Why do you publish your photos on social media and here?

[-ST-]

Why Social Media
I tromp around a beach and environmentally sensitive area every morning, usually for the first hours before and after sunrise. I've been doing that for over five years, and about two years ago, I got into photography with an A7 IV and a 24-105 f/4 lens. Since then, I've progressed to carrying my A1 with 200-600 and A7 IV with 70-200 GM II.

I see lots of people on my daily walks, and since I started carrying two cameras with big white lenses, many people have asked, "Where can I see your pictures?". So, to have something to say, I opened an easy-to-remember Instagram account.

I don't have many followers, but I've met almost all of them on my daily walks. Most of those followers have walked the same paths or looked at the same sights, so I often imagine these people when I raise the camera to compose a photo. I post a few photos for them every day.

I also support a community of local musicians who meet every week. I host the get-togethers, run the sound, take the photos, and handle the social media and promotion. So that's another reason I post photos on social media (Facebook and Instagram).

In short, I publish on social media:

• As an extension of the "conversations" I have with people I meet on my daily walks
• As an extension of my interactions with the musical community and to promote the events and musicians

Why Here
I joined this community about six months into my journey into photography (January 2023). I enjoy the excellent images and conversations. I have learned a great deal, and I'm grateful to everyone who helped me along the way. For a while, I would post something here every day. Lately, not so much, although I stop in to look and read at least daily.

These days, I'm more inclined to post images that I find interesting or even satisfying instead of sharing the journey as I test and demonstrate the limitations of my skills.

Oh, and I'm being much more careful about being tempted by the tantalizing tales of new bodies and lenses. If I hadn't reined that in, I'd be sporting an A9 III with a 300 mm f/2.8.

Why do YOU publish your photos on social media and here?

And have you noticed a big difference in the responses you get on social media compared to here? I have. Oddly, some of the most popular images on Instagram have drawn very little interest here. I don't mind, but I find it curious.

Thanks for thinking about this with me.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I view/talk more than I post images here because I am too lazy to edit my raw files and I worry that they are only sub-par when I do finish editing them. I visit this site and act as forum cheerleader because you all inspire me to be a better photographer. Simple as that. I came to learn and be inspired.

Social Media is a bit different because it is mostly photos taken with my phone and the subjects are family or vacation photos. Ask anyone who has seen my Instagram, its basically all pictures of my daughter nowadays. Sadly, most of those are cellphone images due to the sheer convenience of it. I do not feel like taking pictures with my A6700 will ever rival this level of convenience.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I haven't been on this site all that long, but I have noticed the main people whom post pictures its mainly birds or landscapes and although I enjoy the skill involved neither genre interests me personally...

I did notice over half of those that entered the competition this month hadn't posted anything else since I joined? I find that disappointing as well..... Maybe others disagree?

We DO have a lot of bird photographers here, that's true, but we've got a handful of other genres represented: landscape, vacation, pets and portraits and occasionally even street photography. New members come and go but more members means more chances we'll see something interesting posted.

As for the monthly competition, its meant to drive traffic to our site, but you're right some people only post on the comp because there is a potential payout, which is sad but expected.

 

[Unframed Dave]

Good question, and I had to ask myself why?

I think the answer is that I enjoy conversation, I've been a pub goer since I was old enough to get served, not necessarily the same thing as legal drinking age!

I love the fact that human beings can wander into a bar pretty much anywhere and if they've a mind for it, they can strike up a conversation with a complete stranger.

Sadly, in the UK, the pub industry is absolutely dead on it's arse now. Anyway, I digress.

That's how I see these places, the only member I've met on here is Kev, and my lord, he's a weirdo. In the main though, we all manage to converse and of recent, it's a very sociable and pleasant place to be.

I'm an admin on our local Facebook page and a moderator on a shooting forum, other than that I have an ancient imgur account, which is a nice reminder to myself where I've been in the world, a tiny YouTube account and I tried Instagram but found it wholly disagreeable

I too find the competition entries a bit disheartening.

Kev, really isn't a weirdo, I just said it for a cheap laugh.

