In the 20th century, Vivian Maier was not famous for her photography. Maier was not famous at all - she was only known by the very few people she was close with. Maier was a nanny during her adult years, and when she wasn't nannying, she was out taking photographs on the streets. Maier shot hundreds upon hundreds of film rolls in her lifetime, and stored most of her work away, to never be shared. Her negatives and undeveloped film rolls were not discovered until 2007, when a man named John Maloof purchased Maier's box of film work at a Chicago auction. Unbeknownst to Maloof, this box was about to unveil one of the greatest street photographers of all time. 

What is so peculiar about Vivian Maier was her privacy towards her photographic works. Never during her lifetime did she share her work. Once Maier's work was discovered long after her passing, she became revered in the global photography community. It became obvious that she possessed such a knack for photography, but what baffled everyone was that Maier never shared it. 

​In my personal experience, I've always been hesitant to share my photographic works. To me, photography has been such an introspective practice. It's a time to step back and inhale the beauty that surrounds. Of course, there are several directions one can take with photography, whether it be commercial work or fine art, and they each have their own purpose. But in my opinion, when it comes to the artistic side of photography, careful discretion should be exercised in the way photographs are shared.

Art should not be about gaining acceptance, money and fame. The aforementioned are just byproducts of exceptional art creations. Art is about what you can give in terms of perspective. Art is about gaining a better understanding of our own selves, the world around us, and learning how to more effectively communicate ideas and emotions. It's simply a resource and tool society cannot do without, because art is the forefront of new ideas and connections, and can have the strongest impact on an individual. And when I say art, I am not just referring to the visual arts, but also music, literature and dance.

Going back to Maier, nobody knows for sure why she didn't share her photographs. But I do have some hypotheses - Maier saw things in such a beautiful, intimate way because of the way she could connect with her surroundings, and she expressed it through photography, and maybe she cherished her photographs greatly. Maybe she was aware of her talent for photography, and wished to remain unknown. Maybe she just didn't want the things of materiality to taint her photographs, and wanted to keep her work pure and cherished. Maybe she understood that the best way to improve her photography was by not seeking the world's approval through it.

As I was doing more research on Vivian Maier, I came across an article critiquing Maier's work and this quote particularly impressed me: "Fame was not Vivian Maier's goal in taking photos, but rather a byproduct of the passion she had in capturing important and interesting moments in her life. Therefore, shoot because you love taking photos, not just because you love the 'likes' that come with them. Only then will your photos acquire a distinct flavor that will make you stand out from the rest" (Geoff Mercado, ​http://www.streetviewphotography.net/vivian-maier/).

Maier wasn't a photographer to gain fame and fortune - she did it because she loved it. In this day and age, it's much easier to be a photographer due to the progression of technology. On top of that, the mainstreaming of Instagram has strongly influenced many more people to take up photography, who otherwise wouldn't. When you truly love photography, and do it for intrinsic motivations, that's when a photographer can most effectively develop his or her own voice and distinguished style. Maier obviously possessed that true love for photography, and she didn't need the likes or followers to keep pushing forward with it. 

Next time you're out taking photographs, ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?"