Photography means drawing with light. Therefore I always think that photography is part of art, and photographer is an artist.
Art is simply subjective.
Create photograph that satisfied ourself.
Create photograph that evoke our soul.
Create photograph that based on our vision and imagination.
Create photograph that show how we perceive this world.
Create photograph that shows elements in this world that able to attract our mind. My favourite would be colours match, gesture, silhouette, shadow and reflection.
Street photography is all about freedom. (Read here)
While it is true that photography itself has some rules to follow (read: technique), but in the end to decide whether a photo is great or bad is purely based on people’s preference. People’s subjective preference would be unique one to the other. I believe “taste” itself come from how we see this world. The way we see this world would be based on our life’s experience, philosophy, and imagination.
It is totally fine to love a photo that other people think as a bad photograph. Anyway, not all people in this world have same life’s experience and the way to perceive the world same as us. Accept the fact that what make us think a photo is beautiful will not always attract other people’s mind to think the same. That is fine. Art is not logic. Art is all about personal taste.
Forcing someone to praise our photo is like forcing someone to praise our favourite colour. Some will agree, some will disagree. Do not get feel insulted or depress when someone give harsh critique to our photograph. Different life’s experience can make a person have different judgement point to decide a photo is good or not.
Always remember when someone say bad things or critique our photographs, they do not mean say bad things to us as a person. They only judge our photo, that is all.
Important things to do in photography world are: Never stop learn, never stop experiment, and realize that photography is simply the result of our self reflection (vision, imagination, and life’s experience).
Be honest to ourself and create photography style that able to please our mind and heart, it is always better than create a photograph that only able to please audience (but personally we do not like it).
Keep shooting,
Nico Harold