SirMontgomery Loc: Seattle

I've been a hobbyist photographer for close to 6 years now and before this summer I've never made more than the cost of a small piece of gear or some travel expenses. Since moving to Seattle in April, I've been going on photography outings several times a week, usually averaging at about 350 photos that I delete per week. I guess the passion is finally coming out in my work and generating a small income in return. I'm happy to say that I'm paying at least the next two months of rent with earnings from photography, thus raising the question, where is the line drawn for a professional vs a hobbyist?

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rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

You making money off your photography? Then you're a professional. I strongly suggest, if you haven't already done so, bone up on IRS Schedule C, Profit or Loss from a Business. Particulary the Safe Harbor portion of the regulation.

Resqu2 Loc: SW Va

I have always understood that a professional is someone that’s paid for whatever there doing. I’m a Vol FireFighter myself, my buddy on another Dept is a professional Firefighter, he gets paid, I don’t but we do the same thing, sometimes side by side.

Spiney Loc: Reading, PA

Sir Montgomery are you making your income shooting Automotive images? I like the examples you've shown here. Congratulations on earning enough to pay 💰 the rent. Car photography is something I too really enjoy. I have a 96 SVT Cobra 🐍 Mustang that I take to Cars & Coffee events. It allows me to combine my two passions Photography & Cars.

If you are selling your services and prints then it's time to get legal with sales tax, reporting your income, and on the flip side writing off your costs.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Nice!

Mary Kate Loc: NYC

You chose to be a volunteer. He chooses to have a job.

barbie.lewis Loc: Livingston, Texas

Congratulations!

Miss Jane

Most of the photography contests that I enter including National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, etc. designate a professional photography as someone who earns $5,000.00 or more a year from their photography work. Anything less than this amount you would be classified as an amatuer photographer.

glyphtrix

Your snark- is petty.
Disparaging a humanitarian effort is lame.
Further, risking one's own life to save others without being paid to do so is more honorable and worthy of much respect!

Perhaps, the volunteer firefighter is such an awesome photographer that he doesn't need to get paid to put out fires!


The point is, one guy gets paid and one doesn't although they both do the same work.
You don't really make a choice to be a pro or amateur shooter. You either are or are not. You're either paid for your work - or your not.
As to the OP's question If you get paid to do photography work and your images are pleasing and your services are in demand ..and you can buy gear and still make rent.. you've probably already turned pro!!

glyphtrix

PS you're definitely a pro because your images LOOK Like car adds!!

glyphtrix

FROM AN IRS WEBPAGE:

Hobby vs. Business
For tax purposes, a hobby is defined as an activity that you engage in “for sport or recreation, not to make a profit.” Even if you earn occasional income from doing such an activity, the primary purpose must be something other than making a profit.

To distinguish between a hobby and a business, you must take into account all the facts and circumstances of your situation. The IRS lays out the following 9 factors that should be considered when establishing if an activity is a business engaged in making a profit:

Whether you carry on the activity in a businesslike manner
Whether the time and effort you put into the activity indicate that you intend to make it profitable
Whether you depend on income from the activity for your livelihood
Whether your losses are due to circumstances beyond your control, or are normal in the startup phase of your type of business
Whether you adjust your methods of operation in an attempt to improve profitability
Whether you (or your advisors) have the knowledge needed to carry on the activity as a successful business
Whether you were successful in making a profit in similar activities in the past
Whether the activity makes a profit in some years, and how much profit it makes
Whether you can expect to make a future profit from the appreciation of the assets used in the activity
According to the IRS, an activity is deemed as a business if it makes a profit during at least 3 of the last 5 tax years, including the current year — or at least 2 of the last 7 years if the activities mainly consist of breeding, showing, training, or racing horses.

sailorsmom Loc: Souderton, PA

Sounds like you're doing good, SirMontgomery! I've been published a few times in magazines but I just consider myself as a "pleasure shooter"! LOL I don't know where the line is drawn.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

Way to go...and just think, it took me nearly 30 years of hard work just to get a 1st place ribbon at the State Fair. Your awesome Dude...Woo Hoo. How did you pay rent previous to this? These are fine cars...but the photography of them...honestly, not so good.

James56 Loc: Nashville, Tennessee

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SirMontgomery Loc: Seattle

Yep these are just a few snaps from wandering around, I sell the rights to my images so I can't post anything I profit from... Most of the stuff I make money from is either from events I've hosted or from taking photos for detailing shops/private car events for advertising on social media. That being said I found my compositions lacking for cars since they were all melding together so I've been working on new things.

That being said I've only won one award, it was best of show for a photo of a frog that I took 2 weeks after I got my first DSLR. It was at a small county fair though so I don't think it bears much merit.

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