Legally Different

Hi, do you need to have a licence or somekind of "trademark" to make sure you are legally a "professional photographer"? Or do you just need a website with a xxxphotography name on it? I'm asking this because this seems to be the way many "professional" album makers differentiate you from the rest of the world. Thanks
LT

Basicaly, many people determine that if you make a large % of your income from photography, then you would be deemed "professional". The only way trade suppliers can "verify" this (easily) is if you have a web presence.

TJ

Get a website, then you're a professional

Rules are different, depending on where you live & do business...but in most cases, you need a business licence in order to trade goods & services for money. And of course, you have to pay taxes.

Anyone can call themselves a pro. There's no legal requirement.

The Professional Photographers of America organization has a certification program to become a "certified professional photographer."

I see the CPP logo in a lot of Yellow Pages ads. Whether it helps get clients, I don't know.

Big Mike wrote in post #4220298
Rules are different, depending on where you live & do business...but in most cases, you need a business licence in order to trade goods & services for money. And of course, you have to pay taxes.

+1 here. It's the only ethical way to go if you're taking money for work. I'll be the first to tell you it sucks. But hey, at least I can sleep at night.

A friend of mine & I had this discussion not long ago and decided that for him, he was WAY better off continuing to get barter-based jobs and NOT shooting for pay. To go through the whole rigamarole of licensing, insurance, taxes, etc. wouldn't net him much more than the case of beer he was currently making for each gig he gets shooting local bands.

I went the whole route, but I plan to do this full time starting next fall. If I was planning to continue working a day job, I wouldn't have bothered & would have only second shot for others. Heck, on a per hour basis, I probably still make more doing that & will for a few months yet!

SIMPLEPHOTOLT wrote in post #4219824
Hi, do you need to have a licence or somekind of "trademark" to make sure you are legally a "professional photographer"? Or do you just need a website with a xxxphotography name on it? I'm asking this because this seems to be the way many "professional" album makers differentiate you from the rest of the world. Thanks
LT

Why would the album makers care if your a "pro" or doing this part time? I would think if you are able to pay for their services what difference does it make?

JWright wrote in post #4223117
Why would the album makers care if your a "pro" or doing this part time? I would think if you are able to pay for their services what difference does it make?

Because they want to sell many books to one client...not one book to one client. They do not want to be a retail outlet and deal with brides.

JWright wrote in post #4223117
Why would the album makers care if your a "pro" or doing this part time? I would think if you are able to pay for their services what difference does it make?

So that they know that you aren't a "bride" looking to see how much an album really costs to make. It's to protect the photographers that they are selling wholesale to. Think of it this way. If a bride finds out that the asuka book she wants only costs x amount of dollars then she is going to think you are out of your mind when you charge x plus time and profit.

Pro and part time are not mutually exclusive

It sounds to me like you are basically asking what it takes to get in with an album company. Most will only require you to fill in the blanks on questions such as: Amount of weddings a year, your primary focus: i.e. weddings, portraits, etc... Some ask for a website, but I am finding less of this these days.

IMHO, what differentiates a pro from a non-pro, is that the pro receives green paper for their service, the non-pro receives nothing. Most seem to start a debate on business practices, and etiquette to establish an argument for being a pro. If you make money your a pro, how you run your business is a different discussion entirely.

*Bill wrote in post #4224878
IMHO, what differentiates a pro from a non-pro, is that the pro receives green paper for their service, the non-pro receives nothing. Most seem to start a debate on business practices, and etiquette to establish an argument for being a pro. If you make money your a pro, how you run your business is a different discussion entirely.

So, based on the above criteria, I'm a pro, although I've made less than $500 with my photography (non-wedding) since the first of the year?

Interesting write-up about this in this months 'shutterbug' magazine. Essentially, whether you're a professional or not is kind of a blurry line. the main thing is how you sell yourself, how you sell your product and how you approach it defines whether you're a professional or not.

Damn, I make money doing it, but I've got a long, long way to go and a long road to hoe before I''d ever call myself a pro.

me