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[Landshark99]

Honestly I am not sure why. I go through periods of publishing then there are times where I am bored with image posting. After almost 60 years of creating images, I sometimes just want to observe with out feeling the need to record an image or to post it here or on social media. When I first sort of retired I found social media a way to share my images and posted every few days but then became bored with the process. Who knows maybe in the near future I will get back into it. As to the difference between reactions on social media and here. This site seems to have more interest in the image as an image, on social media it is more about the content of the image. For example images of my grandchildren or pets, many times get the biggest reaction on social media much more so than the images I think are better.

 

[etiennescamera]

The questions got me thinking, since I haven't really analysed my motivation for posting on social media or here. I guess the answer is actually evolving and can be found in the reason why I take photos at all. Firstly, I think photography was my way of satisfying my creative urge. I am not much of a writer or painter and photography is the medium in which I can best express myself.

My photography has evolved from purely documenting my life and surroundings, which I shared on social media mainly to communicate with friends and family. In this respect social media has replaced the old family photo album, which is convenient since families have also become much more geographically removed in the modern world.

The next step was becoming a technically more proficient photographer and posting here was part of that evolutionary step.

My evolution as photographer has now reached a point where I am becoming more interested in the artistic aspects of photography and reasons for posting both on social media and here are similar to the reasons why artists display their art: partly because it is truly part of their identity, partly pride (hubris???), partly for validation, partly commercial.

 

[Clix Pix]

I share my images on a few photography related sites (this one included!) and one that is non-photography related but which has a very active photo subforum within it. Although I do have an Instagram account I do not post my photos on there, and ditto for Facebook.

I take photos for the sheer joy of being able to do so, and of course some days I experience more of that joy than other days; I do shoot on pretty much a daily basis. I am selective in what I choose to share with others online as sometimes the photos I shoot really are meant for my eyes only in the first place, perhaps as a record of some (often personal) event which happened on a particular day, whatever.

I'd like to think that my images that I share do have some interesting and perhaps even a smidgen of artistic merit, but realistically I know that what I might think of as really "artistic" or unique in some way really isn't at all to someone else, and that's fine. I'm not an artist, and I'm not someone out to win some competition. I just really enjoy the experience of having a camera in my hands pretty much every day and being able to take pictures with it.....

 

[Jeff A]

Just to prove that I am a Dynosaur, I don't do social media. I have a Flickr account and have nearly 6000 photos posted there (Flickr account) because I feel it's a great place to post high res photos because Flickr will never down res your photos. I guess Flickr is considered Social Media, but it's different as far as I'm concerned. I have a Facebook account but only use it when absolutely necessary. I don't believe I have ever posted a photo there.

 

[Wools]

It's a good question!

You can make the argument what's the point of anything? When I hit a certain age, there's a process I went through where I had to re-evaluate my relationship with various hobbies, life goals and friends. As in, there's certain things I was engaging in or attaching a specific value into acquiring but the end goal didn't meet my expectations. As the old saying goes, the chase was more exciting than the catch.

So I've back tracked from being so driven by buying watches, driving cars and all that luxury stuff as soon as I picked up a Rolex Submariner or an M2 Competition I felt bloody hollow. With the knowledge, I sold so much stuff and put that money into savings or better use.

But now I'm through my mid life crisis, I'm left with a what's the drive now? I recently fell back into love with Photography and got myself a Sony A7 III and have been enjoying going out for walks and places just to take photos and enjoy the process. But I started to look online here and the places and you fall down the gear trap. My 28-70mm F3.5 Kit Lens is crap, I need to spend £2K on a G Master II! Except, I look back at my history and come to the conclusion that the photos I've taken since getting my A7 III are exceptional and for my needs, more than meets the requirement. So I deleted the G Master II and other G Maste releases from my Wex Wish List and learn to enjoy the hobby and the process of shooting.

Taking it back (Sorry, long way to get here!) I now just shoot for myself rather than seeking validation for camera gear heads or others, as enjoying the process is so much funner than chasing internet hive minds of what gear you should be buying. However, I do like sharing some of my favourite images as even just a few Likes from friends or strangers makes me happy. I don't want to build an online portfolio that no one but me will look at, but a few Facebook shares to friends and family and a few shares here and on Instagram to fans of photography is just enough for me to feel rewarded that some of my photos are seeing the cold light of day.

The main focus of any photographer though should be just to enjoy getting out there and shooting.