Don’t Please the Masses

What If You Made Photos to Displease Others?

“We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.” – Tyler Durden

Nobody cares. Nobody cares about your photography, and that should liberate you. Only you care, and that’s okay! Ultimately, you are the one deciding what is “good.”

Why Does This Matter?

It matters because, at the end of the day, you are the only one sitting behind the screen or the stack of prints, looking at the work itself. If you’re sharing on social media and receiving feedback, consider it all fake and irrelevant. Assume they are bot accounts.

This is why I believe you should delete your Instagram. You can’t form real communities on the Internet. If you want real feedback on your work, it should be done in person.

Would You Still Make Photographs If Nobody Saw Them?

This is probably one of the most important questions to ask yourself as a photographer in this digital age of the Internet. How would you shoot differently if nobody saw the work? There comes a point where you want to break free from the influence of others and trends, and the only way to do this is to disconnect and go off the grid.

All Trends Are Bad

The current state of street photography is becoming trendy and boring at best. Why? I’d say that social media is the culprit here. It creates a hive mind way of doing things, and mediocrity emerges throughout the masses.

A New Vision for Street Photography

I believe that we must start over carte blanche. How would you approach street photography if you were just born today? What if you never knew about the masters, never studied the history of photography, and had no idea what street photography is?

“In order to craft a new vision for street photography, you must forget everything you think you know, and approach the street like a child again.”

Don’t worry about approval from others. If anything, seek disapproval. Embrace the freedom to create without constraints, and let your photography be a reflection of your true vision, not the expectations of the masses.