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Is there a single word for a person with great interest in photography but not really a photographer? who is an enthusiast for photography or atleast who is going to be one soon?

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An Ansel Adams wannabe, perhaps? Quite a lot of people have used that expression on the Internet. – FumbleFingers Aug 26 '12 at 13:44

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I'd suggest "shutterbug."

The Free Dictionary defines this informal word as: "an enthusiastic amateur photographer."

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Yes, and if OP can stand 2 words, then "amateur photographer" itself is quite common. – Jim Aug 27 '12 at 1:38
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In a more generic sense, calling them an enthusiast works nicely. It includes those who are "going to be one soon" (as described in your question), and if you want to step it up to include a much more active participant, you can qualify them as an avid enthusiast.

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And if you wanted to go in the other direction, you could use hobbyist instead of enthusiast. – J.R. Aug 26 '12 at 20:35
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Consider maybe semi-pro or pro-am, both originally sport terms that have extended to other fields.

Semi-pro would refer more to someone who works as a photographer part-time but that isn't really his main occupation, while pro-am would imply a sort of professional-level amateur, an enthusiast who's as good as professionals in his field.

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Prosumer is used by the industry to describe models aimed at high end, but not necessarily professional, users. – mgb Aug 26 '12 at 14:47

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