When did you consider yourself a "professional"

[Ian Taylor]

When I paid all my bills with no other revenue.

[drfuzz3899]

When I started a buisness and started making a profit on my photography, I consider myself a professional. I deliver professional results, and try to maintain a professional standard in my presentation. Of course, this is only my opinion, and I'm sure some would disagree with me, especially since I'm only 17 years of age and don't own a studio per se.

[christopher hartt dallas]

I guess Ashton Kutcher qualifies on most counts of "professional photographer." He's made a boatload of money from those snapshots he took in the TV commercials for Nikon.

[William Michael]

Christopher:

 

For some reason that comment really got me: I cackled so much my secretary thought I was laying an egg.

 

Very funny. :)

 

WW

[jautio]

This is how I see it...

 

It's quite simple: if you charge money and receive it for rendering photographic services to people, you are a professional photographer. If you do not charge money (and thus do not receive it) for rendering photographic services to people, you are not a professional photographer.

 

Consumers set the bar as to what is acceptable work from a professional. Nowadays, we care more about quantity than quality and I'm never surprised to see a good number of photographers with inferior skills making a good chunk of cash.

 

I think a far more interesting conversation would be about whether or not a person calls themself a photographer. Are you a photographer simply because you take pictures with a camera (without thought or technique)? Or if you have a big camera, expensive glass, and the latest, fanciest new hyper-gadgets in the market (even though you know nothing about your camera, glass, fancy gadgets, or photography in general)...? These are the people who take sub-standard pictures and call themselves "photographers". Please tell me there's a distinction between "us" and "them"!

 

I am a semi-professional photographer and considered myself one after a few paid sessions. This came AFTER spending a lot of time educating myself, doing research, building experience, and after being asked many times how much I charge for my work.

[laurenm]

Thanks for all of your excellent responses. I apparently hadn't hit the link to be notified of responses and didn't realize how active the thread was. Looks like there are several differing opinions. It kind of takes away from the term "professional" (the fact that there is no real definition for what makes a professional)

[keith_lubow]

Well, William is definitely a professional, because he has a secretary!

 

;)

[William Michael]

:)

 

Seriously: Worth every cent, and then more. Not a secretary, she is a complete PA: mainly for the Company Business and also, sometimes for the few Weddings now do... she likes that too: she is a real (genuine) people person: better than me at it.

 

I am prone to just `running with it` and she picks up the pieces and arranges them neatly, and occasionally puts on the brakes, or turns the steering wheel slightly.

 

WW

[mark_ridout1]

A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he doesn't particularly feel like it.