I read on a photography web site that there are two kinds of photographers.

The professionals shoot for a living, and they know all about the market: what types of photos sell, how to price them, how to produce them quickly, and so on. They show up on the job, take the shots most likely to please the customer, and move on. Expensive equipment, to the pro, comprises simply the tools of the trade.

Amateurs shoot for the love of it. They experiment, they explore, and they regard their tools as artworks in themselves. They spend hours in the heat, or cold, or rain, waiting for the light to change. The word amateur itself stems from the Latin amator, lover or devoted friend. The site’s author claimed that the best photos come from amateurs, and I think he has a point. Read more »