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Would you ever avoid showing an image you enjoy because you think people may not understand your story?

No, I would not ever avoid showing an image I enjoy. My work is my own and if I like it, the people who hire me will too. When showcasing to the masses, it's important to remember that you are not for everyone and that the confidence in your work will grow when you recognize this.
 
Transcript: "The question is, would you ever avoid showing an image you enjoy because you think people may not understand your story? The answer for that for me is no. And here's why. Because the work that I create is coming from me and me only. And if I like it, the people that hire me, my portrait clients, then they will like it as well. It's my job to create images that I love. And hopefully the people who hire me will love them as well. Now here's the thing. When a client does hire me, it's up to me to kind of figure out, you know, how to tell their story, but it's always going to come through my lens. So it's always going to be like my eye, if that makes any sense. So from there, the client will kind of always understand my story. The part that gets a little murky is when you showcase the work to the masses, people who did not hire you. So they may not understand your story. And guess what? They're probably not meant to understand your story. And what I think all of us should think, you know, you know, what I think people or photographers should always understand that you are not for everybody. And when you learn that you are not for everybody, the confidence in yourself and your work will grow tremendously. And when that confidence grows, I think the work gets better and better. Hope that helps."
10 Answers
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Audrey Woulard

Portrait Photographer - Nikon Ambass.
No, I would not ever avoid showing an image I enjoy. My work is my own and if I like it, the people who hire me will too. When showcasing to the masses, it's important to remember that you are not for everyone and that the confidence in your work will grow when you recognize this.
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Matthew Jordan Smith

Celebrity image maker - Nikon Ambassador
Don't avoid showing images you enjoy because your audience will understand them and they may even end up getting you campaigns. Show the work that you love and don't overthink it.
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Tony Sweet

Nikon Legend Behind the Lens
No, don't avoid showing an image you enjoy because people may not understand it - just put the image out there and let it find its audience.
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Ryan Loco

Combat sports photography
I believe it is important to show off images that you create even if you think people may not understand your story behind it. Doing something for yourself and having faith in yourself is the most important part of creating art, so don't be afraid to share it with the world.
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Jasin Boland

Action Film Photographer - Nikon Ambassador
No, I would not withhold an image from the public just because I am worried people will not understand the story. I make decisions based on what I like and I put my images out there for everyone to see.
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Russell Ord

Professional Lifestyle & Ocean Photography
No, I wouldn't avoid showing an image I enjoy because I use it as a personal journey and compare myself to my progress from 6 years ago.