A Friendly Reminder That No One Needs to See Your Photos

No, that title is not meant to insult you. In fact, it is meant to empower you. The vast connectedness of the Internet and social media can be a great thing, but it can also be a highly detrimental thing for creatives. The next time you are preparing to take a photo and wondering what the end product will be, remember that you watched this video and that no one needs to see your photos. 

Coming to you from First Man Photography, this fantastic video discusses the idea that no one needs to see your photos. Though it goes much deeper, the basic idea is that you should avoid the trap of shooting to impress others, particularly distant, mostly anonymous handles on social media and the wider internet. The world is overflowing with gatekeepers and wannabe critics who derive their self-importance from pushing others down, and it can easy to fall prey to them. However, at the end of the day, you create your work because you love the process of photography, and as such, you should be making it for yourself, and the decisions you make with regards to taking and editing your images should not be influenced by the feedback you think you'll get from those online. Check out the video above for the full rundown. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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6 Comments

No one needs to see this article.

No one needs to see my photos. Sometimes I don't need to see my photos.

Someone needs to see your photos. Soon you will find out just who that someone is.....

"The world [the Fstoppers community] is overflowing with gatekeepers and wannabe critics who derive their self-importance from pushing others down"

That's what I tell myself everytime I want to email another smartshow 3d slideshow with my pictures to my friend out of nowhere. It's not like this has ever stopped me though.

No one "needs" to see my work either. I just hope you enjoy it if/when you do see it.