Types of photographers. Which one are you?

http://www.photographytalk.com/photography-articles/3245-types-of-photographers-which-one-are-you

I don’t necessarily like labeling, so don’t think of this article as a photographer label guide. There are a lot of photographers out there as I am sure you well know. As each of us is different, so is our approach towards photography. However, there are some patterns, so I’ve made this short list of what I believe are types of photographers. It’s not a top, so don’t expect one to be better than the other. They are simply different, just like we are as people and photographers.

The entrepreneur 
For this kind of photographer, photography is work and that’s that. He is always creating new packages and making interesting offers for clients. Communication and advertising skills are among his strong points, and he generally does very well from a business point of view. From a quality point of view, he is good, in the best case scenario, but it’s not a major concern for him as profit is his most important goal.

The technical specialist
This is the kind of photographer who can tell you absolutely anything you need to know about a camera, a lens, the pixel array on a certain sensor…name it. He can spend hours and hours talking about the history of a certain brand, the impact of a certain lens or how the shutter life expectancy can be improved. His photos are either average or less than average, but the thing is, he doesn’t really care. The real joy for him is holding a camera, reading about it and generally knowing everything there is to know about gear.

The artist
This photographer spends a lot of time examining the best way to send out his message. His main goal is to capture or create a feeling or an atmosphere. Technically, he’s alright, however it’s not a field he exceeds in. Business wise, unless he has a manager or a gallery to represent him, it’s pretty much a disaster as he has no skills whatsoever.

The photographs however are usually top quality.
 
The documentarist
This photographer uses cameras to record…everything around him. It’s all a constant show to him, a show that needs to be documented for future generations. His principles are quite strong, he wouldn’t dare photograph an event he feels unworthy of documentation, unless it was for generous amounts of money. Technically speaking, the documentarist knows his gear, but doesn’t spend too much time analyzing every new camera that comes out. His photographs are usually of a high quality level, although there are exceptions, much like everywhere else.


The student 
He is the kind of photographer that has loads of friends like him, and every time they get together, he tries to learn as much as possible. He spends many hours watching tutorials and reading photography literature, yet every time he meets someone with more experience than he has, he bombards them with questions, some of which he already knows the answers to but wants to hear a different opinion. He always thinks that ne needs to study thoroughly before he can go out and do something and he spends a lot more time reading theory and studying photos than he does shooting. He might be attending a photography school, but it’s not a rule of thumb. Photography is not usually a business for him, it’s either a hobby or something he wants to pursue at a higher artistical level.