Defining yourself as a photographer is the first major step in being a photographer. You can have a camera, you can take pictures but until you believe you are a photographer you simply are just a person who takes snap shots. 

Yes! It really is that simple. Belief helps us define ourselves and successful photographers are such because they believe themselves to be photographers. The walk out into the world and call themselves photographers.

I know what you are thinking right now, but many of them have other full time jobs, they aren’t all full time photographers! How can you be a photographer and have another job?

Well the truth is being a photographer doesn’t mean you have to derive your entire income from photography. Yes, it absolutely is awesome to say you are a photographer, full time, that’s where your income comes from and where Uncle Sam gets his tax money from you from. But it isn’t necessarily the only path, there will be many who deem that it is necessary to call yourself a photographer only if all or most of your income comes from photography and others who believe you are a photographer if you think you are.

I have seen and heard all the arguments. Truthfully, I am of the mind we are what we define ourselves to be. I didn’t truly call myself a photographer for years, I found it hard to identify with the individuals I looked up too because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing with a camera in my hand. Years of work, maybe a little tunnel vision and hearing other people refer to me as a professional photographer starting changing my belief in myself.

It was when I finally called myself a photographer that things started to change for me and my work. It can happen for you too!