Now I know I'm a professional

Last week I was hired to shoot a family event. There were few guys with SLRs as well, but either family or friends.
I'm walking around taking pictures and hear this conversation between a 9-10 year old boy and his father with 5Dm2:

- Daddy, is this man a professional photographer?
- Son, whenever you see a photographer with a big white lens, you must know he is a professional!

I puffed my chest and proudly walked passed them.

LOL, that made me smile.

haahaa. Right on.

I do own a white lens or two, fellow professional , but you're lucky you get paid .. my friends and family expect me to do everything for free :P

alphamalex wrote in post #17510528
I do own a white lens or two, fellow professional , but you're lucky you get paid .. my friends and family expect me to do everything for free :P

Well, when it comes to family and close friends, I do it for free, of course, even though they offer money sometimes. I just ask them to refer my services if they hear someone is looking for a photographer.
Plus, my photos are in many houses, so it's a nice small social network, that pays for the hobby.

It's easy to look professional...that just needs money. Now to act like a professional and more importantly deliver results like a professional requires skill. I'd rather have the later with a measly black lens than the former with a white lens.

Hogloff wrote in post #17512195
It's easy to look professional...that just needs money. Now to act like a professional and more importantly deliver results like a professional requires skill. I'd rather have the later with a measly black lens than the former with a white lens.

Nobody's talking about delivering poor results and you can get down off your high horse.

I better camouflage the white lenses!

Haha.....thanks for sharing.

Haha, great anecdote. Guess that disqualifies Nikon, Pentax and Mayima / Hasselblad / Leica S3 folks. But the Leica folks were never professional to begin with.

People always ask me if I'm a professional photographer.

I'm always honest though and tell them I just have a problem.

Your post just made my day.

Sorry, the man was mistaken...the white lens merely indicates a fat wallet with credit card(s).

A 'professional' merely indicates being 'paid', courts will recognize exchange of $1.

Note that neither of the above connotes knowledge or skill...we know that is all too true when we hear,
"I just bought my 5DIII and am still learning the controls, and my best friend has asked me to shoot her wedding this weekend, and I am being paid $200...how do I focus (the church is dimly lit) if I have turned off my flash?"

I'm a professional as well! lol I would have done the same OP

Aleness wrote in post #17515047
Nobody's talking about delivering poor results and you can get down off your high horse.

I'm not on any high horse. I'm pointing out that buying professional equipment does not make a professional...it just shows you have money. I know many professionals that make their living from photography and most have very modest equipment. Skill will always trump equipment. Looking like a pro and delivering results like a pro are totally different things.

Wasn't there a thread on POTN with all the stories of people making comments to photographers taking pictures with big lenses? Can't seem to find it, but it had some great stories.