>Feels like the painful transition when professional photographers started having to differentiate themselves from whatever people could do with their own phone.

Hmm, do we have statistics about that? Like, did the profession collapsed?

I wouldn't equal the photo I do (not much) with anything close to a pro. Not even to a good amateur level actually. But that's just me. :D

The "nature of the profession" might already be quite diverse, but that's an interesting remark.