Sub-amateur photography

I consider myself a sub-amateur photographer. Although I have had a small handful of compliments in recent years, I have reasons for maintaining the label.

This isn’t about me being down on myself. While I don’t think that I’m anything special in the photographic world, I have been pleased with a number of pictures that I have taken in recent years. This is about taking an approach towards photography that wouldn’t fit a professional photographer.

I like to take a loose approach to things. I have no intentions of scouting out landscapes or intensely studying wildlife to get the perfect shot. I’m not after the best pictures taken. I’m out to get shots of pretty much anything I encounter. Documenting what I see was my original goal. I have not abandoned that goal. By referring to myself as a sub-amateur, I feel like I can keep doing what I have been enjoying for years. I don’t have to look for ways to turn this into a career.

Imagine if one day I miraculously reached a point that I could actually justify a career in photography. Even then, I would cling to the sub-amateur label. To me, sub-amateur photography has essentially turned into a style of photography. It’s a style that evolved from and partially relies on quantity over quality with attempts to work quality into a portion of the quantity.

I will not deny my roots. I will not deny my purpose. I will not deny my approach. I am proud to call myself a sub-amateur.