Hmm, what exactly are 'the rules' for qualifying as an artist then? ... and who exactly approved them? 😜
I would suggest that if you can produce photos/images that other people are willing to pay for that qualifies you as an artist. All the same design principles that apply to other forms of art also apply to photos/images.
I'm having flashbacks to the arguments we had in art school over whether or not Andy Warhol was a 'true' artist.