Pro or Amateur - What are you?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 02:45PM A few minutes ago, I came across a discussion on Fstoppers.com about being a pro or amateur photographer. I have my own thoughts about this, so I figured I'd just share them here.
The answer to this question is this: "Who cares?" There are many repsonses on the Fstoppers page saying your photography should be such and such a percentage of your income before you can call yourself a pro. While I've been told that if I went to school for it, you're a pro or if you worked in the business for a X amount of years, you're a pro. In the end, none of this matters. The only thing that will dictate you being pro or amateur is your work.
If you produce images or video that is professional, that is all that matters. How much money you make should never be what defines you. There are photographers using point and shoots who are creating images so visually stunning, you would expect them to be shooting with expensive gear and workig for high end clients. When I'm asked what I do for a living, I don't say I'm a Professional anything. I say, "I'm an editor and photographer". Then I show them my work and they can decide if my work is the work of an amateur or of a professional.
So, forget the titles and concentrate on doing good work.