Everyone can take a picture, not everyone can be a photographer. We need to re examine a lot of what makes us be "photographers" in this economic climate and revolutionary change in the digital world. I'm not hung up on the term photographer but I do think that taking pictures is more enjoyable than being a photographer with all the business issues the go along with the job.

Selling your Flickr photo for 3 dollars does not make you a pro, sorry. Making a living off of your photography by running a studio, being able to put a production together that involves talent, a team of assistants, hair stylists, muas, wardrobe stylists, producers, doing high quality pre and post production in an efficient and cost effective fashion for your clients and delivering series of photographs that the client loves again and again, that kinda makes you a pro.

Being innovative and keeping up to date on software and hardware, always learning and thinking about how you can be better that's part of it too. Being able to run a business, pay your suppliers and staff on time and always planning the next strategy for marketing, re invention or collaboration with other artists, that's part of it too. I could go on but I hope I made my point.

Owning a nifty camera IS awesome and it's so cool that most people in the western world own at least one. The great photos that the average person can take these days is wonderful and makes us re examine how stock photography is shot and used. But owning a camera does not make you a photographer any more than owning a frying pan makes you a chef.

I wish you had been able to participate in the conversation at SXSW, because the discussion in the PACKED room was lively and thoughtful. We agree that being a "professional" is not about the camera but more about attitude, ability, professionalism, quality, etc. Personally, I do not believe it's necessary for photography to be one's primary source of income to be a "professional" photographer, and there are a lot of interesting questions to ask about what it means to be a part-time photographer and how to deliver on jobs as a part-time photographer.

I would never argue that simply having a camera makes one a professional photographer; but it's unquestionable that changes in the technology to create, promote, distribute and sell photography has opened avenues for many people to pursue photography as more than just an unpaid hobby. And that was the real focus of the conversation.

Interesting preview. I am based in cambridge, UK. Will you be making the presentation from Sunday available online via youtube or other platfrom please?

Sadly, the conversation will most likely not be taped, so I don't
imagine I'll be posting any video or audio. But I could post a written
recap...