If you’re doing commercial photography in a professional manner, the answer to this question is clear: you have, to a certain degree, to follow the client’s vision.
But what if your photography is all about creativity or you don’t have a client to worry about?
I’ve had contact with photographers that could not care less about photography "rules" and would pursue their creative vision on every shot (independently if this would make them more or less attractive to others), and I’ve had contact with photographers that are thinking most about how their work is going to be perceived by others and try to make it attractive to as much people as possible, even if that means going away from the "inner" expression..
Both ways of photographing have advantages and disadvantages and the best would be if your vision is similar to the rest of the world’s.
So, my question to you is in which category do you see yourself. Are your photos mostly for yourself or are you thinking more about how others judge look at your work?
I know that you’ll probably would like for a third option – Both. But I’d like you to really be introspective and see in which of the two groups you fall the most.
In any case, this should give some interesting results…
Thanks for your participation, and if you have any comments on this, as always, please do so.
Wayfaring Wanderer
July 30, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Me…..me…..me! haha
You can’t please everybody :o)
My Camera World
July 30, 2008 at 7:04 pm
The image that I want to make prints of are completely for me. There are occasions when I am a bit of a tourist with the family then for them or I may attend an event like a wedding or family reunion and then its for them. But in the 2 the other cases at least I get to choose what to select and how to compose.
But I am fortune that I don’t need to make a living selling my prints.
Niels Henriksen
kriz cpec
July 31, 2008 at 6:39 am
For myself, if for others I am going to charge, lol.
Embassy Pro Books
August 1, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Definitely myself. I find that if I overthink and worry too much about what others will think I can never get a good shot.
the_wolf_brigade
August 3, 2008 at 1:29 am
All for myself!
I only do it because it makes me happy, not to make money at this stage. If people like my stuff, great. If they don’t? Doesn’t bother me! I’ll still keep doing what I love.
Carlos
August 12, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I like taking photographs. But i am afraid.