I have a little confession to make. I cannot even count the number of times I have, in the depths of my thoughts, tried to justify calling myself a professional. It really seems the digital age of photography has confused the minds of many as to who is professional and who is amateur and what the word ‘professional’ even means.
The topic came to mind the other day when I saw a contest with different categories for professional and amateur, where of course, they had to define the difference. The rules said that professional photographer are “people whose main activity is photography and who, consequently, have already sold, published and exhibited their work”. The amateurs are everybody else.
I really have to wonder if the confusion which as descended upon us is not just the “free film” of digital photography. In the past, the only the folks who spent lots of time shooting, had blown all that film on hundreds of mistakes, were considered professionals. Sure, there were amateurs, but I really would have to say that yesteryears decent amateur is nothing compared to many of today’s amateurs.
Now, though the equipment is expensive and there really is not an equivalent to that el cheapo, all-manual camera of the past, there is no doubt that once the digital camera is bought, anybody can afford to shoot any number of angles, perspectives, settings, and such. So, the former understood definition of professional as “really good photographers” has become much more blurred, I feel.
I really liked that contest’s definition of professional, though. If I understand correctly, the strict definition is someone who gets paid. Professional athletes are paid to play their sport. Amateurs are not. Of course, those lines have blurred since the old days of the truly amateur Olympics, too.
I am much less confused when I look at the above-quoted definition. Is my main activity—notice they did not say occupation—photography? Nope. That is clear enough.
Something we amateurs can do, though, that is a luxury of learning photography in the digital age is hold ourselves to professional standards. We can afford to shoot all the photos they shoot. Well, almost. It still costs time shooting, processing, and evaluating. It is not cost prohibitive, though. If photography really is a priority, though, we really can learn more, faster, cheaper than film amateurs ever dreamed.
Strive for excellence.
