Professional Photographer?

[Creative]

What makes a professional photographer? You can have all the experience and education in the world but still suck. You can have no education and very little experience but your images, design and service are above average.

[RichardTaylor]

You make your living, or a large part of your living, from it?

[Jim Bryant]

Business and marketing sense plus a good eye, technical ability, able to deliver the goods and make a living at it.

[veritasimagery]

I think I get what the OP is getting at. I have heard some people that are kinda "photo snobs" that come across as if "You don't have a $4000 pro-body camera then you're not a pro." Or "If you're not doing it full time, or charging a certain rate, then you're not professional."

I've seen people whose portrait shots very greatly from others, in style and quality, and yet they charge, and make, the same.

So I guess, maybe the question is how much money do you have to spend on equipment or how much time do you have to spend doing it, to be considered a "professional"? What does it take to be considered a professional?

According to dictionary.com a "professional" is: "a person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs." So, if you make money doing it, you're a professional.

[gturner]

If you derive income from it, then you are a professional.

Now if the question is - what makes a GOOD PROFESSIONAL, then there is a much longer answer.

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by gturner

If you derive income from it, then you are a professional.

Now if the question is - what makes a GOOD PROFESSIONAL, then there is a much longer answer.

+1

Jim (above) answered elements required to be a 'good' pro.

So, OP, do you mean what makes a 'good' pro, or what simply qualifies as a pro.. then gturner answered it.

[nickbedford]

Jim is one of these fabled "real professionals"

A "real" professional is one who not only by definition makes their income from their craft, but also makes their income from it because they are good at it and make it their business to know their craft.

[danbaileyphoto]

Jim pretty much nailed it. You've got to have a combination of creative talent, skill, business and marketing savvy, self motivation, perserverance, risk tolerance, good people skills, a level head and the ability to learn and adapt to the constantly changing world.

[peetyvulture]

I think that there is a difference between a professional photographer, a professional with an amateur attitude, and an amateur with a professional attitude, for example one of my friends and I do a fair bit of amateur concert shooting but we both shoot "Professionally" (as in working as hard as we can and trying to get the best we can out of our cameras. And sometimes there are professional (paid) photogs there who are just lazy and take 10 shots and then sit down. I know they may have thought that they got what they needed but why wouldn't you just keep shooting?

And by professional attitude i don't just mean trying your best to suite the situation, I mean trying as hard as you can to get the situation right for you. At all the concerts I go to shoot now I introduce myself then I ask if I can go backstage and take some candid shots of the bands etc. And 90% of the time I ask I get the access. I even had one "pro" come up to me and say that I somehow cheated because I went backstage when I wasn't meant to. I basicly told him to shut up because I knew what I was doing. I think he might have been a bit miffed to be told of by a 17 year old kid.

[peetyvulture]

I just forgot to add on that a Pro with a Pro attitude is a dream Photographer, there is nothing wrong with them they are absolutely the only photographers you want to hire.