Often enough, other viewers don't give damn about about these personal favorites. Like the time I took a picture of a dozen farm fresh eggs and texted it to my brother. This garnered the response, "Why the hell would you take a picture of a bunch of eggs?" He was not jazzed about 'tones'. Sorry. I should have just savored the image on my own.
A couple of years ago we were visiting Nashville. It was a hot and humid Southern summer day, par for the course, and, furthermore, the building was not air conditioned. I was very deliberately lining up the composition below with the sculpture partially veiled by the window treatments, when a small puff of wind caused the curtains on the left of the frame to billow out. That was the decisive moment for me, so I took the photograph.
I'm very fond of this image, it is a personal favorite. It captures a certain truth about the South for me, and I like the mixed lighting. But I knew it would not have wide appeal, and, sure enough, when I shared it on social media, it got zero love. So it goes, I guess. (Details: Leica R6, 35 mm f/2, Portra 400).
On the other hand, sometimes the images we make for ourselves are akin to photographic trophies. Such is the case with the second image. We were in a dark Art Deco structure, and I had 100 speed film in my Canon L2 rangefinder with the 35 mm f/2 Canon lens mounted. Even at f/2, I had to use a shutter speed of 1/15 to have enough light for a good exposure, and that is pretty tough for me to hand hold. But I decided to go for it, and, damn, I totally nailed it! For that reason, I like the image more than I probably ought to. Fortunately, I also do like the way the light interacted with the polished metal surfaces and how that effect was rendered on film. The quality of light is what got my attention, but let's be honest, I'm also super stoked to have gotten a sharp image at 1/15 sec.
I think making images for yourself is always a good idea. Every once in a while, you'll find that someone else appreciates your vision, too.
