In January of 2014, photographer Joan Le Jan created a brand new 500px account that he said was just for sharing what he really liked, with no thought for Pulse.
This was going to be a place where he’d share portraits he liked, and if they didn’t get to Popular, so be it… that’s not what this account would be about. Can you predict what happened next?
That’s right, the account BLEW UP, becoming one of the most popular portrait photography accounts on 500px, earning Joan a Guest Editor spot in August and a ton of Social Media features on the 500px Facebook and Twitter accounts as we discovered photo after photo of his that we absolutely loved.
There’s a lesson here, and if it’s not obvious already we’ll put it in writing and bold it for good measure: shoot for yourself.
Don’t take pictures you think other people will like, and don’t hunt down subjects or compositions or processing techniques simply because you think it’ll get you to the top of Popular.
Take photos you love, share them, and let the rest take care of itself. If Joan Le Jan’s experience is any indication, you get a whole lot more popular when you stop aiming for it…
To see more from Joan Le Jan, follow him on 500px, give his Facebook page a Like, or go say hi on Twitter.
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