Visual Awesomeness Isn't Quite Cutting It Anymore
Last night, as a part of my evening routine, I went on to YouTube and found some videos to watch about photography. After mindlessly browsing around for a bit, I stumbled upon a video by an incredible photographer, Peter McKinnon, about how to "actually crush your instagram game in 2020". Let me just say, I really enjoy most of Peter's videos but this one was not particularly catching my attention - mostly because it was the same rhetoric I've heard a million times about how to leverage Instagram to your advantage as a photographer and grow a huge following.
Anyways, a minor part of the video did, however, make me stop and think. About three minutes in before talking about strategies he says, "I think the problem with Instagram is that you get bored of it, fast. You're looking at all of these awesome photos and the awesomeness starts to fade away and become less awesome. You just think 'this is normal, I see this all the time'... this was happening to me, even with my own work."
Even if that idea may seem a bit simple or obvious, as a photographer it kind of worries me because I 100% agree with the sentiment. Instagram does get boring - sometimes I even scroll up and down my phone without realizing what I'm actually looking at, completely zoned out. We all do it from time to time. It seems like after five minutes or so my brain can't really absorb or interact with the content in front of me. Another element that makes Instagram lose its instant appeal is its algorithm which reinforces content you already see often throughout the day. This is done to "personalize" your experience but it really just creates an echo chamber that ends up showing you the same profiles and topics over and over again. Last time I checked, monotony is boring.
Anyways, since I see a lot of content from other photographers, I begin to be swarmed by numerous amazing images each time I use the app. Eventually, all of the incredible photos I come across start to feel less unique, less personal, and less inspiring solely because I see so much of it in such short spurts of time. It's de-sensitizing in a way. I can still recognize a great image but it may not stick to me the way I think it should.
This worries me for two reasons: one, I don't want my audience to become bored and quickly move past my images and two, I don't want to create this high standard for myself that matches what I've seen from other great photographers only to inevitably feel indifferent or dissatisfied with what I have created because it's already somewhat been done before. On the other end of that, though, I hope people appreciate what photographers go through in order to make a stunning shot - starting from scouting locations all the way to putting finishing touches on an edit. They may be posting something brilliant in their minds that only is 'meh' to the viewer because it's been done before or because they've seen 10 wonderful images before yours.
I guess what I ultimately mean by all of this is that I worry about losing the desire to create compelling images. People nowadays are so easily able to find the most beautiful shot of anything they can think of - portraits, landscapes, public events, the list goes on. There really is so much beauty out there! But wait, doesn't the story behind an image count for something? To this, I would say of course. But only if your audience cares enough to dive into the story with you. What's a good story if no one is around to listen? Do people even care about the image/explanation you post or is just muscle memory at this point to double tap for no reason?
Something else I try to be aware of in this thought process is that even though one of my images may have been created before by someone else, it's worth recognizing personal progress within that image. Maybe it was composed better than it would've been a year ago or maybe it showed a more advanced level of technical skill or even had a cleaner edit to it. I seem to be in this weird limbo with wanting to appreciate how far I've come yet also wanting to develop more complex projects that aren't as common or surface level.
At this point in my relatively short photography career, I primarily want to create images that cater to my vision and style but I would be lying if I said that I didn't care if my audience enjoyed the photos, too. As I see it, to become a professional photographer you must first become skilled enough through your own vision and technique to be noticed and secondly, those images must then be compelling enough for people to want to buy a magazine or buy a print or to want to hire you.
Beginner, hobbyist, or professional, all photographers want their images to last on and never fade away. I want to be remembered for my dedication to this craft and my ability to visually intrigue people. Photography is a never-ending process that has and will outlast social media platforms.
All of this rambling aside, that Peter McKinnon YouTube video has definitely made me think about how to be more engaging and how important it is to try and stand out in such a talented, saturated field. Instagram sucks for a lot of reasons but at the end of the day, for an emerging artist especially, it does provide an accessible platform to display work so I shouldn't complain.
It's probably fair to say that I think too much about all of this stuff.