Photography: Professionals, Hobbyists and Amateurs

Reading the endless debate about the definition of professional and hobbyist photographer, I want to write my own opinion on the issue.

Many say that the only difference between professionals and hobbyists is that the former receives money for the job he does and the latter doesn’t. I partly disagree. Professionalism also involves the quality of work. Before you even ask for money for your work, you have to know the rules and should have developed the art in photography.

I’m not saying that hobbyists are no better than professionals. There are some who takes photos that can blow your mind. Some hobbyists have innate art of seeing that the rest has yet to develop.

The problem is the term hobbyist is always associated with amateurs, although many of them are. Hobby is what you do when you are not doing anything else. So professionals can also be hobbyists if that’s what they do when they are not shooting for money. When professionals are not shooting for the profit, they are doing it for the love of it, just like the rest of the hobbyists.

But professionals should have already developed the craft by learning the trade first hand constantly improving their art. That means they have started as amateur photographers learning from pros. That includes spending much just to get better correcting a lot of mistakes before they even decide that they can already be branded as pros themselves. Bringing out good pictures is not what professional is all about. For instance, in wedding photography, you should know where to shoot the best angle and you should already know what follows in the program so that you should know where to position yourself. Even in photojournalism, you can differentiate the amateurs from the pros by just looking at where they are positioned.

But there are amateurs charging people for their work. Some of them think that having a better camera will make them better photographers. Quoting Barry Hayes, a photographer in Vermont, “while technology may produce a camera that can make a technically perfect exposure, it cannot yet produce an artistically satisfying image or revealing portrait without the eye and mind of a skilled professional.” These posers are not professionals at all. Like any other endeavors, there are the knock offs. The following video is a classic example of amateurs posing as professionals.



I believe my short article has helped clear the issues between the differences of professionals, hobbyists and amateurs. But I’d like to end it by confusing you further with this quote from Alfred Stieglitz in 1899. It’s up to you to end the story. (‘ ‘,)

"Let me here call attention to one of the most universally popular mistakes that have to do with photography - that of classing supposedly excellent work as professional, and using the term amateur to convey the idea of immature productions and to excuse atrociously poor photographs. As a matter of fact nearly all the greatest work is being, and has always been done, by those who are following photography for the love of it, and not merely for financial reasons. As the name implies, an amateur is one who works for love; and viewed in this light the incorrectness of the popular classification is readily apparent."

Panagbenga Festival, the Complexities

The 17th Panagbenga probably has presented one of the unique innovations done with its street dancing parade shifting from the original flower filled dances backed with pop music into cultural presentations. This and many other events earned lots of positive and negative reactions from the audience. I believe all festivals have complexities.

With the final showdown at the Athletic Bowl, Cordillerans seem to have improved in showcasing their ethnic customs. However, the supposed street dancing parade was past paced along the stretch of Session and Harrison roads that the audience there complained for the lack of entertainment.

As my friend Fiscal Elmer Sagsago said of his visitors who came all the way from Bicol, “They came expecting a lot of dancing during the street dancing competition but were very disappointed. If you invite guests to your City to be entertained, make sure that they will be entertained,” said Sagsago. Many other guests share the same sentiment and they did not care to follow them to the athletic bowl because they didn’t expect a grander show.


The problem the organizers had been trying to solve was the pacing of the parade. As the BFFFI Chairman explained, “if we solve the pacing, we lose the entertainment value. But if we focus on the entertainment value, it will affect the pacing.” It probably is one of the most common problems of festivals.

During the early years of the Panagbenga festival, 2 minutes were allotted for each participant to perform in designated areas on the streets. This causes big gaps in between participants. But are the big gaps a big problem among the audience? As one of the execrators commented, “I believe the gap is the least of their worries and they’d rather enjoy watching the performances which is the reason why they came.”

