I always feel that the word ‘photographer’ is merely a general, convenient term for defining a group of people with certain similarities, the same as with all words in the English language used for the sake of classification, and is limited in most applications when used as a word by itself.
A word will surely hold an entire new meaning by adding some additional description, i.e. ‘award-winning’ photographer, ‘NatGeo’ photographer, ‘AP’ photographer, ‘popular wedding’ photographer, ‘professional’ photographer, ‘art’ photographer, etc & etc.
If I may say, no matter what genre of photography we are interested in, when we debate about the who/what/why of photography & photographers, we are really only interested in knowing where we stand in that particular genre of photography we choose.
One needs only to look at all photographs, including our own in an objective manner, to judge if we are producing decent work. In that sense, exposing ourselves by looking at more photos, to the extent of even taking the risk that we may be influenced and ‘copy’ a certain style, may be a much better idea than hiding in our little world and indulging in the compliments of close friends & family. Unless of course, that is what you wish for, and thus there’s no need for you to worry about who (or what) can be defined as a ‘photographer’. Why bother?
One should always look for ways to learn, but we won’t know where to improve if we are blinded by the wrong kind of ego and/or ignorance. Of course we should always enjoy what we shoot, but at times, it may be best for us to look at our own work objectively, and define ourselves with harsh eyes. It will certainly be a wonderful experience to be aware of your growth, e.g. from ‘amateur’ photographer to photographer ‘who got a few print requests’, to’professional photographer’ with a few exhibits’, even a ‘multi-award winning nobel prize nominee’ photographer. Even if you don’t succeed, at least you will be fully aware of the point where you should stop taking yourself so seriously. Nothing can be more valuable than time.
I look at my own work and still feel most are not up to standard, and I am never satisfied everytime after a day of shooting. That’s why I think dwelling on the topic on the work of others, and whether if anyone deserves to be called photographers, is a complete waste of time.
The real question is - why do we shoot? This is one question that deserves a lot more time to ponder about for all those who take their picture taking seriously. And to be brutally honest, my answer is different almost every other year, simply because change is inevitable, and it is the only constant.
Change is everlasting, and that’s why photographs will always be interesting.
