Amateurs vs. Professionals

The above occurred to me the other day as I was trying to distill what makes or elevates a professional above an amateur. I was considering photography and how Flickr members and other similar photo sharing sites have found their members being approached to contribute their work to stock photography sites. What elevated these photographers from being hobbyists or prosumers into becoming “legitimate” photographers?

I answered my question with the above which I’ll reiterate here: Amateurs wait for the moment or serendipity to strike. Professionals know what they’re looking for and how to make it happen.

Tags — amateurs, design thinking, photography, professionals