mommaruthsays: Am I a Photographer?

The thought has been in my head lately, what it means to be a photographer? (Cue long rant...)

I am not a professional photographer, by any means. I never went to school, took classes or got any sort of professional training in this field. I have no certifications and no titles. I feel like I put too much emphasis on the fact that I'm not a professional sometimes, but only because I want people to know up-front that this is just a hobby of mine.

Don't get me wrong, I love photography. I have ever since I got my first Canon Rebel 35mm back when I started high school. I still have it, and I love it. There's nothing (in my opinion) that compares to film photography. Even as advanced as we are today in our modern times with Photoshop and Lightroom and all the other wonderful tools of the editing trade, to me nothing can replace a film-photograph.

I also love to shoot SOOC, but not a lot of people like that these days. I think we've all grown really accustomed to clean, perfect, edited photographs. I play around with editing and have fun with 99% of my digital shots, but I find myself doing it moreso for the "client" and not for myself. If it were up to me, I'd shoot nothing but film all the time, no editing at all.

There are a million photographers out there today, some really good and some really bad. Anyone with a fancy camera and the want-to can and will call themselves a "photographer". And I'm in that bunch. I'm just a lucky girl with a good camera who loves taking photos of friends and family. It's not my business or my craft. It's just an enjoyable hobby I'm lucky enough to do on weekends every now and then.

But I still feel the need to be appreciated. I don't think I'm bad at what I do. I enjoy it. My "clients" seem to enjoy my photos. I have a ball during the entire process. I don't want to be looked down upon or judged or feel inadequate standing next to professionals. We are in two different categories. I would never claim myself a professional or try to charge an arm and a leg for my services.

And I don't feel like someone needs to pay out the behind to get great photos of an event or moment in their lives. Photography is all about fun and preserving those moments of fun forever. Who could put such a high price tag on such a thing?

I'm very blessed and thankful for all those wonderful people who have given me a chance to photograph them over the last few years. It's been such an awesome experience, I wouldn't trade a minute of it for the world. I've learned a lot of hard lessons through this process (always carry a back-up battery pack or two and a few extra memory cards! especially at weddings!) and I feel like I'm improving every time I pick up my camera.

And that's what I want to focus on in the future - my camera. Perfecting my SOOC photographs and to stop using editing as a crutch. I might even ditch the digital all together for awhile and shoot film only. (If only I could develop my own photos! Every girl needs a dream, right?!) I have a wedding coming up next month, and of course, I'm going to take my trusty digital gal along with me. But after that, I think I'll just stick to what I know and love best: film. I'm not sure people will be clamoring for those kind of photos, but at least I'll be doing what I love the most and I'm sure there's someone out there willing to take a risk and give me a chance.

I'm an amateur photographer, and I know it, believe me. But my love for photography is anything but. My love is my passion, and I refuse to let other people call me out or call me down because I lack the experience or education to be a professional. This is something I will continue to do every day of my life, if only to photograph my children and my family.