For Whom Do We Photograph?

If we truly photograph for ourselves - then we have no need to show anyone our prints, we don't have to please anyone else, we can choose what to photograph with no thoughts of market or gallery owners etc. If I were one of these photographers, I wouldn't be writing this blog, displaying my pictures, submitting them for publication and generally getting my images out there.

A commercial photographer has only one goal in mind - pleasing the client - the photographer's own desires, goals, and interests matter not a hoot other than how they affect his creativity and presenting ideas to the client.

Somewhere in between lie most of us - choosing subjects to photograph based on personal interest while being aware that if we want fame and fortune we are going to have to show photographs people want to buy or publish. The market for messy basement pictures is probably fairly narrow, that for cute cats is huge, yet we are not prepared to sacrifice our own identity to accommodate the neighbor's pets - even though it is far more likely to bring us fame and fortune than whatever else we do like to photograph might do for us.

I want to submit for publication - I know that the editor will want lots of images to choose from and should I be lucky enough to be accepted, will ask for even more images. This means I have to make an effort to go back to this project and make more photographs 'whether I want to or not'. Being 'forced' to go take more photographs of a subject I find interesting is hardly punishment, but perhaps I have moved on to other interests now.

Bottom line is that few of us are completely free from outside influence or pressure, and that if we want to get our work out there, we have to accept that this puts both demands and constraints on our work - demands to do more, to do particular types of work, to get into production mode re making prints, to delay easier or more attractive projects or simply to put off relaxing.

The willingness we have to work hard and to put up with these demands and constraints will largely determine our success in getting work out there.