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.
When did you consider yourself a "professional"
in Wedding & Event
Posted
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.