Hmmm... I voted that I want to make photographs that are pleasing to look at but, of course, if I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't do it. I think the poll results are going to be very skewed by the fact that, for us amateurs, photography is a hobby and we must, by definition, do it because we enjoy it. I think that answer should have been omitted and maybe replaced by another along the lines of 'because I find it therapeutic'. But then we'd all want to be checking multiple answers (can this be an option or are all polls here based on radio buttons?

With regard to aping the works of other photographers, I enjoy looking at great images, whether photographic or produced by other artisitc means, and no doubt this influences how I approach taking pictures - I'd be disappointed if I ignored this way of improving my 'seeing', but the only photographer I'm aware I tried to emulate is Edward Weston when I went through a phase of taking monochrome pictures of fruit and vegetables. In the end it did concern me for two reasons: that my thinking and intention wasn't intrinsically mine (even though I wasn't trying to copy Weston's photographs) and, secondly, because his pictures were always better than mine! Now I just do my own thing even though I'm aware that, with so many photographs being taken, it's more than likely that someone else has taken something similar. I don't think that diminishes my artistic intent however, so I just get on with it.