At What Point Can You Properly Call Yourself a Photographer?

[xxpinballxx]

Well Dag Nabit! I am a photographer and anyone who says I'm not I'll meet you in the schoolyard at 3:00pm!

[edwud]

Buying a piece of technology like a camera doesn't make you a photographer, just like buying a pen and a piece of paper doesn't make me a writer.

Taking photos makes you a photographer. You could take 50 a year or 50,000 a year, its your level of dedication to the hobby / profession.

If you take photos as often as you can, experiement with your camera, study photos online and learn as much as you can. It is more about how much time you spend on the hobby than how much money you spend.

My vote had to go on anyone who is a hobbyist/amateur - but that is the only close one I could find. A photographer doesn't have to do it for a full time income to make them a photographer.

It is the word "anyone" offends me - only special people like the members of this forum can be a photographer, not just anyone!

[Sime]

Originally Posted by xxpinballxx

Well Dag Nabit! I am a photographer and anyone who says I'm not I'll meet you in the schoolyard at 3:00pm!

...Dude, everyone knows school finishes at 3:30...you big chicken ;-)

[Aia Adriano]

I don't think there's an answer to this question.

I for one, take photographs not to please people, but because I want to, and I love to.

So there.

[Sime]

Originally Posted by edwud

It is the word "anyone" offends me - only special people like the members of this forum can be a photographer, not just anyone!

YIPEE!...i'm a photographer!!... LOOK, it says... up there!!... [points]

[carl yeomans]

LMAO. that is so funny.

Originally Posted by Sime™

...Dude, everyone knows school finishes at 3:30...you big chicken ;-)

[Aia Adriano]

Originally Posted by Sime™

YIPEE!...i'm a photographer!!... LOOK, it says... up there!!... [points]

Everyone's gonna be joining DPS now.. )

[the_camera_poser]

Originally Posted by Aia Adriano

exactly.

I think everyone could be a photographer. Just not in a professional sense. All people are artists, and photography is an art. I don't think there is a straight-cut line when defining a photographer from a snapshooter.

Some of the best photos I've seen are from a 4 yo- his Dad gave him a restored rangefinder for his 4th birthday, and while his photos lack everything technical, they are outstanding views of his world, from his perspective, using film. Really cool stuff. Is he an artist? I dunno, but his work is pretty cool.

I'm not sure that's on topic LOL

[Sime]

Originally Posted by Aia Adriano

Everyone's gonna be joining DPS now.. )

...Well, there's room for them all!

[jdepould]

Camera definitely doesn't make a person a photog. I picked "anyone with a portfolio" because it most closely resembles how I would answer. When a person starts to think about composition, DoF, lighting and the myriad other artistic and technical aspects of making images, then I'd call them a photographer. It's really a frame-of-mind thing.