What is FOMO? Well, it’s certainly one of those things that permeate every aspect of photography! FOMO stands for the fear of missing out, and we see it in all aspects of life. Is there a popular TV show that everyone just has to see? Well, those of us that may not get a chance to see it might end up suffering from FOMO because we really want to get in on the trend, or the latest, greatest thing.

In photography, FOMO can be found in all sorts of places. Just about every part of this art that you can think of, we all suffer from this fear of missing out. And, we shouldn’t! Art should be about fearlessly creating, not letting fears hold you back. So let’s discuss some of the ways that FOMO plagues us, and with that, a few ways that you can overcome these fears.

When it comes to the content of photographs, you’ll find that there are two major styles that each of the photographic genres fall into. There are realistic photographs, and then there are idealized photographs. Of course, genres jump between these two categories. For instance, you can have both realistic landscapes and more fantastical landscapes. But, no matter what type of photograph you look at, it will doubtless fall into one of these two categories, either the realistic or the fantastical.

With these two classifications comes a debate that is as old as post-processing. Which is better? Fantasy or reality? There are photographers on both sides of this divide, people who will argue strongly for one or the other. The realists will say that the very essence of photography is the ability to record exactly what is before the lens, and it’s the realism that sets the photographed image apart from all other art mediums. Then there are those who say there is nothing all wrong with the fantastical image, that many images are made simply because they’re pleasing to the eye, and if they break the rules of reality, so be it.

And then there is the majority of photographers. For most of us, realistic images and idealized ones are both acceptable. There is value in all photographic styles, and it depends on a variety of things, from the tastes and vision of the artist to the setting, subject material and more. Since there is no one “right” style, let’s broaden the discussion on both realistic and idealized photographic styles so that you can see examples of each, how to produce them, and the value inherent to both styles.