I agree with you, Tom. I guess one of the points I was trying to make in my last post, is that the line between Pro and Amateur is so blurred, that it renders either term almost meaningless in many situations.
Personally, I know (very casually) a fellow who is an AP photojournalist. He also freelances on the side. I have no idea what percentage of his income comes from photography, but I'd think it's likely 100%. He's a pro. I have another friend who has a bit of equipment, and takes a fair number of photos. She's not a very good photographer (which is beside the point <g>), but she really enjoys the pastime. She's never sold, nor tried to sell a photograph. She's an amateur. Between those two extremes: who knows? But then, who really cares? Makes for a good debate here from time to time, but that's about it (looks like this one will lie dormant, though <g>). I gotta tell you, though, Tom, you really missed the boat on your definition of a Pro Camera: it's a 35mm (including digital) SLR that says either "Canon" or "Nikon" on it! <vbg> cheers, frank T Rittenhouse wrote: > Ciao, > Graywolf > http://pages.prodigy.net/graywolfphoto > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "frank theriault" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > I think, in common English parlance, a professional photographer is one > who > > derives his primary income from photography. An amateur is everyone else. > So, > > an amateur is now one who does something and does not derive their primary > > income from that activity. > > I have always had a problem with that definition. Let's see if some poor > bozo like me makes $7000 selling photographs part time then by this > difinition he is a pro. Now if some rich guy, works at it 80 hours a week > and makes $100 - 150,000 a year, but has an income from investments of say > 1/2 million a year, he is a amateur? > > Now to me, if you do photography with the intent to make money, then you are > a pro. Yes, even if no one buys your photos. That just means you are a > unsuccessful pro. If you do photography for your own reasons and never sell > them, then you are a amateur. Can you be both an amateur and a pro? The old > Olympic rules excepted, I don't see why not. > > So what is a professional camera. Well, really, in my opinion, it is a > camera designed to take the day in, day out grind of professional use for a > reasonalble length of time. In other words, durablity makes the difference. > Of course, in advertising speak it means, made for suckers who can not > figure this out for theirselves. -- "What a senseless waste of human life" -The Customer in Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch
