Originally posted by mohb Isn't this the elevation of a 'professional photographer' to an exalted, but not necessarily well deserved, position in the ranks of photographers?
Sure, some people like to puff themselves up as a self-designated "professional photographer". And photography may even be their profession. But the term is used way too liberally, in my opinion. Kind of like if the guy who drives the UPS truck calls himself a "professional driver".
But in my mind, a professional photographer is somebody who earns their living doing photography AND has perfected their talent through a lot of hard work, study and practice, to the point that people are willing to pay them a premium for their work. In most cases, this will be somebody who has been through numerous camera bodies and lenses, and is discriminating in their choice of equipment. And it follows that it is very unlikely that they will be seen using an entry-level camera and a kit lens as their chosen tools when they're working. And they're probably not going to be working part-time at the Target photography studio.
However, somebody still could be a talented portrait photographer working at a shopping-center studio, and they could very well be using the store's inexpensive cameras and lenses, rather than their personal gear. Doesn't take anything away from them being a good photographer. But this isn't where I would expect to find the best photographers.
But like I said up above, the most important thing is the results. And in the typical family portrait studio, being good with babies and little kids is probably more important than having a graduate degree from a fine arts school.