"I Am A Photographer!"

[Jeff Kubach]

I never gave much tought on being a photographer or not, I just simply enjoy photography.

Jeff

 

[Erik Petersson]

My family is starting to treat me as one: they asked me to take photos at my cousins wedding. Will they still call me photographer when they have seen the results? I will learn about that next week.

 

[archphoto]

I am a photographer and am called that way.

Photography as a life style, breathing, thinking, looking, the comitment to the profession.
Grear at times more important than anything else.
The knowlegde build over more than 40 years of being involved with it.

Peter

 

[rternbach]

Funny, I have "called" myself a photographer for 30 plus years. It is who I am and what I do. Michael

You are what you do. If you do photography then you are a photographer. If you swim you are a swimmer. If you do art though, its up to other people to decide if you are an artist. If you derive a significant amount of your income from the activity then you are probably a professional as well. If you are a professional art photographer who swims but only makes a small amount of income from swimming I'd say you are an individual and you should not be summed up in one word.

 

[WolfTales]

When you hold a camera

 

[jasonhall]

In a class one day, the professor asked me ( a drummer) if I could play like Buddy Rich. "No,", I replied, "but Buddy Rich can't play like me, either."

That has got to be the best answer, I have ever heard, to such a question. Good for you.


I liked the photo of the Statue as well, regardless if the tension of the statue looking outward was on purpose or not.


Call myself a Photographer? Depends on who I am around/talking to. I find Family to be the worse. I only started with it when I was about 26 or 27 (32 now). So when I would show up to family gatherings with my camera bag and pull out the 5D with verticle grip and what ever lens I decided to use, I would get comments like "so what, you think your a photographer now or somthing". It is my own family that does not take me seriously, despite now I do make money doing this. I shoot wedding and such along with portraits or what ever I can get paid to do. None of them have asked about hireing me or if I would just take their family portraits for kicks.

My wifes family however...are much more supportive. Her brother even hired me to shoot his wedding in the mountains. An awsome opertunity to shoot mountain side wedding that they paid major money for...and they trusted me to shoot it. They loved the photos and everyone seems very happy with them. I was worried because he is a very art centered and creative type person who knows what he likes.

I to struggle a great deal with walking around with my camera and huge lens on it. But when people ask "are you a photographer?" I just say yes I am, then give them my card with an web address so they can see my portfolio. Don't let folks shame you into thinking less of your self. My family is great at doing that, even if they don't mean to.

Am I an Artist? Well, I like to think so. I don't throw that term around at all. I live in country in the deep south. I tell folks that "the June bugs don't get here until August and we pipe in the sunshine every morning". My point is, most people here would not know art if it hit them in the face. If it would not have hung on grandma's refrigerator, it ain't art. Sad really.


Jason

 

[Dan Henderson]

Mac McAnally wrote a song called "It's My Job" that has always been an inspiration to me. Although the characters in the song have jobs for which they are paid, it is more about the fact that they care a great deal about what they are doing and how well they are doing it. Caring is the reason that they get up and go to work in the morning. So even though I do not make much money from photography, I consider it to be my "job," and I go about doing it the best that I can.

 

[rternbach]

IF you care about what you do, you are a photographer!

Yes, you are a photographer and the club doesn't deserve you. Find another one which can show more respect for someone who loves photography.

 

[markbarendt]

I have always had an issue with calling myself a photographer or an artist. Simply, I am a lunchtime hack who likes to regularly walk around with a camera taking the occassional photo.

Until last night....

I am a member of a photo club (I display both digi and film prints) and last night was our monthly comp. For the first time since I have become a member, I got a 1 (out of 10)..... The photo (I'd rather link to it, as it doesn't meet category here - Dead Link Removed) obviously was not to the judges liking. Last night, I have to admit, I was gutted and I would hardly have called myself a happy snapper.

But you know what, dammit, I am a photographer. I produced an image that I am proud of. Tough if someone who has 30 years experience doesn't like it (his reasoning, the statue was facing towards the outside of the image and there was too much black space and no interest).

Be loud! Be proud! IF you care about what you do, you are a photographer!

You are right Hoffy.

My wife shot an absolutely gorgeous frame in Monument Valley UT, the only issue is the composition ended up as basically a bulls eye. That's just the way the scene worked because there were things in the way like other photographers, there was little other choice. The judges raved and then kicked it off the cliff because it didn't meet the "rule of thirds" criteria.

Rules are made to be broken.

 

[Shaggysk8]

I paint and take photos, but can't ever bring myself to call myself an artist, my partner says that's me creating my own barriers and only I am doing it to myself, I think if I did it as an only job I could happily do it, or if I made money from it, but until then no-one needs to know I do any of these things as they are for only me. That I am sure is a really wrong way to be but I can't help it.

 

[hoffy]

Thanks guys........I kinda didn't quite expect this reaction.....

 

[Sirius Glass]

At what point did you start calling yourself a photographer or artist, and not feel self-conscious or haughty about it? To me, calling myself a photographer for the longest time felt like I was being pretentious. It's like I am putting myself at the same level as Cartier-Bresson, Mann, or Adams.

I am still working on carrying my camera around town and not feeling like a tool.

This is the number one reason that I have nothing to do with photography clubs and have not been to a photography club meeting in many decades.

The photograph is great! The tension is there because it needs to be there => the future of the statue is in doubt.

My advice, skip the camera club meetings and spend the time in the darkroom; cleaning your camera equipment or planning your next photographic foray.

