Bob Blakely wrote:
> Darn right, Mike!
> [snip]
> Generally, the professional works for someone else capturing for someone
> else's eye, but the artist works for himself, for his own eye. I suspect
> that many professionals are part time artists and that many artists do some
> professional work. (One must eat.)
Great point. I used to argue that the 13% of _PHOTO Techniques_ readers who
were pros read the magazine not for their professional work, but because
they were also artists in their spare time. No professional needs to do his
own darkroom work for his business. It virtually never pays his time. But
some of them do it for the sake of keeping in touch with the roots of the
craft.
> Generally speaking, professionals use professional tools and work with a
> mind to standard formulas. Artists often use a "different tool" for their
> own purposes and explore new ideas.
>
> Professionals have clients. Artists starve.
>
> I have a day job, and it's a damn good thing too.
Yup. You and I see eye-to-eye on this, Bob. IMHO--and IMNSHO too--the thing
to aspire to be is a part-time artist with a good enough day job that you
have the resources in both time and money to pursue your personal
photography! That's the thing to aim toward.
The good part about being a pro for a while is that it gets you over
dilettantism pretty quick. You can't be a navel-gazing fartaround and get
very far as a pro. Pro work toughens you. That toughness can come in real
handy when you go back to being a dedicated amateur. Because art ain't easy
either. <s>
Professional photograhers, on average, only spend 5% to 15% of their time
actually taking pictures anyway (the rest of the time is spent marketing,
bookkeeping, dealing with clients etc., etc.). So if you can arrange to
spend 6 hours on your photography every week (15% of 40 hours), you're doing
all right by pro standards anyway, without having to be a pro the rest of
the time.
--Mike
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