Very thoughtful writing. Since the turmoil here in the US I find myself drifting further and further away from the algorithms, seeking my quiet space. While reading this, all spot on, I kept thinking of me, how I found your work. Were it not for the algorithms would I have? That would be my loss for sure. Conundrum is right, but like the photo in this post … never give up … doing what you love.
Interesting stuff Nigel, I gave up on doing landscape as a career about 15 years ago after a long chat with Joe Cornish. He saw the writing on the wall then and the sad demise of his gallery has confirmed he was right. So, as such, the algorithms didn’t especially bother me, they alway seemed geared towards trying to make me spend money to ensure my pictures went further and that was something I wasn’t prepared to do.
But I do take my photography seriously and enjoy talking about all aspects of it and that is what appeals to me about Substack. I’m pretty sure no more than two dozen people read my posts in their entirety with many others filing them under ‘Too Long Didn’t Read’. And that is fine, I’d rather engage with those few who enjoy what I do than have a thousand likes from ‘content creators’ who expect, or even demand, the same in return. I’ve recently read comments from landscape photographers saying they are suffering burnout and aren’t making pictures as a result. But when you dig deeper, it’s the lack of ‘likes’ on SM that is their problem. I’ve also noticed an awful lot of photographers who joined Substack in order to ‘engage’ more, now only post in Notes because they get more ‘likes’. But if they are not driven by some indescribable need to make pictures, we’re not even doing the same thing. I love the freedom to be able to photograph whatever I want to and to talk endlessly about that process, but I don’t give two (blue) ticks whether anybody else likes it or not.
One of the unexpected joys of Substack is the number of non photographers I follow on here and how much engagement you can have if you put in a little effort. Yes, it takes time but I just dip into my list of unread posts when I can and pretty much ignore Notes altogether. After all, they are clearly being driven by an algorithm.
I really relate to what you said. Getting caught up in algorithms and searching for validation on social media, while juggling our own expectations, can be so frustrating. For me, sharing my thoughts and photos without pressure helps me find some peace and self-realisation. Fun fact: I actually have fewer followers here than on Instagram, but I find it curious that I get more likes here.
"And maybe, just maybe, if we keep showing up, authentically, imperfectly, and honestly, we may just find that the people who do come along are exactly the ones we were meant to reach all along. "
Here for the connections! And support…I support as many artists and writers as I can with subscriptions, it feels great to know they can dedicate more time to creative pursuits, and usually receive expanded content. I may turn subs on down the road when I can offer the added value. If more creative people could make extra income from their art, wouldn’t that be great?
Well said. Growth is not meaningful, it may be a badge, but those you interact with are the ones that matter, whatever the platform, or blog.
Very thoughtful writing. Since the turmoil here in the US I find myself drifting further and further away from the algorithms, seeking my quiet space. While reading this, all spot on, I kept thinking of me, how I found your work. Were it not for the algorithms would I have? That would be my loss for sure. Conundrum is right, but like the photo in this post … never give up … doing what you love.
Difficult not to get caught up in the 'like-fest'. I suppose we're all seeking validation of our work in some way, shape or form.
Chasing approval and status can be a dangerous game. I wrote a long essay about all that if you're interested in the mechanics:
https://bairdbrightman.substack.com/p/social-media-addiction-as-compulsive
Great insights. Thanks for sharing.
I echo Soren: well said. 👊
Great article and couldn’t agree more. Its connections and interactions that are important, to me at least.
Interesting stuff Nigel, I gave up on doing landscape as a career about 15 years ago after a long chat with Joe Cornish. He saw the writing on the wall then and the sad demise of his gallery has confirmed he was right. So, as such, the algorithms didn’t especially bother me, they alway seemed geared towards trying to make me spend money to ensure my pictures went further and that was something I wasn’t prepared to do.
But I do take my photography seriously and enjoy talking about all aspects of it and that is what appeals to me about Substack. I’m pretty sure no more than two dozen people read my posts in their entirety with many others filing them under ‘Too Long Didn’t Read’. And that is fine, I’d rather engage with those few who enjoy what I do than have a thousand likes from ‘content creators’ who expect, or even demand, the same in return. I’ve recently read comments from landscape photographers saying they are suffering burnout and aren’t making pictures as a result. But when you dig deeper, it’s the lack of ‘likes’ on SM that is their problem. I’ve also noticed an awful lot of photographers who joined Substack in order to ‘engage’ more, now only post in Notes because they get more ‘likes’. But if they are not driven by some indescribable need to make pictures, we’re not even doing the same thing. I love the freedom to be able to photograph whatever I want to and to talk endlessly about that process, but I don’t give two (blue) ticks whether anybody else likes it or not.
One of the unexpected joys of Substack is the number of non photographers I follow on here and how much engagement you can have if you put in a little effort. Yes, it takes time but I just dip into my list of unread posts when I can and pretty much ignore Notes altogether. After all, they are clearly being driven by an algorithm.
I really relate to what you said. Getting caught up in algorithms and searching for validation on social media, while juggling our own expectations, can be so frustrating. For me, sharing my thoughts and photos without pressure helps me find some peace and self-realisation. Fun fact: I actually have fewer followers here than on Instagram, but I find it curious that I get more likes here.
"And maybe, just maybe, if we keep showing up, authentically, imperfectly, and honestly, we may just find that the people who do come along are exactly the ones we were meant to reach all along. "
--Yeah, that!
Here for the connections! And support…I support as many artists and writers as I can with subscriptions, it feels great to know they can dedicate more time to creative pursuits, and usually receive expanded content. I may turn subs on down the road when I can offer the added value. If more creative people could make extra income from their art, wouldn’t that be great?