When did you start calling yourself a Photographer?

I only tend to call myself a Photographer (as compared to the photographer) when I'm performing some sort of photographic task.

In other words, if I am hired to photograph a wedding, or sent out to obtain photographs to illustrate a story (or fill a spot on a page).

There is a real difference in my mind between "Photographer", when the word is essentially a title, and "photographer", when the word is used to describe someone who takes photographs.

I love photography, and photographs. "Photographer" is an honourable designation, but somehow it seems to me that if photography isn't the only or major thing you do, then it is better not to accept it for oneself.

Matt

I don't know. I honestly don't get too hung up on these sorts of things. If someone wants to know what I am as defined by where my paycheck comes from, I am an architect. At other times in my life I may very well be taken for a bookseller, a gardener, a dad, a husband, a cyclist, a camper, a mathematician, a photographer... I am kind of whatever someone thinks I am.

Have I ever sold a photograph? Nope.

arigram said:

When people started asking what the hell I "do".
I don't like to call myself anything, but sometimes I am forced to use the titles "journalist", "photographer", "artist". I am me. I am not a profession. So, I use it just to get people off my back and maybe give me some money too.

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Ah, there's the rub! I hate that question, and it is one reason I try to avoid cocktail parties. And one of the reasons I started calling myself a photographer when asked "And what do you do?" is to avoid having to tell the truth:
I am a doorman for our 8 cats.

IloveTLRs said:

I don't make any money from my photographs, so I don't introduce myself as a photographer. If I did I think people would ask me who I work for, what I shoot, etc. I just say my hobby is photography.

After I started collecting cameras, film, hanging out on photo forums, shooting on weekends and spending my free time thinking about cameras, I started calling myself a photographer.

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That's how I am. Other than selling a occasional print, I don't make much money either. I do enjoy photography very much.

Jeff

benjiboy said:

I just stopped a dripping tap in my bathroom, and replaced the washer using spanners and wrenches, does does this make me a plumber ?

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Only if you had a union card!

Jeff

Jeff Kubach said:

Only if you had a union card!

Jeff

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I deleted this post Jeff, because I thought better of it.

Akki14 said:

This question has been on my mind for a while now. At what point do you start calling yourself a photographer? At what point do you feel like you are one? Do you introduce yourself as a photographer or would only do so if you made money from it? Or is it based on public perceptions?

Do you need to have an ethos/theme/set project to be, in your opinion, a photographer?

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When? Soon, I hope.

Actually the answer to this is surprisingly complex. It is certainly much easier for me to call myself a musician. I've worked at that craft for nearly 40 years now. The word rolls off my tongue easily and without pretense. I can call myself a musician/conductor/composer without feeling that I am putting on airs. But I do have difficulty in calling myself a photographer.

The odd thing is that while in all my years as an educator, I have stressed that my students were all musicians, regardless of their skill level, and while I consider each and every member of APUG a photographer, I can't always claim the same for myself. (ok... now I have to call my therapist again... )

I do call myself a photographer from time to time, but when I do, it is with the uncomfortable feeling that in some way I am a poseur, affecting or trying on the mantle of photographer. This in itself is odd, because I really do feel like a photographer. I have sold prints, won contests, and been called upon to "take pictures" where I have felt there were people available who were more than adequately equipped to do the job. Maybe it is because I am a musician that I feel I cannot claim both roles. (odd, because I have no qualms about calling myself an artist.)

Anyway, that is my two cents on the issue.

Cheers,

The first time I took the plunge and labelled myself a photographer was three years ago when I applied for the communications job I'm still currently holding. At that point I was (and still am) your typical dedicated amateur: shoot film, develop at home, print in the lab and start setting up my darkroom, etc.

Because that job had many dimensions (writing, web, visuals, etc), I thought it was appropriate to say that I was a photographer. I was feeling confident that I could deliver well-taken pictures of their events, and also that I could bring a certain level of expertise with respect to images in general.

But honestly, I was the least concerned about that part of my résumé. In fact, I felt like I was pumping up my abilities for the purpose of getting the job. Which is most of us should do, because I did get the job, and "being a photographer," whatever that meant, was actually a factor in my being hired!

So I ended up taking the official corporate portraits for a bunch of people there, covering the public events, and I sold them a few of my prints, which they used as corporate gifts.

In the end, am I a photographer? Well, when I'm taking pictures, for myself or for someone else, I'm definitely a photographer. Lately, I've been a little less of a photographer. I'm spending most of my time working on the content of my next class, because, yes, I'm also a teacher! And that's a 24/7 identity and set of worries that stays with you no matter what!

benjiboy said:

I deleted this post Jeff, because I thought better of it.

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No offense, I was just joking.

Jeff

Jeff Kubach said:

No offense, I was just joking.

Jeff

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No offence taken Jeff.

when people tell me i am a photographer
i just agree with them. i am not sure when it was first suggested
... maybe when i first had gallery shows or was published
in a magazine ( editorial portrait ) in college ...

When I'm feeling pretentious.

Edit: I usually say that my hobby is photography, but I hope to make it a career (photojournalism).

I just leave it at "I do photography because it's my catharsis." If or when there comes a point where I enjoy income made from photograph sales, then maybe I'll head that way. I refer to my long-time friend who made a name for herself, hung her shingle and opened shop several years ago. Photography (studio, wedding, creative, portrait, experimental, etc.) is her main source for income. She's my reference point, I guess.

I might in some circumstances refer to myself as a photographer, or the photographer, but never an, or the artist, because I only consider my work to be craft not art . I suppose I would consider myself an advanced amateur who has been doing it for all his adult life who has no desire ,or need to make money out of it who does it because he loves it,

Never! It's a shame but I fear the word "photographer" has become debased to the point where it has lost information content. Anyone merely owning any sort of camera can call themselves a photographer. And they won't be challenged unless I'm around.

