Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/25

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Definition of a Professional
From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 00:13:06 -0800

Byron Rakitzis wrote:
snip	In the sports field, the stop
> >watch will trace the difference between good and not as good. Here it
> >is all down to subjectivity.
snip
> Photography is a kind of "stochastic" art form: a good photographer is
> distinguished by a large body of successful photographs. Any one single
snip
> But if you look at this more closely, it's actually not that different
> from other kinds of art, it's just expressed in an extreme form: anybody
> can get lucky and make a single good brushstroke, or play a single good
snip  And the difference between someone who has made that (huge)
> investment of time and someone who just dabbles is usually quite apparent.
>> Byron.

Wouldn't success in this free enterprise economic system of ours have a
lot to do with is this person still standing up at the end of the month? 
Has this person starved to Death? 
If not this person must have sold some of his photographs and with that
money bought food.
If this person had wild delusions about his abilities as a photographer
meaning as an artist, craftsperson and businessperson wouldn't those
delusions be shattered as he falls to his knees in starved weakness? I
guess for every hack photographer there is a secret source of income
that pays the bills. But when you see his book you don't have to hire
him and if you can't tell the difference then you don't care.
My basic tactic for dealing with hacks and people that are an
embarrassment in this business is:
OUTLAST THEM
They usually don't persist.
Survival of the fittest with "fit" having at least two other meanings.
Mark Rabiner