I lost my vision. I lost my sense of self. I lost my direction.
And so, I stepped away from social media, photography news sites, modeling sites, anything that was photography heavy. I needed to find my voice. I wanted to create authentic images. Everything seemed hollow.
So, after adjusting to "unplugging," I got back into doing what I enjoyed most: hiking, reading, camping, family. After spending time doing the things Ioved most, my creativity and my voice returned. From this time, "Into Nature" came into being.
So many rules about social media tell you to be consistent and photograph the same thing. but when we do that, we lose our sense of adventure, our willingness to explore. our quest for knowledge, and our passion. I love wildlife, nature, and portraits. So why should I pick one. Instead I decided to meld everything I love and yet still photograph them separately. I decided social media "followers" and "likes," while nice, were not necessary and should not define what I do. In order to photograph for "likes" and "followers" I lost authenticity. The work became forced.
The reality is that "likes" and "followers" mean nothing when it comes to art. I have seen some of the best photographers and artist, leaders and legends, have small numbers. I have seen the worst photographer and artists who know how to "play the social media game" gain thousands of followers.
And then there's the business of buying likes and followers, which proves that numbers mean nothing when it comes to the work. Those numbers could be falsely acquired through a purchase instead of gained through organic and authentic means.
What should really matter is good work, good art, and what speaks to you. Don't follow the crowd. It is shallow and pointless. Follow what is authentic and kind.
And so, I stepped away from social media, photography news sites, modeling sites, anything that was photography heavy. I needed to find my voice. I wanted to create authentic images. Everything seemed hollow.
So, after adjusting to "unplugging," I got back into doing what I enjoyed most: hiking, reading, camping, family. After spending time doing the things Ioved most, my creativity and my voice returned. From this time, "Into Nature" came into being.
So many rules about social media tell you to be consistent and photograph the same thing. but when we do that, we lose our sense of adventure, our willingness to explore. our quest for knowledge, and our passion. I love wildlife, nature, and portraits. So why should I pick one. Instead I decided to meld everything I love and yet still photograph them separately. I decided social media "followers" and "likes," while nice, were not necessary and should not define what I do. In order to photograph for "likes" and "followers" I lost authenticity. The work became forced.
The reality is that "likes" and "followers" mean nothing when it comes to art. I have seen some of the best photographers and artist, leaders and legends, have small numbers. I have seen the worst photographer and artists who know how to "play the social media game" gain thousands of followers.
And then there's the business of buying likes and followers, which proves that numbers mean nothing when it comes to the work. Those numbers could be falsely acquired through a purchase instead of gained through organic and authentic means.
What should really matter is good work, good art, and what speaks to you. Don't follow the crowd. It is shallow and pointless. Follow what is authentic and kind.
