Sunday Photographer

[topman85]

Frank grew up in ‘‘a sad household.’’ In the 1930s, Zurich radio was full of Hitler. ‘‘That voice cursing the Jews,’’ he says. ‘‘You couldn’t turn off the voice.’’ Hermann Frank had been an excellent Sunday photographer, but securing the material comforts of Persian carpets and fine goose liver was his priority. ‘‘My father married my mother because of money. It became the most important thing in order for them to feel good. If my father had a good day, dinner would end and my father would take out his wallet and give my mother 100 Swiss francs.’’ Frank was repelled: ‘‘I was driven by negative influence. I wanted to get away.’’ (The Man Who Saw America - Robert Frank)



"He is an excellent Sunday photographer."

What does it mean? Does it mean he only works on weekends?

 

[emsr2d2]

It's not a common collocation in BrE but I would take it to mean that he only takes photographs on a Sunday.

 

[GoesStation]

I would understand it to mean he's an amateur photographer.

 

[Skrej]

This was my reading of it as well - he's just a hobby photographer who takes pictures in his spare time, especially on the weekends.

He's pretty good at it, but it's just a hobby.

 

[topman85]

Where did you encounter this sentence, topman?

I've added the paragraph, but I wanted to know if it has any meaning when it is separated or not.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd never heard it before but I agree with the others that he's probably just an amateur/hobby photographer. The only common collocation with "Sunday" in BrE is "Sunday driver", used to refer to people who drive far too slowly, suggesting that they are people who only take their car out once a week and are therefore not very confident/capable drivers.

 

[JMurray]

not a teacher

I have come across the term "Sunday photographer" and it's my guess that it evolved from the earlier, and in my experience more common, "Sunday painter".
As others have said, it refers to someone who does this thing as a hobby rather than being, or aspiring to be, a professional or full-time practitioner.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/visualarts/article4461577.ece

"I've added the paragraph, but I wanted to know if it has any meaning when it is separated or not."

I would assume this meaning even if I read the phrase separated from the sort of context you've given.

 

[Tdol]

He's pretty good at it, but it's just a hobby.

Without excellent, it would only imply to me that it was a hobby or that he wasn't professional.