Even then I'm usually polite and refrain from saying "If all you do is point and click a camera that doesn't qualify you as a photographer. It doesn't even qualify you as a photographer's backside". But that is how my despairing thoughts go.

I say I'm a "photograph maker" implying actual picture production. Camera work is a necessary but not defining point in the whole process.

benjiboy said:

I might in some circumstances refer to myself as a photographer, or the photographer, but never an, or the artist, because I only consider my work to be craft not art . I suppose I would consider myself an advanced amateur who has been doing it for all his adult life who has no desire ,or need to make money out of it who does it because he loves it,

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This made me think a bit more. When someone says to another person they are an artist, the other person does not expect the "artist" to have made a profit and will not go on about the profitable side (how many of xx do you make, how much money you make on xx, are you employed by xx?)... but if you say you are a photographer, you're fair game for those sorts of quite intrustive feeling questions. Benjiboy may not consider himself an artist but I do and would be more comfortable saying that than photographer, if only because photographer is perceieved to be a paid employment job.

A photographer photographs based on his intuition and will. Even at a random situation, if one clicks the button then he will be photographing, considering he is being a photographer taking intuition and will on the leadership.
Calling photographer to myself will always makes me feel better (better than what? better of not being anything?) yet in the backside people will eventually wonder "And what is that he photographs?". If I come to a selective point as narrow as this one then each and every "photographer" would see fit in introducing their specialty and profession afterwards (i.e. Nature Photographer, Portrait Photographer) before considering themselves and their personalities at fault. Why calling yourself a photographer when deep down bellow you know too well you are just being led by pure instincts that bring your attention to whatever rasp situation that is happening right there, in front of you ? Humans tend to be uncertain about obvious things, things that are so absolute that no one even wonders about. An example of this is the ability of talking. You never see people introducing themselves as "Hello, my name is Dan and I speak, walk and am healthy" do you ? Yet if you find a blind-man then he will probably make you notice that he is not able to see at the very first time he even talks with you. For him not seeing is something important to add and state, for us (that have the ability to see, look and watch) is just THAT common that we don't even mention it on a daily basis. This lead us to the importance we give to each and everything we possess/make/do. The more importance you give to one thing the more you will see fit the need to talk about it. Considering this I feel myself in need to ask you something before I can even think about wether or not I should be calling myself a photographer.

What importance do you give to the term Photographer and what does it mean for you ?

In a quick side note, I started to be called a photographer at my early eighteen years old. After that for some sudden and stupid reason I stopped photographing and let one year go by with no trace of photographing activities whatsoever. I have made two or three films in this dorm-time though and I am in the process of developing them right now.
Being this young only makes me feel good among all this APUG members, for real. I wish everyone's input on this because I am well aware that having nineteen years old and being so short in experience is only a reason to have half of my theory lost is foolish arguments. But hey, at least I do have my own theory.

EDIT: I am portuguese so my english might not be clear enough for your understanding. If you need any further explanation in a certain subject please ask for it and I shall get back to you with the most detailed and clear explanation I am capable of.

Thankfully yours,
danphoto_

I have been introduced to people by others who genuinely thought/still think I am a 'photographer' - I'd say due to the way we met - me asking if I could do portraits of them, mostly musicians...

I dont think I ever want to be a photographer if it means dropping my other interests to claim exclusivity - otherwise I'm a photographer/cinematographer/inventor/musician/vfx artist/robotics guy/theatre technician/multimedia artist/driver/toilet cleaner etc...

It is funny how life is and how people’s perceptions change as they grow older and gather more experience. In my previous life I thought I was a photographer, I took lots of pictures at weddings, family portraits, kids including my own and I managed to have two shows in downtown Bucharest in mid ’80 with what I thought to be fine art black and white prints. Ha, now when I look back I feel like laughing at myself. The point is that everything I did it could not have happened in a normal society, I was simply carried away (mind you much younger and stupid back then) and never realized that it was a time of “pretending” i.e. WE pretend to work, pretend to behave and do not bother the system, pretend to be artists if that makes us happy and THEY pretend to pay us, pretend to offer freedom of expression, even pretend to appreciate you as artist. As soon as I transcended into this life I quickly understood what I was doing and what is my place as “photographer” and “artist”. I started learning, getting books, accessing photography forums, asking questions and specially looking at really good fine art images. I am now much humble and I don't think of myself as a photographer. I’m grateful to be here and live my second life as an apprentice photographer… Maybe one day, time permitting I will become a photographer. Thanks for bringing this up, it gave me the opportunity of a damn good introspection. cheers

Introspection are always remarkable into our personal growth as well as to the understanding of ourselves. Being photographer it's like being a criminal. You can be jailed in a cage but the will to kill won't go away. So will not the will to photograph disappear if you truly are to be a photographer. I have quiet a question to make to you all though:

What does your camera represents to yourself ?

Now more than ever I feel my camera as an extension of my brain because I made tremendous efforts in changing my thinking and the way I see. I do evaluate things around me in terms of potential images, highlights and shadows, texture and elements of composition. Good question though, I could not have said that about me couple of years ago for example.

I am only here to make question, not to answer. I am yet to young for that
Although I must say that I agreed with much that you have said thus far, it can only makes sense.

I started calling myself a photographer when I realized that I couldn't turn off my photographic 'eye'. Even when I'm out walking around without a camera, I look for shots. I am pathetic in that respect, but I am also a photographer...

- Thomas