Mike; your premise is false. Many photographers shoot just for themselves, and for many the act of shooting is more important than the viewing.
I don't deny it, and the hat probably probably fits better than I would like to admit,.....but puts a rather perverse, but potentially interesting and revealing, twist in the debate.
As said, photo has to be looked at to have purpose; might be that the photographer is the only person that will ever look at it, and the reason for looking at it will be similarly perverse, and the view very short-lived ... that damn hat again..... but there has to be a photo made some-where along the way, and some-one, even if it is only the picture taker has to look at it.
If it's the 'act' that is more important than the product.. what is it in the actual act that is providing pleasure? And is there any merit, let alone import to the photo?
Eg; If you are not going to make a picture out of it, why lugg a ruddy great SLR round a water-park... just take a pair of binoculars; you are a bird watcher, not a photographer.... just go bird watching... not 'distracted' by playing cameras, you'll probably see more and get more from the experience of
not taking photo's..... no?
Substitute whatever scenario that suits, from a motor-sport event to kids birthday party, to an alpine holiday, for the birds and water-parks... same still applies.
As my original comment; the top tip and putting tomatoes in a fruit salad; is its NOT the 'knowing', its in the 'thinking'. And starts, right at the very beginning, backing right up to the basics fundamental questions
- WHY am I trying to take a photo?
- WHO, is going to look at it?
- WHAT, is it that will make it 'interesting' to that viewer.
Start at the top.... WHY.. if the answer is '
because I have this camera, and its fun to use'....... fair enough..... but carry on... WHO... and the answer '
Well, I don't know! Maybe only me!".. more fair enough..... carry on.... WHAT.... and "err... well, Err... Well, It looked interesting at the time......
"I wanted to see if I could get that sort of dreamy cloudy effect so and so got in his sky, and whether the kids freckles came out so much sharper with the prime lens.... etc etc etc".... First up, a photo has to have been taken..... or you may as well have been playing golf.... like Churchill said, ruining a good walk in the country whacking a plastic ball about..... or lugging a load of unnecessary camera paraphernalia with you..... next up, the 'audience' has been identified.... you, the snapper! More, the purpose has been recognized, whether its the effect or the resolution, or the importance or beauty of the subject, matters not a lot, the 'THINKING' has begun....
And its that
'thinking' that takes the act from being a casual snapper, to being a photographer... and is the start of making better photo's. not by chance, but by intent.
As a 'Pro'... you are probably saved a lot of that fundamental thinking; The 'Why' is self evident.... to sell the photo! Make money, be able to afford the rent! The Who? Is the customer! Who-ever is going to give you the money to pay the rent! WHAT? Well, whatever the 'who' tells you they want or are interested in!!!
For the amateur? THIS is actually a LOT harder, and even if the questions are asked, answers can be a lot more woolly, as the Why, Who and What, are even less distinct, and the brief is completely open, and the amateur, has utter licence to do whatever they want, almost completely* unconstrained by a customer demand or expectation.. the amateur has to first ask, then answer those rhetorical questions, and conceive their own 'brief', long before they pick up a camera, let alone start waving it around and fretting on settings.....
I say almost completely unconstrained of 'customer expectation'.... little niggle here, is that the casual snapper IS their own customer, and they usually have some sort of expectation.... and they so frequently fail to meet them..... that damn hat again!!!!! But why? And, answer is probably in the question.... and simply NOT asking them before you begin.
Yup! A lot of folk get more pleasure from playing cameras than making photos.. not a lot wrong with that... like golf.... but how many get frustrated by their photo's and the gear they use to take them along the way... where the expectation is of so much more than just playing cameras?