"Are You A 'Pro'?

As a continuation of my previous comments on aging and artistic growth I have come to ask myself a few questions about the current state of photography and what appears to be a somewhat widely held theory that anyone can almost instantly become a successful ‘pro’ photographer. I’m reminded of the question posted on one of the forums I frequent where it was asked “if anyone could explain what a zoom lens was?”…. and the answer was needed quickly as the person asking was about to undertake a second ‘wedding job’ and might want to purchase such a lens. At first it seemed ludicrous that someone with such woefully lacking knowledge of basic photography would undertake selling such a service….but then I began to think about the context in which the question was asked.
I started my avocation of photography with a Brownie Hawkeye at 9 years of age, and have been taking photographs for over 50 years. And in no sense of the word do I consider myself a professional. I have often put off growing in this area because I simply did not have the space to set up a darkroom. (I have just recently thrown away an Omega 4x5 and a Besseler 35mm enlarger….having moved them with me numerous times for the last 20 years and seldom using them!) Now I find that anyone can undertake the most advanced forms of photography by applying the newer digital equipment. A laptop computer has become a darkroom! No more waiting for the film to be developed …sending back for enlargements and special crops…we get all that instantly! And it isn’t much of a leap from ‘instant photos’ to ‘instant professional photographer’….especially in our society where yesterday is almost a day too late.
We drink instant coffee, have instant rebates, instant messaging, speed dialing, voice dialing, redialing, high speed internet, high speed highways, high speed search engines, and on and on ad nauseam. I’ve come to expect in my medical practice that most people in this country just plain refuse to believe I can’t make them well in short order no matter what the problem. If my medicine hasn’t achieved some modicum of success in just a short while it’s often considered a failure. We have become a people expecting everything to be instantly available in almost every area of our lives. Why not success? If one can have a photo instantly on the back of a relatively cheap camera, why not photograph weddings and tout oneself as a ‘pro’?
Sorry….but I personally don’t think this is a plausible expectation. Unfortunately I believe it has become too easy to lead ourselves into just such warped thinking. Go to some of the photographic websites where critiques abound….look at the ‘instant experts’ as they give paragraph after paragraph of advice (often praising work well below what any professional would consider adequate!) as though they have the ability to qualify something as good or bad. Based on what? How quickly they reply? Most times politics and human nature seem to have more to do with such critiques than any actual qualifications on the part of the reviewer. Nevertheless, one can be convinced his or her work is ‘superb’ or ‘stunning’…when it may be woefully lacking in any of several areas.
Maybe the first order of business is to define exactly what a ‘pro’ is! Webster has one good definition…a professional is someone ”characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession”. I guess a professional could also be defined as one who gains financially from a particular vocation…but from the question mentioned earlier it appears these two definitions would then be at odds. The only way both definitions could apply is if the ‘technical and ethical standards’ were lowered enough to provide the uninformed easier access to the rank of ‘pro’. Personally I’m not ready to do that just yet. There are far too many folks out there working their tails off trying to master a craft that takes years to fully understand. Besides, if I’m going to have surgery I want the doc who’s been doing it for 30 years! My car deserves a mechanic who has enough experience to repair it completely and safely. If someone is going to photograph my daughter’s wedding I want to know I’m dealing with a person who has the miles behind him or her to handle the job.
So what do we do? Let it slide? Lower the bar? I suggest being honest when someone asks for a critique. That can be done in a kind and supportive way, and is actually much more helpful in the long run. If someone critiques your work look at theirs…make a judgment about the position from which his or her wisdom flows. Choose a long-standing and well-respected professional organization and educate yourself about what they expect of their ‘professional’ members. I would also suggest we each ask ourselves if we measure up to the definition of such a ‘professional’ in every sense of the word. And we should ask that question over and over again throughout our photographic endeavors. Sometimes that introspection is tough, but the rewards are great! So are you a ‘pro’? Do you measure up? I’m not and I don’t….but I’ll keep plugging away at it…because it’s worth it! It can still mean something to be called a ‘pro’….and I believe it should!