Is the title a bit click-baity? Sure, you could say that. However, it is also very true in certain respects. In fact, I would like to take it a bit further and also say that most people don’t even know you exist. This is true for the vast majority of artists out there, not just photographers.
Ted Forbes of The Art of Photography makes several excellent points in this video regarding the work that we do and our visibility. His primary point is that we need to create work that matters. As he states, there are too many artists and photographers out there. Does that mean that we are unable to create relevant work in an oversaturated market? No, quite the contrary, Ted strongly believes that our cultural survival depends on meaningful artistic work. However, he also says that you can’t really shoot just for yourself. You have to focus on projects and create a body of work around an implied cultural driven agenda in order to achieve “meaningful work”. This I do not agree with, at least at face value.
First of all, I don’t believe that meaningful work on a personal level cannot have a socially significant (or otherwise) impact. I also do not believe you have to recreate the 2022 version of the Sistine Chapel to have a chance at success. It really just comes down to what you want to achieve. Are you on the presupus of artistic merit and achievement? Are you concerned with the state of the world and actively trying to make a change for the “better”? Sure, by all means, understanding the argument from this point of view would make sense. However, what if you are just trying to build a business and create a living around something you are passionate about? In that respect I feel his argument completely misses the mark.
Not everyone is trying to change the world with photography. However, everyone has to struggle with the visibility of their work regardless of their goals. In this respect, I appreciate his parallel to Steve Jobs. Jobs had to “tell people what they wanted” because the masses did not possess the necessary vision to understand his new technology. So, from a more rudimentary point of view, we have to market ourselves. Even if you are not creating the next breakthrough, you still have to get yourself out there. You have to be the one to tell people why you matter and why they should be looking at your work.
Ultimately, the point I would like to make is simple. Don’t give up before even trying. Don’t assume that no one cares about you or your work without even raising your voice to let them know you exist. There are 7.9 billion people on this planet at the time of this writing. You don’t have to change all of their lives for your work to matter. You just have to reach, and bring value (in whatever way that may be), to a small percentage of them.