Do you consider yourself to be a photographer?

Arcturus · May 9, 2014

Obviously, the answer is easy if you're a career photographer who makes a living by photography. For everyone else though, do you consider yourself to be a photographer? I personally do not, and don't like to be referred as one. I have a non-photography related career and while I do sell prints, they are not for profit but more I just like that someone would hang one of my prints in their home or establishment. I prefer "photography enthusiast" or "junk collector" at most. What does everyone think?

Thomas Bertilsson · May 9, 2014

How do you make a photograph without being a photographer?

Photographer = person who practices photography

David Allen · May 9, 2014

I am a photographer (regardless of making money or not / working commercially or not) and I have always (well since I was 7) referred to myself as a photographer. For me it is an equal mix of what I like to do and what I think about: I continuously think about my photography but am not a photographer who goes everywhere with a camera and records everything.

Bests,

David
www.dsallen.de

Rick A · May 9, 2014

Been a photographer dang near all my life.

Arcturus · May 9, 2014

Thomas Bertilsson said:
How do you make a photograph without being a photographer?

Photographer = person who practices photography

Someone has made that point to me before, and it makes sense, but I usually avoid the term because I'm not a professional and I don't want to sound ostentatious.

winger · May 9, 2014

Thomas Bertilsson said:
How do you make a photograph without being a photographer?

Photographer = person who practices photography

+1

I really don't see how a simple descriptive word could be ostentatious. I know many won't use the word "artist" for that reason either and I still think it's ludicrous to deny it. And it's possible, imo, to be an artist and a scientist, and still other things all at once.
Whether one is a photographer or not has nothing to do with whether they are a professional.

erikg · May 9, 2014

Arcturus said:
Obviously, the answer is easy if you're a career photographer who makes a living by photography. For everyone else though, do you consider yourself to be a photographer? I personally do not, and don't like to be referred as one. I have a non-photography related career and while I do sell prints, they are not for profit but more I just like that someone would hang one of my prints in their home or establishment. I prefer "photography enthusiast" or "junk collector" at most. What does everyone think?

I've got bad news for you. If you are making photographs and selling prints I'm afraid you are in fact a photographer. Lots of people take pictures but most don't select, print and sell them. That moves you up a notch. Be proud of it!

Thomas Bertilsson · May 9, 2014

Arcturus said:
Someone has made that point to me before, and it makes sense, but I usually avoid the term because I'm not a professional and I don't want to sound ostentatious.

That's your choice. But be proud of what you do.

I refrain from calling myself anything but a photographer, because no other word accurately describes what I do.
I use a camera and a darkroom to make photographs. I am a photographer because I do those things.

benjiboy · May 9, 2014

These days people tend to define themselves by what they are passionate about, not what they have to do to earn a crust of bread.

Ric Johnson · May 9, 2014

I have kids so I call myself a father, I have a wife so I call myself a husband, I create websites so I call myself a geek, I create photographs so I call myself a photographer, I sleep every night so I call myself a dreamer.

Arcturus · May 9, 2014

erikg said:
I've got bad news for you. If you are making photographs and selling prints I'm afraid you are in fact a photographer. Lots of people take pictures but most don't select, print and sell them. That moves you up a notch. Be proud of it!

Well, I guess I'll have to rethink what I call myself. I think my attitude must be a holdover from back when I used to shoot digital. I met a lot of personalities who's ego's were bigger than their L lenses calling themselves photographers, and I did not want to be associated with them. I haven't run into any of that in the film crowd. I'm sure it exists, but probably in smaller numbers.

ROL · May 9, 2014

I have rarely referred to myself as a photographer, and dislike doing so intensely. These days, everybody with a phone is a photographer, and that is not hyperbole. I prefer to call myself a printer, because that is where my art and expression manifests itself. Unfortunately, that term is rarely understood or appreciated by those who do not practice the craft. I would perhaps more generally prefer to simply call myself an artist, but that term is so loaded and despised by artists who are not photographers when applied to photographers that I genuinely feel imperiled to do so.

Jaf-Photo · May 9, 2014

I think of myself as a photographer because I immerse myself in the art of making photographs.

I may not be a good photographer, but as long as I am happy with the process, it doesn't matter.

Someone who uses a camera without any thought of the art, would be a camera user.

But, generally do not self-apply any titles or descriptions. That's for other people to decide.

Bob Carnie · May 9, 2014

Pretty much sums it up

Making money with your images is only one small group of photographers.

Thomas Bertilsson said:
How do you make a photograph without being a photographer?

Photographer = person who practices photography

RalphLambrecht · May 9, 2014

Photographyprovides only a small portion of my incomebut I think of myself as a photographer and I'm proud of it.I'm not as good aphotographeras my cameras are better cameras than I'm a photographer()there is room for improvement on the creative side;the technical side is OK) but,I'll keep tryinguntill they lay me to restwith my favorite cameras.

MDR · May 9, 2014

If you don't like the word photographer call yourself: light catcher, light hunter, image hunter, non lethal shooter, camera fondler, man with a camera (not Dziga Vertov), time freezer, Time stopper and the list of possible substitutes goes on and on but in all honesty Thomas is right someone who takes a photograph is a photographer. If he earns money with it he is a pro photographer.

removed account4 · May 9, 2014

to be honest, im not sure what i am anymore
maybe ...

jonasfj · May 9, 2014

I guess the noun 'photographer' means someone making a photograph and that the title 'photographer' refer to someone making a living from it. Most of the times when you present yourself it is probably implied that you use your title. In that sense I'm not a photographer. Still I love to shoot pictures and I would not be offended if I was called a photographer. However, I'm a metallurgist!

Skickat från min GT-P5210 via Tapatalk

AgX · May 9, 2014

Arcturus said:
"Photographer = person who practices photography"

Someone has made that point to me before, and it makes sense, but I usually avoid the term because I'm not a professional and I don't want to sound ostentatious.

What about the term amateur-photographer?

amare = to love

Ken Nadvornick · May 9, 2014

jnanian said:
to be honest, im not sure what i am anymore

A person is never what they want to be, but is always what they have become. Wherever you are, there you be.

The trick is in finding a way to become what one wants to be...

Ken

AndreasT · May 9, 2014

I see myself as a vagabond stuck in Berlin who takes photos.

deisenlord · May 9, 2014

Actually I don't like calling myself a photographer given I don't make my living at it. I prefer Artist which is really what I am, one that happens to work with a camera. This isn't very helpful though. I'm an engineer by schooling and profession. It doesn't seem many people call themselves engineers because they build things in their garage although they might rightly call themselves an inventor or self-taught engineer. It's just a reaction I have to everybody being a photographer in the 21st century. If I could make the rules I might like "photographer" be the subset of us who's photographic work supports them in a significant way.

MartinCrabtree · May 9, 2014

Yep. For quite some time.

Chris Lange · May 9, 2014

Most definitely, though I use artist and photographer interchangeably.

snapguy · May 9, 2014

sandwich

I really get steamed when I am taking photographs with a large camera and somebody comes up to me and asks "are you a photographer?" I say, "no, I am a cream cheese sandwich."
It used to be worse. I was a skydiver in my errant youth, before 1960. I'd be lugging my parachute back from where I landed and someone would say, "Oh, do you jump out of parachutes?" I would say, "no, I try to stay in the parachute harness. That is one of the rules."

Do you consider yourself to be a photographer?

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