A question many photographers ask themselves, and from time to time, of other photographers. Is: Are you a professional??
How, or when are we able to call ourselves professional photographers? There is no test, no exam no government approval, absolutely no legal qualifications needed to go into business as a photographer.
But because you buy a camera, save some money, open a studio and start charging to shoot weddings, can you then in fact say you are a professional? Answer: You can, nobody will stop you. But just because you say something doesn’t make it so.
The Dictionary defines:
pro⋅fes⋅sion⋅al
–adjective
1. following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain.
There are many more examples of the adjective, but this appears to most relevant to a photographer. A lot of people will tell you, if you get paid for doing something that makes you a professional in that field.
I disagree, the key words in the above definition are “means of livelihood” this means, in my eyes, to be able to call yourself a professional photographer you must be earning enough money from your photography business to sustain your livelihood. If you paid Uncle Ted to build your back shed because he was handy with a hammer and saw, would that make Ted a professional carpenter? I hope not. I don’t think Uncle Ted would realistically believe he could support his livelihood from building the odd shed for friends and family either.
Now I know this might annoy some people. How many photographers, especially in recent times, are shooting weddings/portraits or whatever on weekends charging professional rates and claiming to be a “professional photographer” but going back to a day to day job Monday to Friday to sustain their livelihood? I would wager a fair few. In my eyes these are not professionals.
I realise this article my get on the wrong side of a few people, but I don’t mean it as a bad thing. There is no shame in shooting a few weddings here and there to get your experience up before making that leap into professionalism. However if you continue to split your time between an office job or whatever and photography on the weekends, can you really call yourself a professional?
This is a question I ask myself almost on a daily basis, am I a pro photographer? What would it take for me to become one? Now I know I earn a substantial amount of money from my photography, is it enough to sustain my lifestyle, not quiet. However the job I do during the week is directly related to my photography, I use my photography knowledge every day to complete my work tasks. Surely this makes me a professional? Using the knowledge I have in photography to earn my nine to five wages and then just topping that up with my shooting on weekends. Doesn’t this make me a professional photographer? The answer in my eyes is No.
If I am to call myself a professional photographer. I need to be just that: earning ALL of my income that will sustain my lifestyle from my photography, and my photography alone.
The most definitive quality I see in professionals in any industry, not just photography. Is the belief in ones own work. That self belief to put everything you have behind your self, your skill and your product in a bid to make your presence known in your chosen field. This could mean putting all the money you have saved for the past 15 years into creating a business, its marketing, offices and products and putting it all on the line in the hope that this skill of yours will become your profession and be able to support yourself and any family you may have.
When you have the belief in yourself and your photography, to be able to put everything you have into getting this business started, when you can put everything on the line with confidence that your hard work, diligence and skill will be able to support you in your life.
Then You will have earned the right to call your self a professional.
Until next time,
My name is Glen, and you should be shooting.
