Modest

I came across Kelvin Koh, a professional wedding photographer's blog entry. In it, he humbled himself on how he dismissed positive comments from his fans on how impactful his photos have been.

Once a while I do receive positive comments about how they love my photos or my music. And sometimes I also doubt if they are merely patronising me.

But we have to realise that art is always subjective. So anything can be impactful to one person even if it is not to another. And there is no right or wrong, should or shouldn't.

Of course, when more and more people like the art that you do, it becomes "commercialised". There's nothing wrong being commercialised, but it's just being less "arty". And I think it's a journey that once you gone past, you wouldn't need to go back. If being artistic is about discovering your style, then being commercialised is the affirmation of your style.

From the art creator point of view, it is sad to be commercialised, because it simply means your works have become stagnant and similar to the previous one you have done. From the art receiver, it might be very much appreciated, because the creation is unique to him or her, for instance, a piece of photographic work.

In my recent experience, Nikki wanted me to do a photobook like Madeleine's. So my dilemma is: should I simply replicate, or should I innovate? In the end, I broke away and executed the shoot differently. The result: Nikki loved her photobook better. The risk that it didn't meet her expectation is very real, but for now, I prefer to be true to my artistic expression rather than succumb to commercial pressures.

You, as a reader of this blog post, is probably clicking on the above links to view the photobooks to compare and see really which, in your opinion, is better. But that opinion is entirely yours and yours alone. Respect others opinions, just like how others respect yours.



To all of you out there who loved my photographs and music compositions, a sincere thanks to your appreciation. I enjoy receiving your compliments and they are the sources of motivation for me to create better and more impactful works.