does owning a slr make u a photographer?

[tammyt]

another question that puzzle me for quite a while....

does owning a DSLR make you a photographer? or a camera owner?????
can someone define PHOTOGRAPHER pls?

 

[sheree]

another question that puzzle me for quite a while....

does owning a DSLR make you a photographer? or a camera owner?????
can someone define PHOTOGRAPHER pls?

imo, nope.

a photographer just merely someone who take photos. even with compact point and shoot cameras.
a good phtoographer too, need not have a DSLR. A good photographer is one who can translate a message he wants to bring across to his audience through a camera (any kind) as his medium.

thats my two cents

 

[Dream Merchant]

According to Wiki:

A photographer is a person who takes a photograph using a camera. A professional photographer uses photography to make a living whilst an amateur photographer does not earn a living and typically takes photographs for pleasure and to record an event, place or person for future enjoyment.

Photographers are often categorized based on the subjects they photograph. Some photographers explore subjects typical of paintings such as landscape, still life, and portraiture. Other photographers specialize in subjects unique to photography, including street photography, documentary photography, fashion photography, wedding photography, war photography, photojournalism and commercial photography.

Paparazzi are photographers who take candid photographs of celebrities.

Definition of camera according to Wiki:

A camera is a device that records images, either as a still photograph or as moving images known as videos or movies. The term comes from the camera obscura (Latin for "dark chamber"), an early mechanism of projecting images where an entire room functioned as a real-time imaging system; the modern camera evolved from the camera obscura.


Going by formal definitions, a person using a light-tight box of any description that is able to capture/record an image is a photographer.

 

[+evenstar]

that makes people who snap with their mobile phones photographers too..:bsmilie:

 

[Dream Merchant]

that makes people who snap with their mobile phones photographers too..:bsmilie:

By definition, yes.

I guess the issue might be whether owning an expensive/advanced camera makes a person owning/using such cameras good/artistic/competent/respectable/professional photographers.

 

[tammyt]

well... perhaps photographer is just a "term"...
whoever own a camera can define themselves as photographer,
those who earn a living with photography will define themselves as professional photographer?
or shall we define a photographer thru their work?
frankly, some of those so called "professional" photographer work, not really up to standard..
i browsed thru flikr, drooling over those NONE professional photographer work........
i feel SO SMALL now.....

 

[Dream Merchant]

Define 'standard', and by whose reckoning?


Aside - There's one point that a lot of people aren't aware of or forget - pros usually shoot to fufill briefs and client's needs/preferences.

Amatuers, enthusiasts and hard-core hobbyists shoot/DI to fufill their visions, whims and personal needs.

Also remember the chain or flow involved in most commercial situations. The work goes through a lot of hands (sometimes, way too many) after it is shot and before the public finally sees it.

Sometimes, or even very often, what you see as a final result may not be what the pro (I assume more often than not, 'commercial') tog actually wants to shoot, or the way in which is its styled, shot or DIed. I once saw a job straight out of the studio, and how the studio adjusted colour and contrast etc. I eventually saw the final posters around town. Frankly, the posters looked like crap. It wasn't anything close to what I saw coming out of the studio. Whose fault was it, and what do you think happens in many commercial situations? :sweat:

 

[night86mare]

owning a tripod makes me a photographer.

 

[Dream Merchant]

owning a tripod makes me a photographer.

Nah, it makes you a plofessional tripodded sheppard! :bsmilie:

 

[ortega]

it makes you a camera man/woman

 

[Zeddy]

Owning a slr only makes you a slr owner.

 

[cutecdo]

Owning a SLR/DSLR makes you the person to go to when your friends wants to buy a camera. They assume you know every system in the market and their needs or wants telepathically and then expect you to make a recommendation. Refering them to shops for hands on makes you a lousy or unhelpful 'photographer'.

 

[Draken413o]

owning a dslr makes you broke... damn buy buy buy.....

 

[lazyeyedpsycho]

I just like taking pictures. Does it have to be so complicated?

 

[hkingx]

unless you produce beautiful & nice photo, else if you are holding the most exp DSLR no one will call you a photographer...

 

[Pablo]

It magically changes your signature :bsmilie:

 

[nickmak]

If owning only a DSLR makes you a photographer... I don't know what do you make of Ansel Adams, Steve McCurry etc...

A lot of people try to get by saying that because they own something it makes them someone... So if you could buy Beckham's football boots does that make you another Beckham? If it works that way hell yea I'd be up to buy his boots in no time!

 

[aryanto]

yes it makes you a photographer but quality is questionable

 

[phoakm]

I am a hobbist, not a photographer.

 

[catchlights]

well... perhaps photographer is just a "term"...
whoever own a camera can define themselves as photographer,
those who earn a living with photography will define themselves as professional photographer?
or shall we define a photographer thru their work?
frankly, some of those so called "professional" photographer work, not really up to standard..
i browsed thru flikr, drooling over those NONE professional photographer work........
i feel SO SMALL now.....

someone earing a living thru taking photos can consider professional,
but the standard of the photos it does not need to tide with their title all the time, as long their photos meet the end users need, and people are wiling to pay for it.

for an example, those who took passport photos or ID photos, they are doing full time, does their works like portrait masters we know of? no really right? but why people are still paying for it? cos it meet the need.