How do you define "any kind of audience"? It's very easy to get hundreds and even thousands of followers on instagram.
Can you get into galleries? Eh that's really really hard you're right.
Can you get into galleries? Eh that's really really hard you're right.
How? I post new photos every few days and my follower count actually goes down. I get a bunch of accounts following me automatically and unfollowing me after a few days, just to get me to follow them back.
Maybe my photos are terrible, but I don't think so? https://www.instagram.com/stavroskorok/
I have an Instagram account that's private and mainly followed by my personal friends. I post whatever I want on there - my paid photography work, my life updates, pictures of my cat, etc. but I also keep a separate, public account that's strictly for my professional portrait work. I think having that separation helps for retaining interest.
I'll try to shoot more "my style", thank you for the feedback!
I think it depends on what you want. Do you want followers? Do you want originality? Do you want to get in galleries? Do you want clients? Do you want to have fun? Are you documenting your life or someone else?
These are all different goals, I'm not sure which one you're prioritizing for.
I admit I don't know about getting followers on Instagram.
For example, gallery artists might try to play with the formal properties of the photo and surprise the viewer in some special way.
Since my goal is to have fun, I'm not going to ruin it by forcing myself to take photos, even if that doesn't get me followers or any recognition. Thank you for your feedback!
But I find some of your comments odd. Such as: "Another shot of the lighthouse in Chania." Well, yes, it's a picture, so I can see that it's a lighthouse, and it's obviously a shot. The only information in that sentence, then is "Chania," but where is that? From the tags, I guess it's Greece, so maybe the comment should just be "Chania, Greece." If the lighthouse has a proper name, then that would be better.
Another example: "Here's a boat." That doesn't have any information. Where is the boat? What kind of boat? Who is on it? What are they doing? You don't need to say any of this, but some context would help tell a story. The problem with "Here's a boat" is that it is completely reductionist. I get that maybe you're going for self-aware deprecation, but when presenting your art, that does not come off clever. It comes off unconfident.
Tell a story with the photo. There are millions and millions of photos out there, but only YOU have your viewpoint. Only YOU have your intellect and knowledge. Tell a story, it will be unique and people might like it.
Also, Instagram is not the measure of success. I know a few photographers who are good, even excellent, and have more Instagram followers than Sebastião Salgado, who in my opinion is the best photographer walking the earth right now.