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On Alamy, contributors are divided into pros, semi-pros, hobbyists, and hopeless newbies who soon drop out. Any other categories? 

 

I see myself as semi-pro: I make some money here, but I don't make a living at it. I was a professional, but I've been retired from photography since the dawn of digital. 

 

What are you, and which group do you think is the largest on Alamy?

 

Edo

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No Idea which is the largest group but I am a full time assignment photographer who also shoots stock.  Stock used to make up 50% of my income and now it is only 10% (mostly due to the falling value of stock prices)  but still enjoy it.  The photos I submit to Alamy are a mix of material from assignment shoots as well as stock shoots.  

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I guess I would be classified as a hobbyist, as my main businesses take up the majority of my time.  So much in fact this year, that I haven't had a chance to go out with the cameras.  I do all right with sales.  This year stared awful, but has picked up.

 

Most of my images are from just being where I am.  I don't usually go out for the strict purpose of photography, although I have the odd time.

Really do need to take a little time for me, the Canon and the Sony to spend some time together.

 

Jill

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I have had professional photography assignments, but economics dictate that I do something else (construction law by way of engineering and economics degrees)..so I would rate myself a hobbyist at this point. First picked up a camera at age 12 in school...lived in the dark room.

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My other half has been a pro photographer all his working life. We only have a small stock portfolio of images mainly taken on, and paying for, our travels or shot closer to home around Oxford. We have huge archives of images so it made sense to library some of them. 

 

Last 15 years or so our main business has been selling limited edition prints via our website. Slowing down now into our semi retirement!

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Henri Cartier-Bresson;

 “25 years have passed since I started to look through my view-finder. But I regard myself still as an amateur, though I am still no longer a dilettante.”

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I have been in "the game" on and off since secondary school.

Recently retired, I am working on upgrading  my Photoshop skills and adding

photos to two agencies.

Let's see how that works out

Rick

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Again somewhere between hobbyist and semi-pro, or at least trying to be lol.   I have health issues that prevent me from finding normal employment (among other things).  I got into photography as a hobby where I could be as active as able at the time or still able to do from bed (mainly the developing side).   I am now looking at trying to gain some sort of meaningful income from it so I am at least partially self-supporting.   The last couple of years has seen me fall into football photography through my son playing and I have several teams who ask me to shoot their matches - next season on the advice of some local pros I am moving from offering free low-quality downloads for social media to pay for higher quality - time will tell if that works.  I was also pointed in the direction of Alamy - only been here a couple of weeks and am working at getting a reasonable amount of uploads.  No sales yet but not expected I have heard it takes time.  Again time will tell.

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Hobbyist. After selling my business and retiring a couple of years ago, I recently decided to start uploading again after a 3-4 year break.

It doesn't make a lot of money but gets me out, pays my petrol costs and the odd lens or so.

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I am a full time dad with a camera. All the money I earn comes from photography, so that makes me professional. My ability, after 12 years in stock, to fail to spot great shots makes me still an amateur. Fortunately we don't have to live on just my income; The Leader of the Opposition is a doctor so makes pretty good money, certainly enough to keep a family of four comfortable. I take my camera everywhere with me and shoot regularly, and every now and again I plead professional exhaustion and go and spend a weekend at my father-in-law's place in Montreal for a dedicated photo weekend.

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I would class myself as an amateur who takes photography very seriously.  I receive regular payments which comes in very useful in retirement.

 

My earnings via Alamy have well cleared the cost of my entire set of equipment - a Sony RX100 M3 and a soft case.  ;)

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Full time here, stock is a small (at the moment) part of my business, with commercial bringing in 50% of my income, events (with my printer around 25% and press, tuition etc making up the rest. My goal is to increase the amount I earn from Alamy and reduce the commercial, although if and when that'll happen is a mystery...

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Started using an SLR 50 years ago, but didn't try to make money at photography until I decided it would be a retirement avocation. Just looked up "avocation," it says "hobby or minor occupation."  Yeah, I'm somewhere in there. A retired, full-time grandfather who got into stock in time to get some good fees--briefly.

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I used the term 'hobbyist' instead of 'amateur' but both can sound dismissive. Amateur shooters can be very good, but they don't have to deal with clients or assignment pressures that pros do. The younger me used to like that pressure. The senior me does not.  

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3 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

I used the term 'hobbyist' instead of 'amateur' but both can sound dismissive. Amateur shooters can be very good, but they don't have to deal with clients or assignment pressures that pros do. The younger me used to like that pressure. The senior me does not.  

that's what has kept me from taking on more paid assignments....I have enough deadlines and pressure with the regular gig....so I like this instead.

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I'm a former commercial photographer with additional work in graphics and writing.
My commercial shooting was primarily large format, e.g., food and beverage accounts, some architecture.
Wandering around and taking photos of whatever interested me is something I've done since childhood but never made much money at.

Contributing to Alamy allows me to call that "working" rather than playing.

Cheers, Don

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