I am often asked....

RSie said
This post hits home to me. I've been a 'pro' photog (with a day job) for the last 6 years or so. Business license, website, insurance, separate biz bank accounts.. the whole deal. Mainly youth hockey stuff, but I've done other motorsports, weddings, senior pics, baby pics, etc. 2 years ago, I did 8 or 9 hockey tournaments, Friday night through Sunday afternoon, including a stretch where I did tourny's 5 out of 6 weekends. 5 hours Friday night, 12 hours Saturday, 8 hours on Sunday, up and down multiple ladders over frozen ice, dodging pucks. 20k photos for the weekend to go through.
When I first got back into it again (I was huge into photography back in the film days, so the exposure triangle was no stranger to me), people would tell me "you should go pro!". Most of those same people, after I did go 'pro' would want all my pics for nothing. Come on guy.. 5$ for a color-corrected, straightened, cropped photo of your kid, and you'll go on my site, screenshot it with the logo all over it and post it on Facebook looking like that instead of buying it from me? Is that $5 gonna break you? Might not be able to get that Escalade waxed next week, or new $600 skates for your kid I guess. Good luck printing that into a decent 8x10.
I'm dropping out.. maybe do a few senior pics here and there. I dropped my insurance this spring. Some health issues play into this too.. to many scars on my eyes. Bell's Palsy (both sides) screwed up my eyes, the lids don't close all the way, and too many hours in that cold gave me 2 permanent scars on the left eye, and 5 scars and a non functioning tear duct on the right.
That said.. I loved every minute of it. Catching those kids in the moment of glory is an awesome thing. And there are those that do appreciate it.
Anyways, after this rant, my advice to you is don't go 'pro' unless you're ready to go full bore, and deal with assholes all the time.
Take a break if you need it. Explore different things with your photography... think about doing some wildlife stuff. Or flowers. Or macro (spiders are cool!). Or street photography

Don't let assholes kill your love of it.

And, if you like doing it, and YOU like the pics you take, you are a 'legitimate' photographer.

Pretty much anything I upload is done at 2048 pixels (long side), 90 ppi, 75% quality. Somebody wants to try and print THAT have at it. I have been to the local motocross track, pretty much same thing there. I get it, that most of these folks have all the images they want. Not looking to sell anything...but if you are not going to follow thru buying something don't ask me to spend hours looking. The end of race season is not to far away, so I will be going back to chasing my dogs around the yard with my camera. I very well may contact the local high school and ask about shooting some of their sporting events. I have asked some folks in the FB group for this area, they all have said the school would not have a problem with it. This winter I may not be able to do much anyway, looking at having both of my carpal tunnel surgeries done again and a 3 level lumbar fusion, so I will be spending a lot of time recovering. I also may be starting on building my next motorcycle.
Their is a "pro" photographer at the track. He has told me not being able to print at the track is what is causing some of my issues. Well...I use a desktop for editing, with a calibrated monitor and a fairly decent Graphics card. Given the fact that this guy pretty much lives at the track in his camper, and he does all of his edits on a Laptop it is easy for him to say this.
If, and that appears to be a big "if", Spokane County Raceway is still around next year I very well may change my policy on selling images...and simply say no. Just do social media stuff. Go back to this being just a hobby, a way to entertain myself.
I am not the "official" track photographer. Perhaps if the track is still active next year, and whoever becomes the next promoter does not change the way things are (the other guy is the "official camera guy") I will just send anybody that asks for pictures to him.

RSie said
Dammit, kinda hijacking @inkjunkie 's post. Sorry man. You do good stuff, love the pics you've posted!

No problem on the hijack. I put this "out there" for others experiences/opinions.

Looking forward to this Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Friday & Saturday is the Funny Car Event. Not looking forward to every "photographer/videographer" hanging their "camera" (cell phone) or "video camera" (cell phone/go pro) over the wall on a selfie stick, completely oblivious to the guy behind them. Here is where having a 400mm F/2.8 lens comes in handy. Just go out 175' or so, set it up on the Mono-pod and have a good time...that or just mount my 70-200 and get in front of them...
I have been thinking about going back to being in the bleachers. With the gear I have I can get some incredible shots from the bleachers....just have to hope that nobody sets up umbrellas in the stands.