on the differences between people who are actually photographers and people who think they are photographers because they own a fancy digital camera -and how to explain the difference

I was having a discussion with a very talented photographer friend of mine last night about the differences between photographers and "photographers." We were trying to pinpoint the differentiation verbally, no matter how visually obvious it may be.

Today, I happened to have plans to see the "Stieglitz, Steichen, Strand" show at the Met and the copy on the wall handled the issue perfectly: "Since handheld cameras became available in the late 1880s, anyone could be a photographer; similarly, photography snaked its way into every corner of the culture. Elevated perception would distinguish the artists from the amateur and the tradesman."

We are not snobs. We are actually very nice people who appreciate an amazing photograph and understand where it comes from.