BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

What Qualifies One as a "Professional" Photog?

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August 10, 2002

My definition(s):
A "professional" derives half or more of their income from photography and/or from teaching photography. A "semi-professional" derives less than half of their income from it, but still pursues it as a business to make money. Both professionals and semi-professionals deliberately make photographs, or at least a portion of them, to sell. A "non-professional" derives zero, or so little that it's not done as a business. Any income or profit from it is by chance, not by design.

Applying a strict definition to "professional" would qualify anyone who has every been paid more than "cost" for a photograph, even if only once, and even if it were a "prize" from a contest. To me that seems too extreme. "Amateur" has so may connotations about producing works that are something less in quality than professionals produce. Definitely not true. It's why I use the term "non-professional" instead.

-- John

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August 11, 2002