Black Box (Patreon)

Opinions differ.
I shot quite a few images with Nat Damsgaard Model in the old control tower, and honestly, I don’t think much of this one.

To me, it’s a “meh” image - but it was one of Nat’s favorites, so I edited it for her.

If you follow me on social media, you’ve probably noticed that I often ask people to pick a favorite between four images and explain why their choice stands out. Sometimes, my prediction about the most popular one is spot on, sometimes it’s completely off, and other times, the votes are evenly split across all four.
You really never know for sure because opinions differ, and so do the goals of an image.

The takeaway, if there is one, is that when creating images, you ultimately have to please yourself. You can’t predict what a wider audience will think.

If you make yourself happy, it doesn’t matter what others think - it’s your image.
But if you create something purely to please others and miss the mark, while not liking it yourself, then it’s a total waste.

How do you balance creating for yourself versus creating for an audience?