When you hear the word selfish, there's a lot of negative thoughts that may come to mind. That person really only cares about themselves, without care for how others feel. While that is true, there is a time and place to be selfish. For me, that time is in my photography. When I go out shooting, I photography things that interests me. I find that the images I am most proud of are the ones that I shoot for myself. I don't go into every photo hoping people will like the image. In the past, I've tried to do that and have either failed at creating a photo or have been underwhelmed with the final product. I soon realized that making images for myself, made my images stronger and more meaningful.
Instagram and Facebook likes can make you feel good and I thank everyone for liking, sharing, and commenting on my posts. Without your support, I probably wouldn't be where I am right now. However, I don't take a photo for the likes. If you're just "doing it for the gram," you are in it for the wrong reasons. I take the photo because I find something unique about that setting. It might be the way the light hits a lone tree in the distance or there may be interesting patterns in scene. The image above is one of my favorite images. While it wasn't close to being on of my popular images, it's an image I am extremely happy with. There's almost a sense of order in the chaos that drew me to this scene.
While there is definitely a time to not be selfish, like if you are hired for project. Then it's appropriate to talk with the client and discuss their needs. But if it's just you and your camera, photograph scenes that interest you. Shoot for yourself. Take that photo because you want to take it. Not because you want a few extra likes. By doing this, you will understand yourself as photographer a little more. Once you find your niche, you can then practice and learn how to perfect your images.