On Emotion, Interpretation, and What Makes a Photo Resonate
Your work didn’t get the attention you hoped for.
Maybe it didn’t land on the right platform. Maybe it didn’t get much engagement.
And even when you’re proud of what you created, it’s hard not to wonder if it mattered.
But something I’ve learned over time is this: art is subjective.
Photography especially.
There are technical elements that help a photo stand out. Composition, lighting, framing, color balance, focus. These skills matter. They bring structure and clarity to an image.
But how people respond to a photo often has very little to do with those choices.
What draws someone in is emotional.
It might remind them of something. It might make them feel calm, nostalgic, curious, or even unsettled.
A photo that means everything to you might not move someone else.
And sometimes, an image you almost didn’t share ends up resonating in a way you never expected.
That’s not something you can control.
And that’s part of what makes it so powerful.
Subjectivity in Photography
Over time, I realized that much of this subjectivity comes from something deeply human.
Each person sees and feels through their own lived experience.
What catches our eye, what makes us pause, is often tied to what we’ve been through.
That realization made me think more seriously about why certain photos speak to me in such specific ways, while others, even if technically perfect, just pass by.
Ryan McGinley: Raw Freedom and Feeling First
A photographer who left a lasting impression on me during my photography studies was Ryan McGinley.
The way he captures people being free, expressive, and unfiltered drew me in from the start.
His images don’t aim for technical perfection. But to me, they evoke, provoke, and connect in ways that go beyond precision.
Two of his photos especially stayed with me:
Highway, 2007, where four people run naked down an empty highway, and Dakota Hair, where a woman sits in the bed of a pickup truck, her hair flying forward in the wind.
Both sparked something in me. A sense of freedom, movement, and the desire to escape.
I remember thinking, for the first time, that maybe one day I’d take a road trip across the U.S.. Not necessarily to take photos, but to move through space wide-eyed, as if the camera were always ready.
What stayed with me wasn’t his camera settings or sharpness.
It was the visceral feeling.
That’s what makes his work live in my memory.
Explore Ryan McGinley’s work: ryanmcginley.com
Chaz Cruz: Technique That Tells Stories
I came across Chaz Cruz when someone mentioned his name and I looked him up. What I found was a unique blend of editorial portraiture and wedding photography, created with care and imagination.
While I don’t shoot weddings, I was struck by the way he photographs couples in nontraditional ways. There is creativity in every frame and emotion in every detail. He uses technical tools not just to compose an image, but to tell a story, to express the aura of the people in front of his lens.
That approach made me think about how technique can serve a larger purpose. Not just visual balance, but emotional truth.
What also drew me in was his life story.
Chaz is originally from San Diego, like me. He’s lived in cities that hold personal meaning for me: Mexico City, Oaxaca, New York. Seeing someone build an honest career while moving through places I know reminds me that it’s possible.
That a creative path doesn’t have to follow a template to be real.
Explore Chaz Cruz’s work: chazcruz.com
What Stays With You
Ryan McGinley and Chaz Cruz could not be more different in style.
One works through instinct, motion, and rawness. The other through detail, tone, and emotional direction.
And still, both left me with something far more lasting than any technical takeaway.
They made me feel.
Their work reminded me that not every image needs to please.
Some photos spark something.
Some reveal a new way of seeing.
And others just meet you at the exact moment you needed to feel something real.
That is the beauty of subjectivity.
There isn’t one right way to look. There isn’t one right way to feel.
And it’s often in that in-between space, between structure and emotion, where the most unforgettable images are born.
An Invitation to Creatives
If you’ve ever felt discouraged because your work didn’t gain attention or fit what people expect, you’re not alone.
Sometimes, your favorite piece doesn’t get seen. Sometimes, the quiet work gets passed over. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter.
What you feel, what you notice, and what you create, it all has value.
Whether you’re behind a camera, writing, designing, building, or imagining, the goal isn’t always perfection.
Sometimes, it’s simply to express something real and let that truth connect with someone else.
So when you look back at your work, try asking this:
what made me stop here?
Sometimes, that answer is more than enough.