Professional Photographer:
A professional photographer is the one who takes every aspect of photography very seriously. The amount of time, money, hard work invested by the professional photographer in his work is more. The photographic equipment, post-production software and hardware investments are the highest costs that are incurred by the professional photographer. The most expensive photographic equipment is the wide range of lenses that are required to cover the various genre of photography.
For a photographer to be professional, he needs to invest a lot of time and effort to give his best. The word professional attains its respect only if the photographer delivers the best end result. A professional photographer has lots of professions to undertake like wedding photography, product photography, many more.
Amateur Photographer:
Many people who have passion in the photography field may be working in other professions and as a part-time, they will involve in this kind of activities. Amateur photographers will involve in taking all types of photos, not for money but for passion. Amateur photographers will not think of giving the professional outputs, instead, they will try taking the pictures in the way what they like.
Amateur photographers are not concerned with buying the costly photography equipment, instead which they will capture the pictures with the available equipment. Amateur photographers will try to capture the images to satisfy themselves to fulfill their passion.
In between, the well-defined line of professional and amateur photographers, there is a third breed of photographers called as an Independent Photographers. These type as the name suggests, are free from the constraints of a professional and not employed full-time in another profession, either.