Make no mistake, for the people out there who love social media and they have managed to make it their career, I am very happy for them. It must be amazing right? Full control of your life, total freedom of work hours etc... it's the dream for many people on the planet these days. The influencers or social media success stories all need a massive pat on the back because it is actually extremely hard to make that stuff work. 

That is one of the reasons I decided to step away from it. The pure grind and excessive amount of time and effort I was putting into social media for very little increase activity. For a short while, I was posting a few times per day and adding to stories constantly. That didn't really work so I backed off and began posting once per day whilst posting like a mad man on stories and that didn't work either. God damn it, so much work with minimal return. 

Obviously that got me thinking and I was wondering why? I studied the algorithm and tried to follow what the gurus say is the best practice and still I didn't get much engagement. I think I understand why social media isn't working for me and many other photographers out there who are similar in their thought processes. 

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that social media algorithms have a preferred style of imagery. The images that have that smack you in the face impact. Grand vistas, milky way images, naked girls (or nearly naked), silhouette street photos and unfortunately photos of photography equipment. Yes, if you are lucky enough to afford the latest and greatest equipment and then want to tell the world about it, social media loves that! 

if you know me and my photography, then all of the above are just not my style. Can I do all of the above? Yes sure, except buy all of the best gear because I'm just a regular working class guy. Shoot women or portraits? Sure, I can do that. Can I go and find and photograph amazing landscapes? Absolutely I could do that if I wanted to. Milky Way images? Definitely and I would be tempted but I like my sleep too much and street photography, well, I thought that was my thing but on reflection I don't think it is. I'll explain why later. 

None of those genres of photography get my juices flowing enough to make me want to shoot them. Don't get me wrong I can appreciate the skills and dedication to be good at any of the mentioned genres! Some of my favorite photographers are nature and wildlife guys. Amazing work! But, I truly believe that you have to really love it and be passionate about it to make those genres work. I am not, maybe one day but not at this moment in time. 

To follow on from the social media banger culture is this whole idea on social media that life is beautiful and perfect in every way. News flash it isn't. So if you ever show that or insinuate that life may not be perfect in some way then you and content will fall way down in the social media algorithm. I think that's because jealousy is a huge money maker. If social media show you lives and images that constantly make you jealous then your more likely to say... I need that camera to make that image. I need to travel to that location to make that image. I need I need I need, I want I want I want. That is what social media wants. 

Of course there are people on social media who share life as it is, the ups and downs etc... but a lot of them have built a name away from social media first, for example being a war photographer or photojournalist, or maybe they just worked at time before social media and now they get recognition during this social media age. 

I think if you are somewhat new to photography, like myself (8-9 years or so), you will struggle to grow on social media if your style or interests are not quite as beauty orientated. I do kind of understand, most people want to look at beautiful things and that's okay. For me however, I love to find beauty and interest in less obvious things and places. The projects I'm working on are prime examples of that. 

Just like most other photographers out there, I would love to have as many eye balls on my work as possible and for those eye balls to like what they see. If I'm totally honest though, I know that the things I want to shoot and document are not going to get the mass appreciation of a shot from Yosemite National Park or the Aura Borealis in Iceland. 

The more time I spend on social media the more I feel like I'm failing because my images don't get the views or attention that these beautiful and impressive images get. No social media or at least a lot less social media means that I am less likely to get these waves of insignificance or uselessness. Instead I can focus my attention on what matters to me and that is finding stories, researching places to shoot on my current projects. 

Possibly the most surprising thing I have noticed is my appreciation of my own work has really improved. I find myself editing and culling images and actually liking my own work. Now that is a revelation for someone who is hyper critical of myself in everything I do. It's a really nice feeling to see your own work and feel a sense of pride. So if this has worked for me as a self deprecator then I'm sure it can help you too.  

Another huge positive is my gear envy or GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) is drastically less than when I was on social media all day every day. It's inevitable that you see hundreds of adverts for the latest and greatest camera that can shoot this and that. When you spend maybe 30 minutes max on social media then the number of these temptations is way less. That will be the topic of my next post. Budget photography equipment that can shoot anything! 

To summarize I think social media can be a hugely powerful tool in the right hands. However, it’s important to recognize when it becomes more of a hindrance than a help. For many creatives, the pressure to conform to trends, chase engagement, and constantly compare their work to viral content can take away the joy of creating. By stepping back and focusing on what truly matters, personal growth, storytelling, and genuine artistic passion, it’s possible to find fulfillment outside of likes and algorithms.