Like for Progress

December 11, 2020 in colour photography, fujifilm, photography, photographer, social media, street photographer, street photography

Like for Progress.

We can get bogged down with the constant barrage of images that we see online.

Instagram is a prime candidate for this. The more we look, the more we can become caught in the snowstorm of images.

We can look at the number of likes and see this as a success factor that has a knock-on effect on our progress. Our progress should not be graded on the number of likes we receive because that will always negatively affect us.

It was a conversation with a fellow photographer and a good friend who got me thinking about how we look at progress.

He was telling me about an image that he had taken and the thinking behind it. He explained the process and the way the composition came together. And to be fair, it is a decent enough image. The colour is spot on, the depth of the image is good, the technical aspects are all correct.

All in all, this is a successful image and one that he should and was proud of, but he based the success of that image on the number of likes he received. Reread it. He based the image's success not on the technical aspects of the fact that he had taken a decent photograph but also on the wider audience's engagement.

Social media is a game, and we are all being played off each other. Thankfully, I stepped out from that arena a long time ago.

Keep the Faith

Northen Quarter , Manchester FujiFilm X100F

Marinade Your Work.

May 13, 2020 in camera, colour photography, creative, photography, social media, street photography, photographer

First thing first, I am not talking about smearing your camera or laptop with BBQ sauce.

How many times have you been out on a street walk, and you think you have a couple of keepers in the bank and then rush home, get the SD card out, turn on the laptop find your keepers, give them a quick edit and upload them on to social media? From the street to social media in a matter of hours!

In my early days, I thought this behaviour was normal until I started to see the work that I was posting was not that good, or my image choice was not the correct one. At first, I put this down to experience, but then I realised that I was still emotionally attached to the image.

Over time, I have learned to step back from that day’s work and put it on the back burner and let them “marinate” doing this has helped me critique my own work without the emotion and excitement of that day.

Having this system has allowed me to build up a steady back catalogue of work.

Ask yourself, why are you uploading your work that quick? It could be one of a hundred things, but I have a sneaky feeling that you want that added gratification of not only taking a fine picture but the rewards of likes on social media.

Slow down, and the true rewards will come.

Keep the Faith

Comfort Fear.

May 08, 2020 in camera, colour photography, creative, fujifilm, photography, social media, still life

We all feel safe in our little photography comfort zones, but if we occasionally break out of it, then that’s when things can happen. We can get that lightbulb moment that pushes us on to the next level.

But what stops us from stepping out of this imaginary zone? And the simple answer is Fear.

Fear of being ignored, fear of negativity, fear of only getting a few likes on Instagram!!, fear that they will see your weak side or is it the fear of failure that keeps us in our little box.

Photography is about pushing our own creativity, and let us not forget why we picked up the camera in the first place. We did it for us, and we did not do it for likes and followers; we did it because we wanted to be creative.

I have always believed that if people enjoy my work, then that is a bonus, but if I start playing to my audience, who do I please them or me.?

This brings me on to my attempt at still life photography.

It was quite different from my usual work style, but I enjoyed the therapeutic process, and it got me out of this mental comfort zone.

Keep the Faith