Not to give a technical answer to a philosophical question, but I will: Every photograph is original. It is original in terms of the photographer that took it with the camera she used at the time she took it, where the earth was in its track through the solar system and on through the universe, down to the quantum fluctuations in the sensor....
But I think that has nothing to do with the essence of Harold's question. Whence originality is one thing, what one is seeking to communicate is another. Shakespeare used unoriginal words to say something original, or maybe to merely observe timeless truths. So, was he original? Perhaps I have redefined the meaning of Harold's question or missed the point, if so, je m'excuse. I think we've done something original if we connect with another soul. If it is one soul or a million, worthless in monetary terms or ridiculously expensive, one image or a thousand, it doesn't matter. But does that mean we should stop trying to connect?
I say feed your soul. The need is not original, but it's the only soul you will nurture. Or not.