diff --git a/blogContent/posts/photography/photography-in-the-age-of-social-media.md b/blogContent/posts/photography/photography-in-the-age-of-social-media.md index 14b5c4f..10d776c 100644 --- a/blogContent/posts/photography/photography-in-the-age-of-social-media.md +++ b/blogContent/posts/photography/photography-in-the-age-of-social-media.md @@ -1,44 +1,75 @@ John Green's recent video on -[Vlogbrothers](https://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers) got me thinking a lot about -why I take photos and the impact that social media has had on my journey in photography. +[Vlogbrothers](https://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers) got me thinking a +lot about why I take photos and the impact that social media has had +on my journey in photography. -I first got into photography when I was young. I was obsessed with taking photos -of anything from my toys to the breathtaking scenery of state parks. Most of the photos I took were distorted gibberish: random fragments -of trees and stuff lying around in my back yard. However, back then photo quality did not matter to me, -the important thing was that I was preserving, capturing, and -digitizing something real and breathtaking. Back then, photography was a tool -allowing me to archive and remember the past: a way of stamping reality. John Green in his videos said -"I sometimes fell like something isn't really real unless I've documented it, - as if my memories and even my life will just slip past like the clouds through last night sky". +I first got into photography when I was in forth grade. I was obsessed +with taking photos of anything from my toys to the breathtaking +scenery of state parks. Most of the photos that I took were distorted +gibberish: random fragments of trees and stuff lying around in my back +yard. Back then photo quality did not matter to me, the enthralling +thing was that I was preserving, capturing, and digitizing something +real and breathtaking. Photography was a tool, allowing me to archive +and remember the past: a way of stamping reality. John Green in his +videos said "I sometimes feel like something isn't really real unless +I've documented it, as if my memories and even my life will just slip +past like the clouds through last night's sky". -I lost interest in photography shortly after I started middle school. The only photography that I -did was for social media. Apps like Snapchat and Instagram demand a constant stream -of photos to bombard your friends with. This is how I slowly learned that -photography is a "cropping of reality". I frequently found myself searching for that -right moment to take a photo and turn it into a Snapchat story. This is not -a huge issue, it is okay to share your experiences with people you care about; however, we -need to recognize that we present a polished version of ourselves on social media. +I lost interest in photography shortly after I started middle school. +The only photography that I did do was for social media. Apps like +Snapchat and Instagram demand a constant stream of photos to bombard +your friends with. This is how I slowly learned that photography is a +"cropping of reality". I frequently found myself searching for that +right moment to take a photo and turn it into a Snapchat story. This +is not a huge issue; it is okay to share your experiences with people +you care about. However, we need to recognize that we present a +polished version of ourselves on social media. -Despite acknowledging the vast distance between photography on social media and reality, it is -hard for our minds to quantify the stark differences between these worlds. -I take issue with people who do anniversary posts where they -share senior ball or vacation pictures annually with a short caption. -These anniversary posts aim to artificially inflate someones appearance on social media -when in reality their lives are quite normal. In response to the negative aspects of social media, there is a current trend -to ditch social media. Although "comparison is the thief of joy", -quitting social media is not the only solution. Only following close friends, limiting app usage, -and only using messaging centered apps are all great ways to reap the benefits -of social media while avoiding most of the negative consequences. - -Enough of my social media tangent, lets get back to photography. -I recently got back into photography as an artistic hobby rather than a means of -archiving events or creating content for social media. -As a programmer, it is exhausting to write code for forty hours a week at work -and then program even more as a hobby -- this is a perfect recipe for burnout. -Photography is a great way to spend free time since it is intellectually simulating, yet not -super rigorous and tiring. Photography encourages you to get -out and explore new places. In photography you are always learning, growing, and improving. +Despite acknowledging the vast distance between photography on social +media and reality, it is hard for our minds to quantify the stark +differences between these worlds. I take issue with people who do +anniversary posts where they share senior ball or vacation pictures +with a short caption. These anniversary posts aim to artificially +inflate someones appearance on social media when in reality their +lives are quite normal. In response to the negative aspects of social +media, there is a growing trend to ditch social media altogether. +Although "comparison is the thief of joy", quitting social media is +not the only solution. Only following close friends, limiting app +usage, and only using messaging centered apps are all great ways to +reap the benefits of social media while avoiding most of the negative +consequences. +Enough of my social media tangent, lets get back to photography. I +recently got back into photography as an artistic hobby rather than a +means of archiving events or creating content for social media. As a +programmer, it is exhausting to write code for forty hours at work and +then program even more as a hobby -- this is a perfect recipe for +burnout. I find that photography is a great hobby since it is +intellectually simulating, yet not super rigorous and tiring. +Photography encourages you to explore new places and meet new people. +In photography you are always learning, growing, and improving. I +really enjoy watching movies; however, I don't believe that it's a +great hobby since there is no personal growth. +I am obsessed with photography for the same reason I love programming: +there is a constant creative drive to make and share something new +with the world. In Mr. Robot Elliot said "In a world where everything +is a virtual copy of itself, where there's nothing but image, where +publicist have publicists and celebrity is bleakly industrial, it's +inevitable that 'image' starts to collapse on itself...". You have +probably heard that there is no more original content being created +anymore, everything is simply an image of an image of an image. With +the sheer quantity of content being created, it is close to impossible +to be the first person to do something. When I start working on a +programming project or go to a park to take some pictures, I am +frequently asked, "why are you doing that when others have already +done it". It is now impossible to be the first person to create a +social media app or photograph a waterfall; but, that does not make it +pointless to go out and create. Art is something that needs to be +constantly shaped, customized, tweaked and perfected. I am confident +that the best picture of a waterfall has not been taken yet. We are +still a long way away from creating the perfect social media app. +Despite everything being an image of an image, learning from other +will help us grow as creators and develop our own unique style.