Originally posted by Gooshin i'm simply arguing the need to use the word "professional" as an adjective to describe yourself as a photographer.
its very easy in conversation to define yourself from everyone else by tacking on the word "professional".
what do you do?
- i do fashion photography
are you good
- yes, very, my work is highly regarded
then in my eyes you are a very highly regarded fashion photographer.
the word professional becomes diluted when applied to everyone doing anything with a (assumed) degree of competence and diligence,
i simply think that its... wrong?
again this is my look at the situation, which is why i started this thread to see what others have to say.
I was merely attempting to poke your ribs a little with that comment. I sincerely meant no offense.
I think I understand your points, I merely feel you are making too strict of usage on the term. I feel that if you restrict its usage to only those whose chosen (can't use the word profession...) vocation and/or career fall into a finite list of those with a 'governing body' or that require licensing you devalue the worth of the myriad other very worthwhile and respect worthy careers that exist.
Now if what you are getting at is when a given person says "I'm a professional Widgeteer" then I'm pretty much with you on that. It is pompous and arrogant. I'm rather disgusted, for example, by those who wear their PhD on their lapel.
I would agree that attaching the word "professional" to your vocational title is rather redundant. If I ask you what you do for a living and you were to reply "I'm a professional dentist" I would probably respond with something like "Well, I certainly hope so!" ... after I stopped laughing. On the other hand when used in referring to someone else "Joe is a professional photographer" adjectively as you mentioned then it is totally appropriate.
Now before you go calling me out for saying I am a "professional programmer" earlier in this thread keep in mind the context of my statement. I used the word specifically to emphasis that computer programming is my chosen vocation and that to become one there is significant skill, expertise and training required. I don't put "professional" on my business cards and really only ever use the term in daily life except to distinguish what I do from the script kiddies "working" for beer money.
Context is (almost) everything. There's no need to ask "Is there a professional doctor in the house?" since, last I checked, it isn't legal most places to practice medicine as an amateur. But when soliciting for other services specifying you want a "professional widget maker" usually clarifies things.
Bleh, and that was officially a long damn post. haha