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What it takes to become a professional photographer

I'm not going to talk about business plans, marketing or having the right sales acumen. There are many sites and publications out there that talk about that sort of thing. If you're planning to pursue a career in photography, I'm sure you'll have an idea that these are given attributes.

What I am going to talk about are the three P's that any professional photographer worth his/her salt should have. Before I get started, let's clear up the ambiguity behind what a professional photographer is. Some may define it as someone that earns an income from their photography. On the other hand, I define it as the individual whose attitude and skill towards photography more often than not demands and receives the proper respect and recognition.

Why the distinction between income and something as subjective as respect and recognition? Professionalism is just one third of the package. It is the first P of three. The money-making aspect is something else entirely; it is often the end purpose for shooting. It is the second P.

The last, and possibly the most important, is Passion. Passion is the driving force behind every great photographer. They shoot because they want to shoot. They love what they do. They continue to learn because they love their craft.

It is not to be confused with Purpose. Some people say the reason they shoot is because they love to do it; mistyping this as their purpose. Love is part of your passion. Purpose is the motivation to steer their passion into something even greater. It is easy to be passionate about something without having any real goals.

These are the three elements that must be present in the professional photographer.

The photographer without passion works in and out for the purpose of making money. He/She may be quite good at the business aspect of photography and has the professionalism to work well with others, but at the end of the day, they're unhappy. They're there for the billable hours and then they're gone.

The photographer without professionalism is the overbearing and boisterous one who sees no limit at getting that perfect shot. They love to get paid for doing what they love and may chase high-paying jobs, but often at the expense of others. They will step over you to get where they want to be. They're the ones breaking-and-entering and then selling compromising photos to the highest bidder.

The photographer without purpose loves photography, is great to get along with, but hasn't nailed down exactly why they do it. They may not have looked into how they can actually turn their passion into a business, but purpose is not limited to making money. They may not call themselves a particular type of photographer, because they haven't figured out what they really want to shoot. They don't have any short or long-term goals because they don't know what they actually want to do.

So there you have it. Have a think about yourself and other photographers (both successful and not) and how the three P's are working for them. If you're honest with yourself, it's surprising to find out what you're missing out on to really pick up your game. I know I certainly need some work in one of those areas.

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