If you family doctor was on vacation, and treated a skinned knee, would you say it was treated by a amateur? Once a doctor, always a doctor. The same analogy applies. If you're good enough to be ABLE to make money with your photography, and if other photographers consider you a professional, you're locked into the title. What you describe is a pro taking personal photographs on his time off. Facts are, they're just as likely to be a tad better than yours and mine, simply because of his untold hours of practice making GOOD photographs.
The Kodak snap & shoot he uses is what it is. If he only and forever used that camera to make his or her outstanding photographs, for him that would be his 'pro camera.' If a predominance of paid photographers used that kind, size and shape of Kodak box camera, yes, I suppose you'd have to call it a pro camera, woudn't you? Caveat: as with any other camera, it's only a designation. With me, perhaps with most of us, it would STILL be no better than any other camera in our hands. With the professional photographer, it's HOW he uses it, and the proof of the images he captures, that makes him a pro. Some photography magazine did an article or essay one time, enlisting several well-known photographers to do just that ~ take a simple box camera of some time, and make photographs with it. Do as well as they could, and let's see the results. I know you posted your questions in a tone of amusement, but in fact, whatever the pro uses becomes his pro camera, doesn't it. My 2� keith whaley frank theriault wrote: > > Ah, but what if the pro is taking family snapshots on his day off? Is he still a > pro? And would the camera he uses be a pro camera? What if he uses the same > camera to take those snapshots as he does whilst working? Would it only be a pro > camera while "on the job", but an amateur camera on Sunday at the zoo? > > OTOH, what if he takes family snapshots, but years later, sells one of those > shots? Would the camera be an amateur camera, but ~suddenly~ turn into a pro > camera? > > What if he ~was~ an amateur when he took the snapshot, but years later, turned > into a pro, then sold the photo? What's the body then? > > That should be enough to chew on for now... > > <vbg> > > -frank (in a devilish mood tonight) > > Peter Alling wrote: > > > That's easy, professional cameras are the ones professionals use, amateurs > > use amateur > > cameras. > > > > At 05:24 PM 12/10/2002 -0600, you wrote: > > >I've got one! I'm still not too clear on the difference between professional > > >and amateur cameras ... (running and ducking) > > > > > -- > "The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears > it is true." -J. Robert > Oppenheimer
