PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Sounds like there is not much GAS among the accomplished photographers. Makes sense to me.

Don

Dennis833 Loc: Australia

Big mistake!

User ID

It’s like a nine gear automatic transmission.

User ID

And your point is ?!?

JSimpson

Good analogy. The first gear is desire; the next eight gears are hard work; the equipment used matters not.

Cell315

I had to reply to this one, as I totally agree. Years ago, I worked at a university lab that had multiple contracts with the military. This was at a time when desk top computers were just coming into play. I had asked one of my co-workers, an engineer specializing in electromagnetics, what processor he had in his computer, memory, etc.
He said he did not know exactly, and it was not of much concern to him. His computer was nothing more than a pipe wrench would be to a plumber. I thought that was a great answer.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

OK, so here you go- for the semanticists and English professors:

accomplished
[əˈkämpliSHt]
ADJECTIVE
highly trained or skilled.
"an accomplished pianist"
synonyms:
expert · skilled · skillful · masterly · [more]
having a higher level of education than average and good social skills.
"a very elegant and accomplished person"
synonyms:
gifted · talented · virtuoso · genius · ingenious · masterly · inventive · creative · intelligent · bright · clever · smart · astute · acute · brainy · intellectual · profound · skillful · able · expert · adept · elite · superior · crack · choice · first-class · first-rate · excellent · educated · scholarly · learned · erudite · cerebral · precocious · whip-smart

I'll go with most of these synonyms but there is no mention of professionalism. These adjectives can apply to any good, competent and talented photographer, amateur or professional.

professionalism
[prəˈfeSHənlˌizəm]
NOUN
the competence or skill expected of a professional.
"the key to quality and efficiency is professionalism"
synonyms:
expertise · skillfulness · expertness · adeptness · adroitness · deftness · dexterity · [more]
the practicing of an activity, especially a sport, by professional rather than amateur players.
"the trend toward professionalism"
synonyms:
skill · practical knowledge · practice · training · learning · education · grounding · knowledge · understanding · wisdom · background · record · history · past · maturity · worldliness · sophistication · suaveness · savoir-faire · know-how.

I'll go with most of this as well and add that a full-time professional usually earns his or her living from their photography and receives payment.

These two "categories" can include amateurs and professionals, however, professionalism includes quite a different set of circumstances. The professional can not always control when and where he or she has to perform. It is a case of creativity on demand. The profession's mood, level of enthusing, inspiration, and state of mind does not necessarily factor ion so he or she has to drop whatever they're doing and respond to the assignment on time. They may be able to call on their own creativity or concepts or furnish their skills to others' ideas and concepts.

amateurism
[ˈamədəˌrizəm, ˈaməˌt(y)o͝oˌrizəm, ˈaməˌCHo͝oˌrizəm]
NOUN
the practicing of an activity, especially a sport, on an unpaid rather than a professional basis.
"the university administrator worked to maintain amateurism in collegiate athletics"
the fact or quality of being incompetent at a particular activity.
"not even the deleted scenes render this rank amateurism amusing"

I lie the first definition but the second one leaves much to be desired in my book- There are many talented and competent amateurs.


As far as the skill required to run a business successfully, that can fill a very large book or consume a 4-year university program in business management. Many creative photographers have to learn these things through the "school of hard knocks". If I made a list of all the areas in sales promotion, financial management, public relations, taxes, keeping up with current market trends, and the nuts and bolts of tuning the ket in the door every morning, the list would usurp all the bandwidth on this forum. Suffice it to say, if I did not have my incredible wife running the office, looking after much of the sales and keep the staff organized, I would be long dead or at least confined to a mental health facility.

True professionalism is a mindset where you work extremely hard and diligently on behalf of your clients. Foks tell me that I am the boss, in reality, I have many bosses that tell me what to do- the clients, the government, the taxation departments, the bank manager, the landlord, my accountant, my suppliers, my accounts receivable and payable situation and when I thig I have everything under complete control, something new pops out of the woodwork.

I ain't complaining because I love the work. My wife thinks I am a masochist but she hangs in there with me.

I truly hope this helps shed some light on the question since I have been at this for a lifetime.

I really, however, wonder who so many folks need to categorize and define everyone else, including themselves. Whether you do photography as a hobby, a serious pastime, an art, an avocation or it happens to be your day job, you will know when you ACCOMPLISH what you want to accomplish. If you are a professional, your clients will appreciate your accomplishments. Unfortunately, LABELS are oftentimes inaccurate. There are photographers that purport to professionalism but sorely miss the mark. There are amateurs who do superlative work. There are many layers, nuances and borderline differences in all "categories"!

In the amateur ranks, one can carry on good or bad work forever. In the profession, the good, ethical and talented folks tend to survive and the bad guys burn themselves out, a kind of natural selection or balance.

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

Makes sense to me also.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Bill_de Loc: US

Have you checked the life expectancy of a D850? You may want to get your affairs in order.

I think you made a great choice. It is a camera that I don't believe I will ever outgrow.

----

JSimpson

Nicely put. Your penultimate paragraph is perfect.

twb930s Loc: Aldie, Virginia

That's very true. But on the other hand, how many pros are using Brownies or Power Shots as their mainstream cameras? Maybe they started with inexpensive equipment, but better equipment was soon added to the arsenal. Hasselblad, Leica, Canon and Nikon (and others) have been extremely successful selling very expensive equipment to pros (and some well heeled amateurs). NASA didn't send cheap cameras to space, they chose Hasselblad and Nikon.

Wyantry Loc: SW Colorado

You could give a child the most expensive camera available—that does not mean they are capable of capturing compelling images.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

It's silly to take equipment quality out of the equation. In order to do good work on a consistent and efficient basis, every accomplished photogaher needs good gear that is appropriate for the job at hand. Every artist, craftsperson. tradesperson or serious photograher need good reliable tools. The point that some photographers miss, is that upgrading their camera and lenses won't necessarily upgrade the quality of their work beyond a bit more IQ.

Professionals may tend to spend more money on high-end equipment in that professional usage sometimes entail long duty cycles, and require equipment that can stand up to oftentimes rougher and more prolonged working conditions. Some professionals are required to produce very large prints and create files that are going to be eventually displayed on billboards or very large screens. This is where some of the very high-end glass is worth the investment.

Real Nikon Lover Loc: Simi Valley, CA

I couldn't agree more Larry! I have used this quote for years.