I don’t want to be everyone’s favorite photographer, but I want to be other photographers favorite photographer. I’ve learned that this is quite an important distinction, especially within the world of social media where cut and paste copies run rampant. Where artists are less likely to be rewarded for originality and more likely to be rewarded for following trends. In the past you saw this a lot with landscape photography. Everyone going to the same place and taking the same photo because that’s what got the most engagement. More recently You see this with reels, people who are insanely talented settling for creating gimmicky, mind numbing reels because their true art is simply not immediately rewarded. Ofcourse reels are NOT bad, I’ve seen some incredibly creative and fun ones, as well as educational ones. It’s a really cool medium! But a large majority that I see are uninspired and begging for attention. I believe that although it can be helpful in the short term, following trends only hurts your credibility as an artist. Be inspired, take what you know and create new things and new ideas. In the end you don’t want your work to be put next to everyone else’s and just get lost because it all looks the same. So why strive to be a photographers favorite photographer? Because you wouldn’t dare show your favorite artist something you hap-hazardously put together, you would only show your best. So why create anything other than just that? Create as if everything is going to be shown to your favorite artist, art is subjective so maybe they won’t like it, but will they respect it? And most importantly, If the arts are what you have chosen to pursue in your life, be respectful to yourself! This is your body of work, don’t belittle yourself for cheap engagement. You are capable of creating the most unique things, respectable things. Don’t be fooled into thinking that to be a relevant artist you have to mold yourself into doing what’s popular at the moment, it may be working now, but you’ll never be able to keep up. Art is hard work. Following trends is not hard work. It’s like using spark notes to write your book report on a book you didn’t even read.