Shoot for yourself
When I first started taking, editing, and then sharing my photographs online (2008-2009), I wanted everyone to like them. I’m not ashamed to admit that. Who doesn’t want to be told that you take nice looking photos? It makes us feel good, it’s a little ego boost, you get some positive endorphins out of it and of course it reinforces that our time spent on creative endeavors produces beautiful work as a result (and as you know, photography is a LOT of work). I still like positive feedback today of course. Who doesn’t? I think that’s human.
I just no longer put much weight in it.
You see, inevitably I have also received negative feedback over the years, and plenty of it. It has ranged from pretty benign comments expressing dissatisfaction with my shooting or editing choices, to more aggressively mean ones. At first, these comments bothered me. Why didn’t they see this as a beautiful photo just like I did? Why didn’t they like my work? Was I a terrible photographer?
As I shared more and more, I learned over time that these negative comments coming from random strangers on the internet did not define me, my work, or my skills, and they definitely did not change my appreciation of said photographs. I like what I like. I didn’t even know these people. Why care what they think? I learned to ignore them. I learned to develop a thick skin. I learned to not give a damn, frankly.
But mostly what happened is that I learned the importance of shooting for myself.
What does this mean? Well, it’s about shooting to make yourself happy instead of chasing likes and faves and approval. It’s about creating something that scratches that itch inside, that you are proud of and willing to share regardless of whether it receives a lot of fanfare or lands with a dull thud in an empty room.
And let’s be honest here. Do you go out and shoot, thinking that you will create something that everyone will adore and thus shower you with complements? I hope not. I hope you go out with the intention to create something that you want to create regardless of how it is received, to experiment, to grow, to have fun, to enjoy the process of creating photographs, and to just be out in the world pursuing something that you love. That’s a win right there, regardless of whether or not anyone likes the photos.
So that’s how I try to approach photography these days. Sure, I love positive feedback, but whether I get it or not has zero to do with my enjoyment of the process of making photographs, and zero to do with my opinion of my creations. I create for myself, I create what I like, and I like what I create. If something positive comes out of it in terms of public feedback - great. I love that for sure, and it feels great.
But if I don’t get positive feedback, who cares? I don’t really care what someone else thinks. I’m not trying to sound rude, but I don’t. I CAN’T care what someone else thinks. I’m doing this for me, not for someone else’s approval. I’m doing my thing, my way. And I’m going to keep doing it, because it’s for me, and I love doing it. If I start to think about how popular a photo will be while I am out taking that photo, that just leads to paralysis and overthinking the shot. It starts to eat away at my desire to experiment and to be creative. It turns the process of creation from a fluid one to a rigid one. It destroys my willingness, my desire, and maybe even my ability to be creative because I will constantly second guess my choices.
Do it for yourself, not for someone else to pass judgement on (unless you are hired for client work, of course).
And this leads me to a question I have received a lot, and I try to always give the same answer. I’ve been asked countless times “Jim, is this a good photo?”. My answer is always this: “ Do you like it? If so, then yes it’s a good photo.”. I think you should shoot for yourself and please yourself before worrying or wondering what anyone else thinks about it. Does their opinion change your opinion of your own work? If you like it, you like it, and thus it’s a good photograph. Who cares what anyone else thinks?
Besides, how could anyone, including me, possibly be the judge of whether a photo is good? I’m just a guy out creating for myself and sharing the process on the internet. I’m no judge. I’m no expert. Hell, I don’t even have any training in this stuff - I’ve just figured it out as I have gone along. I am certainly not qualified to judge. Neither is anyone else.
Plus I have no idea what the photo, or the object/location/person/moment being photographed, or the process of making it, means to you. Perhaps you invested a lot of time and effort in both planning and executing the image. Perhaps it's a subject that is near and dear to your heart for some reason that I don’t know and would not likely understand. Maybe you just tried a new technique that you have never tried before, and it worked. Or maybe you tried a new technique many times and it finally clicked for the first time after lots of practice. Any of that, and many more things, can make an image meaningful to you. How would I know?
It has meaning to you because of countless possible reasons, and finding meaning in your work is important, and it’s very personal. If it has meaning to you, you like it, and that makes it a good photo. We all find that meaning through different things, and none of us can fully understand what someone else feels about something or the meaning it represents to them.
The fact that you invested time, energy, and creativity into making something is good enough. That makes it a good photograph, and your opinion is the only one that matters. So shoot for yourself, enjoy the process of creation, and go create beautiful photos, regardless of what anyone else thinks. And have fun doing it.
I shot this photo last week in the Texas hill country, one morning before sunrise. It’s not something that I spent a lot of time on, either planning or editing, but I like it quite a bit. So is it a good photo? To me it is. It was a nice morning out shooting, and I enjoyed the process of creation.
