Why Even Bother?

So far, this entry has been the most challenging for me to write. I don’t know whether or not to take the stance of a pessimist, as is my nature, or an optimist. The title itself suggests the more pessimistic perspective, but I’m sure even an optimist could spin that title into one of positivity. Maybe.

By diving into the topic at hand, I believe you’ll understand exactly where I’m coming from. Let’s start with some stats.

Overly-Saturated

According to reports from Omnicore, there are, on average, over 64,4oo images posted on Instagram every minute…

Let that to sink in for a moment; over 64,400 pictures are posted on Instagram every minute!

“Staggering” just doesn’t seem to cut it. “Overwhelming” might be the better way to quantify the shear volume of content that results in. If you post a photo once a week, like I try to do, then yours is literally 1 in nearly 650,000,000, just a little drip in several oceans full of drips.

There’s no denying that in today’s content-driven age, we are competing with so many creators. It can actually feel discouraging when you consider just how disgustingly saturated the digital space has become.

opposite obstacles, similar results

I have a theory. Today’s landscape photographers are experiencing a similar situation to the early landscape photographers in that it is challenging to get noticed.

Back in the early days of landscape photography, one major obstacle was an artist’s exposure. How would a photographer get recognized when the only way to be seen was through publications, photography galleries, or the occasional firsthand encounter? There was, obviously, no social media to post on, tag in, vlog with, etc. As the photographer was scouting the backcountry searching for compositions, they had no way of sharing their journey except through journals. Add to that the fact that cameras were big, heavy, and challenging to operate in the outdoors. Only a seriously dedicated few would pursue landscape photography as an art form.

In our time, we almost have no obstacle whatsoever from a technical standpoint. Cameras today are so smart, they can be set to “auto,” and it will do all the thinking for the photographer. Don’t like the angle? Delete. Take another. (I am always amazed at just how many photos a digital photographer walks away with after a shoot compared to the film photographer.) Travel is, for the most part, so easy that photogenic outdoor locations have become almost too accessible. But this is not to say that there is no obstacle for the contemporary photographer. As is the case with so many art forms, “progress” has created its own unique set of challenges. Because landscapes are so incredibly accessible, tourists and Instagram Photographers throng to locations that were once pristine. Cameras are so small, light, and easy to use, anyone with the money to spend can take incredibly sharp and perfectly exposed photos. There are so many (SO many) people posting photos on social media who believe they are artists or professional photographers just because they have a camera and some likes and followers. We are facing a similar obstacle to the original photographers: exposure.

The challenge of exposure is not due to a lack of audience accessibility but to an abundance of competing voices. On Instagram alone there are 1.4 billion voices screaming for attention 650 million times a week. Doubling your efforts and vlogging your landscape photography “adventures” on YouTube (like I try to do) may increase your exposure by 0.000003%.* So what chance do we have at being noticed?

In essence, my theory is that, just like the original landscape photographers, we modern photographers have a challenge ahead of us in getting our work(s) in front of eyes that will appreciate it and subsequently support us. There are just so many others who think they’re amazing attempting the same exact thing.

*this statistic is based on two major factors: 1. there are 720,000 hours of new video content posted to YouTube every day, and 2. I post weekly a roughly 10 minute long video. Now, I’m no statistician, but those odds are not exactly in my favor.

What’s the goal?

Ask yourself why you’re posting on Instagram or YouTube (or writing blogs about landscape photography.) Do you have something worth hearing? Or do you, like so many creators, just want to be heard so you can make money? Growing a business takes a completely different approach. It’s especially different than the “high art” still being created by a few unique individuals. That is why your first question must be not whether or not you should even bother in an overly-saturated field but what is your goal overall.

If your goal is to turn your photography into a business, you are not an artist. You are an entrepreneur, and everything you post, share, create, etc. is marketing. Marketing is how the world sees your brand and how your brand speaks to the world. Your goal then is not to just post a bunch of images but to be ultra strategic and investigate ways to cut through the noise and smack your ideal client in the face with your brand.

Does that mean the entrepreneur and the artist never mix? Certainly not! There are thousands of artists operating as entrepreneurs all across the world and throughout time. We’re done with that whole “starving artist” stereotype!

It all comes down to your goal. Are you trying to make money with your photos or start a business? Or are you creative because that is your method of expression?

You are not an artist

I was told by my very wise younger sister that something becomes art when it is created by an artist. This feels like an obvious statement to you, but read it more carefully and maybe you’ll see how it flips our expectations and requires deeper consideration.

She was really saying that not everyone who creates something is an artist.

I’m sorry if this offends you, but it’s just not the case. I can be a landscape photographer creating photographic works, selling them, writing about them, etc. but if I do not have something to express through these works, then I am not an artist. I am an entrepreneur. An artist is burdened to express their thoughts and ideas or feelings and emotions through their individual creativity. It is their primary form of communication.

The unfortunate reality is that, in landscape photography specifically, the “art” exists apart from the photographer. Your photo is simply a documentation of a scene playing out for your viewing - think photojournalism. This is why so many (SO many) “landscape photographers” are really Instagram photographers copying a photo they saw on Google or that their favorite photographer posted.

When I take a photo of a gorgeous sunrise, I am a witness to a beauty that would be impossible for me to create. In appreciation of what is happening, I capture the moment with my camera. I am not an artist.

These two images of the same subject will hopefully better illustrate the point I am trying to make since I know without a doubt that it is controversial (I mean, I’m offended by what I’m saying.) The first image of a tree with crooked scraggly branches against a dark cloudy sky is clear and distinct. There is a subject against a separate background, there exists a balance in the framing. It is very Instagram worthy.

The second image is unsettling. The out-of-focus trunk frames one side with dark jagged bark creating an imbalance. The branches mirror the texture of the stormy clouds almost as if they are outlining the shapes above. It’s as if those branches are yearning to be one with the sky. The little branches in the bottom right corner give me a claustrophobic feeling, like I’m surrounded. Not showing where the branch ends is unsettling.

When I took that first image, I remember thinking (maybe I even said it out loud when I filmed this photography outing) that I was getting the “gratuitous tree photo” taken so I could move on to something more creative.

The second photo, I was lying on the ground staring up enraptured by contrasting textures: jagged tree against soft cloud. I worked hard at focus points and editing it to represent more than just a tree but the feeling I had while staring up at it. This was my “artist” moment.

Social media is destruction

If you want practical social media posting advice, you’re in the wrong place. I have nothing to share on the subject here. It’s too difficult to increase influence unless you already have it.

I will, however, give a short warning. Social media can be highly destructive to your creativity. Just like a drug, it is addictive, and success on it will consume your mind. You will find yourself so concerned with likes, followers, subscribers, that you lose sight of who you are as a creator and, perhaps, as an artist. The posting schedule will be your god, and you will post pointless garbage just to get that consistent content out on time. In the end, it will not help you, and you will be left discouraged and hopeless, drained of inspiration. You give up on creating, assuming you just suck at it and shouldn’t even bother. How do I know? Cause it happened to me.

Why even bother?

So why even bother?

Bother because even though there are so many voices screaming for attention, your unique voice will be heard loud and clear by your people who are already surrounding you. Your people are your community, and isn’t that the whole reason we do it? To contribute to our community?

Share what you love. Love what you do. Don’t worry about results. The people you want around you are the people not obligated to be there. Those steadfast friends are a blessing and encouragement that will see you through any adversity. Do not take them for granted.

Thank you, my friends! I cannot express how much I appreciate everything you do for me and my family!

-Jude