Art is the prefix of words such as artifice or artificial. Art is an artifice, the product of the creativity of the artist. Expecting art to duplicate reality is a a misunderstanding of the very purpose of art.

Art is about the artist’s view of the world, not about reality. What is original is creating expressive photos that depict a personal view of the world.

There are ‘fashion trends’ in art. For example a number of high end galleries and museums tend to favor a socially critical and relatively negative content. Why should people care about photos that do not show something real? They care for the same reasons art movements that do not represent reality, surrealism, cubism, fauvism, etc. There will always people who will praise what you do as long as your work expresses what you feel and is unique to you.

Shoot personal work all the time because that's what clients gravitate toward: your vision, your voice .A big huge mistake is not to do what works for you. You have to do what's important to you, because that's what people will hire you for.

To be recognized out there, you have to work on your own because you have to shoot what nobody has seen before. Shot enough personal work to define your style and build your brand.

"No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist."
-Oscar Wilde

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/artistic_license.shtml
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/features/From-Assistant-to-Ph-4993.shtml