Who are we shooting for? Good question. It’s always for someone.
Mostly we shoot for ourselves, to create a photo that satisfies us. Images that express what we see, feel, think. No doubt this is the most fun and free from judgement, except our own.
But we also shoot for others. Family and friends, clients, buyers, judges, juries. I don’t think it compromises our principles to be creating images for others, especially if it means important income. More often than not these purposes of others are beneficial and useful and our photos help them. This is when it is important to understand the viewer’s viewpoint. What do they want to see and how can we deliver?
Many times the viewer’s requirements can be vague and how we craft images for them is up to our intuition. Part of this intuition is the actual photographic techniques and part of it is empathy with the viewer to be.