[…] Read More: cwexplorationphotography.com/2015/07/landscape-photography-and-social-media-a-blessing-and-a-curse/ […]

This response is so spot on Patrick! Your thoughts echo mine almost identically. I can’t tell you how unsettling it is to see the same composition shot over and over again from the same location and what’s worse is that no one ever credits the original photographer. Social media has such a HUGE impact on images today and it’s really a shame. Although I’ve never outright shot an image for the purpose of doing well on a site; it’s definitely been in my subconscious which is just terrible in and of itself. Modern technology has opened a huge amount of possibilities for photographers; most of which are positive but as you know with the good comes the bad and the very bad. Terrible composites that gain millions of likes on social platforms have become the norm. Will they ever win an award? No. Will they get the person a ton of publicity if marketed correctly? Yes. It’s so unfortunate that so many great photographers get overlooked now-a-days due to social media conformity and the sheer ignorance of the general public when it comes to photo manipulation; it’s becoming so easy to fool people that it’s not even funny. I just hope that things can change and if they can’t well time to batten down the hatches and ride out the storm. One thing is for sure though; I’m going to attempt to stay true to myself and produce things that I enjoy.

For me, the most upsetting result of online photo popularity contests is the style of “trophy” photography it seems to encourage. “If this guy’s photo of xyz did well than I will go get that same shot.” An example: This summer I drove over to Brookings Oregon and ran into six other photographers on a remote beach. While this may not sound like a lot, I lived in Brookings in 2006 and I never once ran into another “serious” photographer at the beach. I am pretty sure that the recent popularity of this spot is due to a handfull of sucessful images from this area on 500px. Some of these locations are very fragile and the last thing they need is to become a popular photo spot.

I stopped shooting in around 2008 once I could no longer buy the 4×5 Fuji RVP film I loved, or get my chromes processed locally. When I returned to shooting in 2012, I was pretty shocked at how the “look” of landscape images had changed over the course of just four years. Many new types of shots have been made possible by the amazing digital sensor technology and Photoshop advancements. With the aid of exposure blending, focus stacking, and high ISO settings we can now make shots that would have been impossible in the film era. Much of the work from the greats like Jack Dykinga and David Muench seem pretty tame (or intimate) compared to current styles. Today, it seems that an image needs to have as much dynamic light as possible shoved into the frame to be widely praised. Lightling bolts, the milky way, and backlit glowing clouds over a recognizable scene with a perfectly focused field of flowers 6 inches from the lens seem to be what is needed to get “popular” now. I don’t really have a problem with this. People are taking advantage of the awesome light that can be captured with modern technology.

When I was shooting film, I would sometimes see a composition and think to myself “this shot will never work, there is too much contrast, not enough light, etc.”. Now I have to worry about thinking “this shot won’t to do well on 500px” – which is terrible. These days, it seems hard to develop your personal vision without being overly influenced by the current processing trends,and without having your work judged and ranked by the inside crowd at 500px. I’m not sure what the solution is. The easy answer is to not visit these online platforms – not very practical though as most of us to like to have our work seen as well as check out what others are up to.

Sorry for the scattered and lengthy comment.

Hey Teja sorry I missed this. I completely agree with you; it seems as though 500px has sold out and they really could care less what their users think. It’s hard to say if things will ever return to what they once were on that site but one can only hope that they do since no other platforms really exist right now. Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it!

Thanks for the thoughtful response Jake! I think that paying attention to the small details in landscape work is extremely important. You can’t get lost in the grandeur of the images themselves; as you said you need to stay connected. I definitely agree with you; individual connections can be very, very important; as well as a connection to your audience as well. Thanks for your thoughts and best of luck to you as well!

You absolutely nailed it Kevin! There’s way too much content out there and as a result the quality has suffered. There’s so much floating around on the web nowadays that it makes finding the quality work that much more difficult. I think that seeing new locations is very, very important! But I also REALLY enjoy the challenge of shooting a familiar area in a new way. Staying individual is the way to go! Thanks again!

Hey Jill! Thanks for stopping by and giving this a read. I’m glad that you found it somewhat informative! As far as twenty20 goes I was invited to post images over there but in general I shy away from posting images on that site or sites like that. You have to be extremely careful and be sure to read the fine print about photo rights ownership and the percentage the company takes from you. Personally, I always sell my images and personally deal with each client. I’m not a huge fan of letting another company handle interactions like that. Personally I’ve gotten huge visibility on IG, Facebook and 500px. I’ve recently spent more time on Google+ and Flickr but I have yet to see any results from that. Social media is critical to getting exposure so it really is a blessing and a curse.

Thanks for taking the time to read the post. I’ve only been in the field three years or so but I can definitely see how much things have changed in that short amount of time. Personally; other folks have had a huge impact on my work (Marc Adamus, Ryan Dyar etc.) but I do this not necessarily for the crowd but also for self fulfillment and try to put my own spin on things to separate myself from the herd so to speak. I think the bigger problem is photo visibility; not necessarily getting the likes or pats on the back. On some platforms that has become increasingly difficult due to, as you mentioned, everyone having access and flooding the market. I think the flood of content has had a huge impact on overall image quality and the quality of discussion as well. Thanks for your thoughts on this I definitely ‘get it’ hopefully others will as well!

Good Luck

Jake

I’m really more commenting on my experience but I am curious on your thoughts about Twenty20? My friends and family (in real life, not social network world) tease me that I’m now professional since I did receive a dollar for a download of one of my pics on Twenty20. In no way do I feel or label myself a professional though. But how do you get seen? Maybe the social sites are not the audience one wants but I’m curious how much business one gets from them.
Regards,
Jill @jbakke3 Good day!

I watched the last 30 years take my favorite locations to fish, hike, photo and flood them with people to the point they are no longer worth going. I am fortunate to live in a place where wilderness is steps away, and at lunch I can find seclusion in places with beauty that most the world hasn’t yet bothered to photograph. But even here the inevitable comes. And I combat it as best I can by looking for the unique even when everyone else is trying to get that same shot. When i look at another’s photo I look to see how they did it so I can try and incorporate those skills as fitting in my world, to make me better at what I do, to hone my vision, my voice. Never to try and become them or take their thunder or go photograph their masterpiece in the same way.

Stay individual, and keep looking for something new, something unseen, around the next bend, over the next hill, and then when you get home, sitting on couch your laptop tossed beside you some national Geo on the TV, don’t forget to look around for that thing close to home that you see just a little different than the last guy, and grab your camera and create a tiny bit of magic. If only you “get” it, enjoying being on the last page of 500px, and realize those two likes your photo has, are from other people who also “get” it.