I just finished Linchpin by Seth Godin. After reading several of the chapters multiple times, I’ve been thinking about what’s truly wrong with many of the industries today, including the photography industry.

I talk on this blog all the time about becoming better at business, and thinking of ways to reach out to your specific customers. But the one thing that ultimately is wrong with the industry isn’t the desire to be a photographer. It’s the desire to be an artist.

In Linchpin, Godin says:

“Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. An artist is an individual who creates art. The more people you change, the more you change them, the more effective your art is.”

If you like snapping a few pictures, and making a little extra money to take the family out to dinner, you aren’t an artist. You are simply doing the job of picture-taker.

You’ll never find a picture taker that brings out the emotions in his client.
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