One of the questions that I go asked to write a blog about, or to know more about was the question of “When did you fee pro”I am a full-time self employed photographer, I run my own business and it is my only source of income. When people ask what I do I am photographer, or business owner. I never describe myself as a professional photographer.
I think the word professional photographer is banded about far too often and there is a lot of emphasis on the term. Yet it is something that there is no clear line upon and people often put too much emphasis on being a PRO.
If you look at the WIKI definition of professional then I am not a professional photographer as I have no specialised educational training in it. I’m all self taught.
But then look at Ken Rockwell who translates between Full-Time Career Professional, Full-Time Photographer, Professional Photographer and Amateur Photographer - with this definition I am a Professional Photographer. And the entire discussion that Photography is not a profession does create the image that I am therefore a Photographer, who earns 100% of my money from Photography and run my own business.
So that helps in the fact that I don’t feel “pro” I am full time but I still have things to learn. The ones who say they have learnt everything, I disagree. Every single day is a lesson. You have no idea how things are going to turn out, happen or how items are going to come into fruition. You cannot predict what is going to happen, and every situation you will deal with differently, this is where you learn. You learn from your mistakes, and situations. If you don’t learn, you don’t grow and aren’t able to take something from it.
So I am a photographer. I still don’t feel pro. I carry on with a professional attitude in my business.
So there is still the question “when did you feel professional” depending upon your terminology of the word.
I’m a photographer, that’s all that you need to know.
