On Being a "Pro"

I absolutely do not consider myself a "pro" photographer. I'm still so much a baby at this. I'm not a total newbie, but if you asked me to demonstrate an off-camera flash? Yeah. Blank stare.

But as a newbie at this, I do have an itty-bitty issue.
I've noticed in the actual pro world (and I know this is totally generalizing; not every pro is like this) that there seems to be a lot of judgement being passed on the aspiring amateurs. And honestly? I get it. I get that there are a million momtogs out there pretending to be a big business and charging people for crap work. The market is getting more and more saturated. The pros feel annoyed and threatened that their craft is being imposed upon.
And it's okay to be annoyed.
But judging every newbie? Is that fair?
How do the pros deem another photographer a fellow pro? Is it a required number of years of experience? Is it how many clients they have? How much equipment they own? What kind of camera and lenses they use? Is it based on the quality of their shots, how they choose to price themselves, or how well they know the technical side of things?

Because from what I've gathered, the pros deem someone else a pro as long as that person looks as if their work is as good as or better than their work. If it's not? The photog in question isn't an actual pro.

Did these pros consider themselves a pro 5 years ago? Back when they were running a business, yet their work wasn't as stellar as it is now? Did other pros look down on them at that point? Or were they included in the *P*hotography world?
I guess what I'm getting at is that pro photographers are so quick to label the non-pros, yet the requirements as to what makes one a pro are unknown.
They advise those trying to break into the biz to do free/extremely-cheap sessions, yet when they get wind of someone doing that? They scoff that the person isn't taking it seriously.
I've read some pros pass judgment on those who haven't been in the biz long, that they don't have enough experience.
What happened to natural talent?? What happened to all those speeches about "it's not the camera, it's the person behind it"? Last I checked, Kelle Hampton just picked up a camera and was amazing at it. I'm sure she had a bunch of terrible shots at first, but if you look back on her blog, even her starting images were really good. She's only been a photographer for a few years, and now she's a featured speaker at the iHeart Faces conference. I think I read somewhere that Jasmine Star has only been in business for five years.

I've seen work by pros that frankly? I'm not impressed by. It's either not my style or the shadows are too harsh or whatever. I've seen pros who have nasty attitudes or got into the biz to make extra cash, not because photography was a passion of theirs. I've also seen pros who have worked their rear ends off to get where they are today. Who are willing to help the amateurs, without an attitude of "oh you poor newbie; here, let me help you..." I've seen (what others would consider to be) amateurs whose work could be on magazine covers.

So here's where I stand on this.
I don't care.
I frankly don't care what other photographers think of me, new or seasoned. I refuse to obsess over their work and how far I have left to go before I get to the same quality work as them. They can sit back and pass judgement on my lack of experience or my limited technical knowledge if they like. They're welcome to assume I'm just "another mom with a camera". Everyone gets their start somewhere. And not everyone has the money for $3000 camera bodies, state-of-the-art lenses, fancy schmancy websites, or custom business cards. But last I checked, none of that is what makes a photographer good.
Do I consider myself a pro? No. Not at all.
Do I think I'll get there one day? Absolutely.
But you can bet your pretty little heiney that when I get there, I won't be the one of the ones scoffing at the newbies... laughing at their limited knowledge, their current prices, their poorly designed website, or if they choose to sell a CD vs prints. Because in the end? Our journeys are all different. Our talents are all different. Our styles are all different. Our rate of growth is different. And the more you put others down, the more insecure you appear.
I won't be that person, and I won't let those people define me.

"Sadly, when I started my business, I let others dictate how I felt about my work. Needless to say, this happens a lot in the industry. Sometimes business owners will talk so certainly about WHAT they have, WHERE they’re going, WHO they’re with, HOW many weddings they booked…and so forth. And though it might be unintentional, they made me feel less worthy to pursue my dream of becoming a photographer, and my work. They had that camera, so clearly they take better photos than me. They’re off to that industry mixer with people who air kiss, so clearly they’re cooler than I am and will get jobs as a byproduct of it. They just booked their 764th wedding for the year…and updated their Facebook status to let the world know.
I walked around in a constant state of I Suckiness, and it wasn’t until I tuned out the noise that I was able to define who I was…just plain old Jasmine Star. Once this happened, I was able to embrace my current situation: While I may not have the best camera, or party with the cool kids, or book weddings like a boss…I’m moving forward. And moving is always better than sitting still."

- Jasmine Star

More on this: How to Be a Good Photographer