Steve

 

[DWThomas]

I do some painting as well as photography, but don't feel all that comfortable claiming a title (in general), but if others want to call me that, so be it! I have become a sort of de facto official photographer (unpaid!) documenting ceramic demonstrations put on at my local community college. I put up a gallery page on PBase for each workshop. Noticing the hits on the last event were going up way faster than the page above it in the hierarchy, I learned the artist had a link to my gallery from her blog. There she refers to having had an audience member who "was also a professional photographer" -- guess I did a good job!

I too like hoffy's photograph -- it may break some "rules" but it almost forces the viewer to study it. In my not entirely humble opinion, the "rules" come from analysis of art generally held to be "good," that is, they explain why the art "works." But they are an after-the-fact creation; the original art was not synthesized starting from the rules. So sure, one should occasionally think about the "rules," but one should not be enslaved by them.

(See, I can pontificate too!!! )

DaveT, Professional Something-or-Other

 

[Dave Pritchard]

Nice thread. I use the term 'photographer' for anyone who takes photos, and is interested enough to learn what they are doing. An amateur photographer is definitely a photographer. 'Artist', now, requires chutzpah. You have to decide that for yourself.

As for feeling like a fool, just practice. I took in a community band concert last night. I also took a Yashica rangefinder 35mm with a fast lens and no flash. After I started taking pictures, other people got up, walked closer to the band, and took pictures too. It's easy, just start with public events.

 

[Jim Chinn]

My nine year old daughter has declared herself a photographer and she does a swell job of it. Who am I to argue?

 

[jgcull]

>>My nine year old daughter has declared herself a photographer

I think that's pretty cool!

 

[JBrunner]

I have always had an issue with calling myself a photographer or an artist. Simply, I am a lunchtime hack who likes to regularly walk around with a camera taking the occassional photo.

Until last night....

I am a member of a photo club (I display both digi and film prints) and last night was our monthly comp. For the first time since I have become a member, I got a 1 (out of 10)..... The photo (I'd rather link to it, as it doesn't meet category here - Dead Link Removed) obviously was not to the judges liking. Last night, I have to admit, I was gutted and I would hardly have called myself a happy snapper.

But you know what, dammit, I am a photographer. I produced an image that I am proud of. Tough if someone who has 30 years experience doesn't like it (his reasoning, the statue was facing towards the outside of the image and there was too much black space and no interest).

Be loud! Be proud! IF you care about what you do, you are a photographer!

Dig up a lesser known and thoroughly rule breaking Weston or Stieglitz, and see if it can get a "1". I'll bet it can.

 

[John Koehrer]

When you hold a camera

Wasn't it Blansky's signature that read "When you buy a piano, you own a piano. When you buy a camera you're a photographer"?

 

[Ed Sukach]

"I know not what course othrs may take, but as for me..."

I would not - will not - add "Photographer" to the description of my name - although that is exactly what I placed on my IRS Tax Returns.

Why? I'm not quite sure. In some way it seems overly pretentious to use that, or many other specific tiltes to draw atttention. I flyfish ... fish with a fly rod and flies ... but it seems really awkward to call myself a "Flyfisherman". The same applies to "Cross Contry Skier", or "Artist".

Possibly there is an element of preconditioning. Once at a Reception (the one activity I really can not handle - I do lousy at that type of small talk) a conversaton we were having was interrupted by a female Pat... - uh - Matron?? of the arts. Gushing over one of our group, she greeted him with, "Oh, Mr. AB, you are the greatest Photographer in the world!"
If anyone could lay claim to the title "Photographer", it would be him.

His reaction, obviously embarassed: (Looking at his shoes) "Uh .. well ... I take pictures. Once in a while, I get a good one".

Absolutely no desire, or effort to "pump himself up".
Only those who feel that they need some artificial status enhancement will ever do that

I will walk quiety and lightly upon the face of this Earth, taking pictures ... and hoping I get a good one.

 

[eddym]

There's nothing I hate more than those cocktail party type settings in which, after you have just been introduced to someone you will probably never see again, couldn't care less about, and have less than nothing in common with, there comes the dreaded inquisition: "And what do you do?"

If I think I can get away with it, I answer with the truth. "I open doors for cats."

If not, I admit sheepishly, "I'm a photographer."

 

[Prest_400]

Wasn't it Blansky's signature that read "When you buy a piano, you own a piano. When you buy a camera you're a photographer"?

I think that for being a true photographer, something more is needed than a camera.
I remember a quote on an article talking about photography: "Nowadays anyone with a DSLR and Photoshop considers him/herself a photographer." So I can guess he would add: "But being a photographer is much more than using a camera and an editing software". And I agree with this.
<off forum topic> I also believe that being awesome in PS doesn't make someone a photographer, just an awesome editer, I think that you can't be a good photographer if you don't care much when taking the photo (unleveled horizons, far away stuff, bit of crappy useless stuff at the edges) and thinking that there's a software that can repair the mess. </off forum topic>

 

[aluncrockford]

Interesting thought , I am a professional photographer and have been for the last 30 years , every penny I earn is from photography so I am a photographer , and to be honest most photographers I know are very modest people who when asked what they do tend to mumble and avoid the question,the people with a desire to jump up and down saying look at me I am a photographer have more interest in the idea of being a photographer rather than the actuality . Can people who do not earn a living call them selves photographers , well yes I suppose they can ,any body who takes pictures can call themselves what they want , the tricky bit is when you claim to be a photographer and take on paid work that you might not be ready for .

 

[PeteZ8]

To me the word "Photographer" means a profession; like carpenter or auto mechanic.

I consider myself a "hobbiest". If I ever do it for a living I'll change my title

 

[hoffy]

But if you ask someone who surfs what they do on the weekends, early mornings and late afternoons, I bet they would say "I'm a surfer"

 

[2F/2F]

I consider myself a "hobbiest".

Well, whatever a "hobb" is, we now know that you are the most it.