Taylor Lautner -- I Didn’t Quit My Day Job to Be a Photog

No offense to photogs, but Taylor Lautner ain't one of you -- or as Twain would put it ... reports of the "Twilight" star's career dying have been greatly exaggerated.

Sources close to Taylor tell TMZ ... everyone got the wrong idea when he was seen with a professional grade camera during a Nicki Minaj performance in London. We’re told he was being swarmed by fans in the VIP area and security thought it would be safer for him to hang in the press area. As for the gear ... a photog lent it to him.

More importantly ... we're told Taylor's acting career is solid, in fact that's why he's in London. He’s currently on the BBC show "Cuckoo" ... and he's got 2 films coming out this year -- including "Ridiculous 6" with Adam Sandler.