What is a Photographer?
I can’t tell you when and how it happened but at some point in the last 20 years, I became a photographer. There was no fanfare, no certificate of achievement or telegram from the Queen. I simply ceased being a guy with a camera and became a photographer. From that point on I haven’t looked back.
So what makes someone a photographer? Is it the number of photos they have taken? The qualifications they hold or pictures published? Maybe the money they make? Or is it simply a measure of their passion?
The answer is it could be any one of them or none at all. Each one carries its own exceptions so to find one clear answer is a pointless pursuit.
The only real answer to this question, the one thread that runs true is that becoming a photographer takes a journey. Somewhere between the successes and failures, the hours spent squinting behind the lens and the miles walked in search of that special shot. It’s the frustration at the missed opportunity when you decided last minute to leave your camera at home or the time you accidentally pressed delete. Above all, it’s the just the simple joy of hearing that shutter click and the anticipation of what it brings. It is true that anyone can take a photograph but not everyone is a photographer.
The aim of this blog t, therefore, doesn’t focus on technical tips or lighting positions. It’s about the journey. The fables and foibles that colour the photographer’s path and show us that all we often need is a little illumination. If you want to go somewhere knowing how will get you on the path, knowing why will keep you there.
