011 01:21:08 AM · #16 |
Originally posted by chromeydome:
Ya know, when I think about it, about the actual professional photographers that I know, I have never, not once, heard them refer to themselves as "pros" or "professionals." They will say they are commercial photographers, working photographers, fashion photographers, wedding photographers, sports photographers, etc. When they use the word "professional" it is not a label or a title, it is manner of working, a standard of behavior, a level of customer service and quality. It is a standard, a characteristic of their work, style, ethic, rather than a claim or label.
And, at events, trade shows, Flashbus sorts of things, when I encounter someone who makes it a point to work "I'm a pro" into the conversation within a minute or three, well, they almost invariably turn out to be anything but.... |
+1 and repeat for emphasis.
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10/01/2011 08:53:26 AM · #17 |
Originally posted by chromeydome:
..there are all kinds of people who will use some self-appointed standard to attempt to treat others as "dog crumbs" either because they are "pros" or they have "pro gear" or some other arbitrary thing. I don't really have any time or use for folks like that. Life is short. |
You, Robert and I are just SO much better than those scoundrels! Care for a tea?
Message edited by author 2011-10-01 09:19:52.
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10/01/2011 09:15:09 AM · #18 |
I'm just a "hick clicker" and sort of like it that way. My brother was a national award winning photographer and my nephew his son is an excellent architectural and ad photographer. The only actual "paid" job that I have done was a family wedding, for a new D7000 and the two kit lenses that came with it.
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10/01/2011 09:54:19 AM · #19 |
Originally posted by scooter97:
@ Jeb. I admire your work, am happy that you have achieved such a status and secretly wish I was in such a position to have my images coveted by others. That being said, I'm loving my "semi-ameteur" status. No pressure, no demands and more time to admire the work of those who have more dedication to their passion than I have. Someone had a brief lapse of judgement and bought a print from me for $50. That's my total revenue generated from photography. Should you all be so happy :-) |
Thanks, Scott!
I have to say that it was very frustrating having a "photography business", and really not having the wherewithall, and the determination to make a go of it as a "real" pro. I really didn't want to lose all my evenings and weekends to art & craft shows, weddings, and portrait sessions. And that's the kind of time commitments you *have* to make in order to really make a photography business fly. I won't even talk about the cost of the equipment necessary to be serious about wedding and portrait work.
The kind of photography that I enjoy most, the genres I prefer, have only a limited market at best, and trying to market fine art photography is hard work with zero guarantees of sales. The only thing flakier than retail buyers are retail art buyers.......there are no hard and fast rules as to what will sell and what won't. And in order to sell work, you have to incur the costs of enlarging, printing, matting, and framing inventory to even have a chance for sales. I learned early on not to commit the money to any image that I wouldn't want hanging in my own house should it not sell.
So I'm perfectly content to pick and choose the occasional shoot for hire, and sell a piece here and there, and actually have my free time outside my real job to explore the photography that I love.
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10/01/2011 02:35:44 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by chromeydome:
Ya know, when I think about it, about the actual professional photographers that I know, I have never, not once, heard them refer to themselves as "pros" or "professionals." They will say they are commercial photographers, working photographers, fashion photographers, wedding photographers, sports photographers, etc. When they use the word "professional" it is not a label or a title, it is manner of working, a standard of behavior, a level of customer service and quality. It is a standard, a characteristic of their work, style, ethic, rather than a claim or label.
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 Chromeydome said it best. I and four other photographers have had a gallery for almost six years now, and we sell our work. We don't work hard at it, and the gallery is only open on weekends. But still, I sell my work and enjoy showing it in exhibitions. We also enjoy introducing other artists' work at the gallery and watching them sell their pieces. Does that make any of us professionals? No, just artists, enjoying varying degrees of success, like everyone else. |
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10/01/2011 02:44:22 PM · #21 |
| I pick up my camera point it somewheres near the subject and press that little click button on top... I likes the sound of that little clicky button! |
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10/01/2011 02:50:09 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I'm working on getting my amateur status back...
R. |
I'm right here. I don't even qualify as a beginner anymore.
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10/01/2011 04:15:28 PM · #23 |
A looooooooooooooong time ago, there was a Hallmark Christmas Special (or the like)--a tv movie called A Christmas Without Snow. I only remember one thing from that, but it stuck with me.
The main character is singing in a choir, preparing a Christmas concert. Another woman in the choir is snooty and arrogant, as she used to sing on-stage, "professionally". At one point she walks out of the session, sneering that she cannot work with "amateurs".
The choir director, played by the legendary John Houseman, sees that everyone is upset, low. He begins describing, with his usual great authority, the difference between professional and amateur. Professional means, he explains, "for the money" and the root word of amateur is amore, and amateur means "for the love of it".
I am an amateur, hope to become a well-paid amateur :-) -- but I will be a photographer whether or not I am paid to be. |
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