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06-16-2009, 06:25 AM   #76
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QuoteOriginally posted by PHOTONY Quote
Ive read a lot of the posts but not all of them and I get asked the pro vs amateur question a lot. I live in Hawaii and over here just like other places Canon and Nikon have a huge following with the hundreds of "pro" photographers that are here. Being in Hawaii we have year round good weather and beautiful scenery that makes Hawaii a wonderful wedding destination and very lucrative as far as photography is concerned. Well I went "pro" a few years ago doing whatever paid me for photographic services and I finally settled into weddings and events. Although Nikon and Canon are great cameras I chose Pentax due to the feel and lenses plus I had used my dads old 1000 when I was younger and had some old lenses around the house. At any rate, If you take good shots, people are willing to pay for them and you can make a living at it then I would say you are a pro. I know that good reliable equipment is necessary but I feel as do many others that it is the work of the photographer not the equipment that really matter. Now I am 3 years into my new full time career and have no regrets and a steadily filling calender, not bad for a guy with a "non pro" K10d.....haha
Congratulations on your pro career!!!!!!!!!!!! I've noticed that the "pros" i've encountered are a lot more rational about their equipment purchases than amateur oriented photographers like myself. We have "wants", they have "needs". I have noticed that the more framed prints i sell at a local shop, the more i appreciate which lenses have produced for me and which spend most of their time on the shelf. We all would like a new this or a new that, but a pro, i think, targets their equipment purchases towards a specific task.

06-16-2009, 07:04 AM   #77
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A pro consumer is simply someone who evaluates their equipment purchases on their ability to produce income as well as images. They think about reliability and speed as much as quality.

Pro gear is gear that allows a photographer to make money without having to waste time fussing with its limitations or babying its weak points. It's gear that shows up, does its job without much fuss and rarely calls in sick no matter how hard you push it.

Pro gear is not expensive either, at least not in comparison to its profitability. If it's not free in pretty short order then it's probably not worth buying no matter how beautifully it renders an image. That's why most professional photographers don't own the top tier 35mm or medium format digital cameras. They are not profitable in their work flow quickly enough to justify the expense.

The real difference between pro and amateur is the length of time it takes to produce comparable results. A lot of amateur photographers and amateur equipment are fully capable of producing "pro quality" results... given enough time. Time is a luxury professionals simply don't have enough of. Pro gear doesn't waste a second of it.
06-16-2009, 07:26 AM   #78
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i disagree. it's all in the software if you consider things 'pro' in that regard; and a tethered camera with a lightroom/aperture/photoshop+acr workflow is all it takes to produce pro results as you shoot or batch shortly after.

bodies, etc never last if they're used hard so the glass & software/experience are where the pro investment is. you can even 'fake' the output of other cameras with profiles/plugins these days. want that 1ds look? np .. want the look of an 85mm/f1.2 or 135mm/f2.8? not so easy
06-16-2009, 09:58 AM   #79
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QuoteOriginally posted by attack11 Quote
i disagree...)
With who?

06-16-2009, 10:28 AM   #80
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QuoteOriginally posted by GoldenWreckedAngle Quote
Pro gear is gear that allows a photographer to make money without having to waste time fussing with its limitations or babying its weak points. It's gear that shows up, does its job without much fuss and rarely calls in sick no matter how hard you push it.
in the real world, any camera is "pro gear".
06-16-2009, 12:08 PM   #81
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I am a amateurfessional, glorified by me mum.
06-16-2009, 12:53 PM   #82
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QuoteOriginally posted by attack11 Quote
in the real world, any camera is "pro gear".
Only if it consistently creates profitable images and continues to do so long after it has paid for itself. There is very little consistent money in shooting with a cell phone. A cell phone, in the right hands, with the right light can make a great photo, maybe even occasionally a photo someone would buy, but it would be very difficult to make a profitable "profession" out of shooting with one every day.

Chase Jarvis makes magic with his I-phone; He makes money with his D3X.

06-16-2009, 06:45 PM   #83
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QuoteOriginally posted by GoldenWreckedAngle Quote
Chase Jarvis makes magic with his I-phone; He makes money with his D3X.
Well said.
06-16-2009, 06:51 PM   #84
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QuoteOriginally posted by Venturi Quote
Well said.
One could argue that in Chase's case, he makes money with whatever he shoots
06-17-2009, 03:18 AM   #85
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06-17-2009, 05:59 AM   #86
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QuoteOriginally posted by Robert S Donovan Quote
One could argue that in Chase's case, he makes money with whatever he shoots
True dat! Chase is one of the driving inovators of our time. I think his Midas touch is evidence of just how powerful generosity toward others can be. He is one of the best examples of how inspiring greatness in others will return just about anything you need.

You are right on. He does in fact make money with his cell phone by prominently featuring his daily I-phone pics in his social network marketing. However, take away the teaching, energy, and the D3 and D3X stuff that's made him famous and those I-phone pics don't have nearly as much mass appeal. The cameras that anchor his "profession" are his "profession"-al cameras.
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