How many Instagram followers would Ansel Adams have today?

The work of Ansel Adams has been key to the history of photography, and it's still influencing photographers today. But it was created in a very specific context, and that's why I believe someone starting from scratch, making similar work today, wouldn't get much traction at all. The masters of the past didn't become who they are by doing more of the same. They pushed the limits of the art further than anyone before them.

Websites vs Social Media for photographers

With TikTok facing a potential ban and Instagram ruining profile grids, many creators are questioning if building a presence on social media is worth the effort, given the uncertainty of the medium.

I’ve always advocated for personal websites and blogs: a platform you can truly own, free from the whims of tech billionaires. At the same time, though, I don’t shy away from sharing my work on social media.

These days, a website feels like opening a studio in a quiet, rundown part of town, while everyone is hanging out at the mall. It is flashy, lively, and all the cool kids are there. They even offer us a little corner for free, so we can speak our truths to the whole world.

That’s until the mall starts charging a fee and diverting visitors to the business placing the highest bids. Over time, you also realize that even though you got to interact with a lot of visitors, most of those interactions were fleeting. You’ve never seen those people ever again.

Yet, among the noise, meaningful connections still happen every now and then at the mall. While I’ve connected with fellow photographers through my or their websites, most of my relationships with people in this field have come through social media.

This has never been a case of the website or social media, but about embracing both the website and social media. The most beautiful, personal website is useless if no one ever visits; and your social media presence relies on whatever happens to please the owner that day of the week.

There’s no ideal solution to the problem of reaching an audience in this noisy, loud world. I believe that embracing both worlds is the best we can do.

Why I add white borders to the images I share on social media

This is an excerpt from my eBook Creative B&W Editing in Lightroom:

"If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed that I add white borders to the images I share there. The idea behind these borders is to maintain a consistent perception of the images across various platforms and viewing conditions.

I have very little control over how my images are displayed on platforms I don’t own. With the relatively recent introduction of a dark mode (night mode) on mobile devices and apps, the same photograph can now be presented against a white background during the day and a dark one at night, effectively altering the perceived tonality of the image.

By adding borders to my photographs, I can have at least some control over how the viewers will perceive the tonality, regardless of how the platform decides to present my work.

On the platforms I fully control —and that is, my website—, I publish my images without borders while still ensuring a consistent experience."

--

Sadly, Instagram is rolling out a change to the way it displays profile grids, so I might have to tweak my approach a little. But this change further proves the importance of controlling how your imagery is presented.

I believe these little details matter a lot, as they can significantly change how a photograph is perceived.

Threads

Now you can find me on Threads too. Not entirely sure how I'll be using it just yet (if at all), but I'm intrigued enough to give it a try. Don't forget to say hi so I can follow you back!

Own the platform

Things are changing, as they always do. And we humans hate change.

It feels like it was yesterday when we were all hating on social media, while mourning the old platforms. It is 2022, and here we are, hating on TikTok and VR, mourning platforms like Instagram and Twitter.

I have no idea what the future will be for those platforms; I really hope I don't end up having to use VR glasses to share my photography and enjoy the work of fellow photographers.

No matter what the future will bring, this is a good moment to be reminded of the importance of having your own platform.

Lately, I've been trying to consolidate all my sources of inspiration in a RSS app. Instagram doesn't allow this, so the photographers who share their work exclusively on that platform are out; Twitter is playing nice... for now; but the ones that work the best are regular old websites and blogs.

Relying on social media to connect with peers and share your work was a great idea; exclusively using those platforms was a very bad idea.

I get it, a blog can be boring. It can feel like you are talking to no one. If you think the engagement is low on IG, just wait until you post on your own website.

And yet, I believe it's very important to have your own place, your little home in the Internet. Very few people will show up, but those are the ones that really matter. And of course, we can keep using social media and whatever platform comes next to reach new people and invite them to come over and look at what we have to offer.

If you don't have a website, I deeply encourage you to create one. Keep it simple. And then share it with all the people you've connected with over the years, so they know where they can find you in case the metaverse doesn't cut it for you.

On social media for photographers (and how I use it)

Social media is probably the most powerful tool creators have to show their work today. There's nothing even close to its reach and convenience.

But with great power comes great responsibility, and social media apps come with plenty of dangers we should be aware of.

I personally try to focus as much as I can on the platforms I do control (my website and newsletter), and use social media as a tool to get new eyes to see my work, keep people updated, and to let everyone know where else they can find me. Relying solely on social media is a trap, it's not under your control, and it's not under your own terms.

I also schedule my posting on social media, so I don't have to open the apps to share my work. I don't even need to have the apps, since I do all of this from my computer.

Bringing the newsletter back

In this day and age, sharing your work online is easier than ever. Making meaningful connections is getting harder, though.

Social media has changed the world in many ways, some good, some not so good. Thanks to these platforms, I was able to reach thousands of people, connect with other photographers and artists, and discover so much great art.

I like to use social media. I don’t like when that happens the other way around. I don’t want to spend a second trying to figure out how to beat the algorithm and reach those who followed me because they were interested in what I create.

It’s time to bring the newsletter back. It might sound old-fashion at this point, but I believe it’s the best way we have to really connect with each other. No middlemen involved, humans and non-humans.

One email, once a week, where I’ll share all the work I publish on my Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. So you don’t have to use those platforms to see what I’m up to, and even less, to connect with me. Simply reply to that email and we’ll be talking!

And of course, you can unsubscribe at any time.

If you are interested, please join us:

Photographers: it's 2018

If you make photographs for yourself and have zero interest in sharing your work with anyone, then skip this post.

If you are already sharing your work online, then skip this post.

For everyone else: you better start sharing your images online if you have any interest in doing something with your photography.

We can hate Instagram and Facebook as much as we want, but that won't change the facts: people spend a big part of their days online, on IG, FB, Twitter and the rest of the social media family. Yes, even LinkedIn.

Are you at a public place now? Look around. Not only are most people on their phones, you are too.

Want your photography to be seen? Stop waiting for people to get to you, you have to go to them.

It's 2018, after all.