Have you looked at who is providing the upvotes on these posts?
Some use vote-buying services where they pay in STEEM Dollars more or less the same value as they will receive in an upvote hoping it will help them be seen and thus get new followers.

Others get upvotes not because people find their photos good, but because they do other work for the community and people are interested to follow and support them for it. It is not about the inherent quality of content, but about the overall contribution to the platform.

Personally, I care less about the content and more about the people and what they do to make STEEM better. However, if you do make great content, there are community projects like @ocd where you can look for support.