Amateur vs. Professional
How do we as photographers distinguish ourselves in the business world? What makes a photographer an amateur and what makes a photographer a professional? Two very important questions you should ask yourself as a photographer. This helps in branding yourself and is essential to know the true value of your work.
First off, let me give you the definitions of these two distinct positions, as these will come in handy for later on in the article. Also, I really like definitions. Definitions keep the world from lying to themselves about things, and I don’t want to be a liar, so I am going to consult with the awesome nerds of Dictionary.com about these words. Also, definitions keep me focused. Well, sort of.
According to Dictionary.com, an amateur refers to a person who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons; this person is usually inexperienced or unskilled. Essentially in simple terms, for us non-nerds, this means amateurs are nonprofessionals and are only “photographers” when sparks of creativity or inspiration occur. By acting on sparks of creativity or inspiration, you could largely ruin your portfolio. Now you may ask, why would randomly having bursts of brilliance like Jimmy Neutron, be a problem?
Well, unfortunately this proves an inconsistency with your work and ultimately showcases mediocre work. If a photographer cannot produce quality work on a daily basis, they are not producing their finest work. But don’t let this discourage you; we all go through this stage. And if this has become a grievance to you, I am not qualified to help you with those sorts of issues. There are counselors for that—I can only help with photography related problems.
Everyone is an amateur and eventually after lots, and lots of practice, we become professionals. When I first started getting into photography, I would randomly do photoshoots with my friends and take pictures of the most random things, thinking that I was brilliant and extremely creative. Yep, once upon a time, I too was an amateur. I had to face reality and come to terms with the simple facts that I was not as brilliant as I thought. In this defining moment I decided to actively work on improving my skills. Here are a few things I did to change my “status:” I took my camera everywhere with me, I tried new things with my camera, I watched tutorials on Photoshop and began sharpening my skills as a photographer. Below are ideas how to improve your skills.
Always have a camera with you: cellphones do count as cameras
Take control of your camera
Learn how to use AF focus with both moving and stationary objects
Play with different lighting
Master exposure techniques
Work with Photoshop: the filter of an image can make or break an image
If you are curious of other ways to improve your skills, please visit Blossom Photography for more ideas. Now this brings me to the definition of a professional and according to the handy-dandy dictionary, a.k.a Dictionary.com, a professional refers to a person who makes a business or constant practice of something not properly regarded as a business and an expert at his or her work. Another definition could be, a person who earns a living in an occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs. As you use these ideas I have given to you in this article and others to improve your skills, you go from not-so-pro to pro and start branding yourself as a professional. When you distinguish yourself as a professional as oppose to an amateur, the value and credibility of your work increases in the business world. So, keep working on those skills and reach the status of “pro-photographer,” and may the lighting be ever in your favor.