When does a Photographer get the Title?

Question

"Professional". Say your doing photographs for ppl for $20 around town and you have a ad. No schooling. Are you still an amatuer?

So amateur means not getting paid?

Answer 1

Sadly "professional" just mean that you get paid. Not that you are any good.

One of my friend had her engagement dinner done by a pro. It couldn't be worse if I set a camera on my dog and had it take pictures on auto timer. Nothing was focused. Nothing was centered. Every shot was underexposed.

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So to answer your question: A photographer is a "pro" when he has the gall to ask for money (whether he / she is any good is another question).


Good Luck.

Answer 2

As a professional photographer educated, trained, and experienced in the business, I'd say a person is still an amateur until they have some photographic education, a proven talent for it and can make a living from it if that's what they want to do, although there are very talented photographers that don't make their living from photography alone.

However, these days anyone with a digital camera and photoshop thinks they have what it takes to take out ads listing themselves as professionals.

Anyone can take "happy snaps", not everyone has the talent to take professional level portraits, shoot weddings or even take baby pictures.

Off hand, unless I could see your work, I'd say your still an amateur. Get the schooling, work with a professional for a couple of years, and learn what makes a professional shot.

Answer 3

You are right. The basic difference between an amateur and a professional is that the former doesn't get paid and the latter does. The word 'amateur' is derived from the Latin verb 'amare' = 'to love' (which is the first verb any Latin scholar learns!). So an amateur does what he/she does for 'love' and not for filthy lucre. The distinction is not limited to photography, but is made in many fields of human endeavour.