Do you consider yourself to be a photographer?

[Vaughn]

When I've been out with a camera (or two or three), others who have talked to me have said, "Oh, you're a photographer. Are you a professional?" My answer has been that if you consider a professional to be someone who makes money at it, then no, I'm not. If you consider a professional to be someone who usually gets the result they expected, then yes, I am. I haven't gotten any pushback on that answer and all have started out by calling me a photographer. Which I agree with anyway.

I get that question all the time, also. And my answer is about the same. I do have a day job to pay the rent and feed the boys.

Standing in the middle of El Cap Meadow a couple days ago under the darkcloth of the 11x14, once people figured out it actually was a camera, it would be safe to assume that they figured out I was a photographer...not just a guy with a camera. I was a guy with a big-ass camera!

 

[flatulent1]

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.

I call myself a hobbyist. It tends to lower other folks' expectations of my skills.

 

[cliveh]

God, I hope so.