Another issue among the observers is the extended 2-day parade. It was stretched so that the two parades could be finished earlier in the day. It has also more income potential for businesses with more days for tourists to stay in the City.

A veteran journalist who had been covering many festivals told me that long parades are not problems in other parts of the country, the longer the parades, the better. The festivals like the Sinulog starts at 8 in the morning and ends at 12 midnight and people enjoy them and they don’t complain.

They have concentrated their effort for that one day grand show and they have successfully generated longing for the audience that sponsors are willing to bestow their support giving away more than enough budget to make a spectacular festival.

As my journalist friend said, our festival in Baguio seems to be concentrated on the income the city can generate than to the quality that it was stretched thin throughout the month of February in five weeks of scattered activities.
Yet sponsors seem to be backing away to give their full support for the festival with less and less funds to spend for a grander showcase.

Another friend who has observed the growth of the festival through the years compared it to a cup of peanut that if placed on a large plate, the peanut would look very little for not filling the whole space. But if the same amount of peanut is placed on a small saucer, it would look plenty.

Less is more would be the statement. Putting all the Panagbenga events in 1 week instead of 1 month would perhaps become a dream vacation for many tourists, but of course, less income to the businesses sector. How can we satisfy the audience at the same time maximize the potential to the business sector? It is now a question how to balance quality and quantity.

One suggestion I received from another friend is there should be more promotions. People from other places only think of the main parade when they hear Panagbenga.


Every activity should have its own advertising budget, not a collective promotion for the whole event. Although the fluvial parade was a disappointment this year, this was one of the unique events that this friend of mine wanted to see because of the photos he saw in a magazine published last year, Yet it completely skipped his mind because he did not see any separate advertisement promoting it. There may have been ads but not enough that not many people noticed.

He said all of the activities during the Panagbenga have potentials to be Grand National events. The “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom” could attract national or even international artists who are willing to come and create a painting that they can give away to Panagbenga and the foundation can earn by auctioning them.

With only one famous artist we can invite to come, many others will follow. And many of the best artists who can draw crowds live right in the neighborhood.

The Pony Boys day too can attract more participants it its games if properly advertised.

I do agree that if we can’t compress all the events together, separate promotions should be given more attention. I promoted the “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom” event to online facebook groups, many came and have created beautiful designs that were chosen to be included in the parades. And that was just me. How much more when there are people dedicated to do that kind of promotions to all groups in the country? Perhaps even this event can create big income potential when it’s hyped in all advertising media.

Like what my friend said, there’s a possible way to address the quality and not loss in quantity for this festival. We may not need to hire more people to do it, just use proper mechanisms.

"Fun in the Philippines" Blunder

A photo of Thailand used in The Straits Times baring the new DOT campaign "It's more fun in the Philippines" is now one of the rising issues online.

The photo below was credited to the Department of Tourism in the online version of the News paper.


Here's the print version of the paper published on January 12, 2012.

The photo was formerly published online showing the Shongkaran Festival of Thailand.


Irresponsible reportage?
Department of Tourism Blunder?
An individual's deception?

I for one will not blame the reporter if that photo has indeed come from the Department of Tourism. If for some reason, an individual just want to make fun of the logo and the DOT readily accepted it, then perhaps that department should be the one to be educated first about our tourism for they don't know what are ours and what are not.

But if the photo was not from DOT but only attributed to them like they claimed, then the responsibility is to the journalist especially if the photo was only downloaded online.

I don't like the new slogan but I don't want to reject it. Compared to the "Pilipinas kay Ganda", there are many ways to make it work. We can promote the Philippines as a place of Fiestas, Adventures, Foods, Beaches, etc.

Yet, if our Department Heads don't have enough knowledge and don't explore for new ideas to promote tourism, our new campaign will not go far and we'll just have another useless battle cry striving after the wind. I do believe there are many talented individuals who can make this campaign escalate.

Yes, it's fun in the Philippines as what our colleagues working abroad would say, "there's no place like home" because there are many things that we can proudly say, "only in the Philippines."

