Have you ever met a professional photographer who is not passionate about his job?

Any photographer who collects a fee for his efforts will tell you that he’s passionate about photography.  You’ll learn how he magically fell in love with photography when his dad gave him a camera when he was 6, or how he discovered photography when he bought his first digital camera, or how he gave up his very promising full-time job to be a photographer.

So what?

All you’re hearing is that he enjoys taking photographs.  In other words, he is having fun with this tool called the camera.

I’m not against having fun with photography.  What I’m arguing is that “passion” has to be more than merely enjoying taking photos with the camera.

Great art have the power to stir your emotions because of two reasons:

1) The artist is deeply passionate about his subject

2) The artist is not afraid to stand by his principles, against all odds

If Ansel Adams did not fall deeply in love with nature, his images of the great landscapes of America would simply be holiday snapshots, despite his technical brilliance.   The great artist J.M.W. Turner apparently tied himself to the mast of a ship to experience the drama of a stormy sea.  The work and life of young Hazel Dooney is an inspirational triumph against convention.

You don’t have to tie yourself to a mast to call yourself passionate, but if you simply love taking pictures with your camera, your work will be technically brilliant at best.  Chances are, your grandma can do better with her shaky photos of her grandkids, simply because she loves the kids more than the camera.

What about the “passionate” photographer who gave up his career to be a photographer?  I believe he made the decision because he felt that his photography skills are good enough to make money.  If the photographer ever finds the subject of his true passion, his work has the potential to be great.  As it turns out, most are too attracted by the riches of commercial success, or lack the balls to confront failure.  Few qualify to call themselves passionate photographers.

We can’t force yourself to be passionate about something we’re not.  As they say, love comes naturally, and true love can be elusive.  What’s important is to give ourselves a chance to find it, then cultivate the environment to nurture it.  Only when we fall in love and commit ourselves to it, can we consider ourselves “passionate”.  Anything less is simply marketing gibberish.