What is a photographer?

On Tuesday 19 October 2004 21:34, bob wrote:

Stefan Patric wrote in news:gzkdd.55981
$kz3.30015@fed1read02:

"Anyone who seriously pursues the craft of photography, and all
that
that entails." If you will note, there is no requirement or even
implication of compentancy in the definition, merely that to be
considered a photographer one must attempt to learn the craft.


So if you look through my archive, and if you go back to the time
before I was serious (at least a decade, and I can remember the day
that I became serious), then you contend that those images are not
photographs, because I was not a photographer?

Essentially, yes.

I can remember when I first becamed intrigued with photography. I was
about 10. The camera was a 120 square format, folding Agfa-Ansco
with adjustable shutter speed and f-stop -- guesstimate focusing --
that I found in my parent's "junk" drawer. I studied the manual to
learn how to operated it. The manual also gave a basic guide to
exposure, composition, etc. But even with all that, my pictures were
just snapshots, even though they were well composed (I was born with
an artistic talent and an artist's eye.) and the choice of subject
was mine alone. I did the shooting, but the drug store lab did the
processing and printing. I really didn't reach the level of what I
considered "photographer" until I learned to process and print my own
stuff. That's was in college. Until that time, I was just recording
family outings, vacations, etc. Snapshots were all they were.
Artistic ones, well composed ones, but still just snapshots.


--
Stefan Patric