Women Power

Women and Children including a Senior Citizen helped in setting up emergency tent from Shelterbox in Coroz, Tublay. These tents were installed to help ease out the schools of evacuees so that kids could go back to school.

Vege Float

It's not an egg, it's not a plant, it's an eggplant from Dupax.

Who says vegetables are only for the table?

Ammungan Lady

Nueva Viscaya's very first Ammungan Festival. This street dancer is one of the major attraction during the Ammungan Street Dancing Competition that took place in Bayombong Nueva Viscaya on May 22, 2009.

San Pablo Church

San Pablo church has the highest bellfry in Region 2.

Lang-ay Dancers

Another Lang-ay photo. Installment to post, just lazy to watermark them all at once.

Paracelis Beauty

Ms. Lang-ay 2nd runner up is from Paracelis, the remotest part of the Mountain Province.

Samoki Sunrise

The view of Samoki in Bontoc in the morning.

Lang-ay Dancer (2009)

My laziness kicked in so I'm not posting lots of photos today. I'll add more Lang-ay photo next time.

I-Bauko International Photog

Yes she is really from Bauko.

Shiva of Panagbenga

Panagbenga Close Up #1

Very late posting. Not time or too lazy to re size.

Baguio City Market Fire

On our way home with batteries exhausted from shooting the Panagbenga Floats and Drums & Lire competition and an all night drinking party with fellow photographers, we saw the market ablaze. I was able to get a few shots before my battery finally ceased on me.

Wasn't able to shoot the burned out sign. I left Sir Monching with the Mayor still shooting. More photos from him. Some photos from Waffy too who's batteries are as exhausted as mine.

Half Moon

Taken last week along Session Road. Guess where.

The Chicharon Guy

On a round trip travel to Pampanga.

Ballerinas

Remembering Longanisa Festival

This event happens every January. I took this one last year and planning to go back there again this month.

A Legacy Worth Remembering

Carl Cariño Taawan

Igorot, a name that has many faces. Their unique traits are different from those who have lost their culture and customs to the western world. People who are uninformed of their history branded them as ignorant and backwards and the name Igorot became a derogatory term for stupid people. Even some of those who are related to the name have changed it into something else. Many shunned using it to avoid the mockery.

One brave young man came out to join a talent search that will be scrutinized by millions and boldly put in his Igorot lineage. Although Marky Cielo is half Igorot and has spent years away from the Cordilleras, he courageously used the already humiliated term and faced the challenge the world will throw at him. True enough, using the name of his origin gave him the expected ridicule and the famous remark, “he should be eliminated because he’s an Igorot” came out. He stayed to the end of the competition not only to win but to educate these uninformed people of his unique origins.

His forefathers fought for freedom and independence against a European race that wants to enslave them. And while the rest of the country had been colonized, the Igorots fought losing many lives but they never lost their independence. They also defied the American colonizers when they hide the Filipino revolutionary leader in their midst. And when their existence was once again threatened by the waves of hardened armies of Samurai descents, they united and prevailed that even the great country of America was awed by their courage. They fought for their freedom and cultures and they were able to preserve it that up to the present these people still have their own unique culture and identity. Yet only a handful remained who admired them for the courage they’ve shown.

These are the people Marky represented. He may have fought in a different battlefield our forefathers faced but with the similar goal. In the end he taught not only the uninformed but also us, his kinsmen. He brought us back what many have taken for granted, the courage to fight for our unique culture and identity and the power to unite as one to defeat all the odds. We united to back him up and he won.

But what he won is not just a place in the world of showbiz. He won for all of us a place in the limelight of the real identity of the Igorots. He inspired us to keep fighting and keep teaching the world of what we really are. This is his legacy. His memory will remain not only to his fellow Igorots but to all of the people who saw and heard of this young man’s talents and courage both on and off the camera.