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 9e44e01..f61de33 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 @@ -4,14 +4,32 @@ why I take photos and the impact that social media has had on photography. -I first got into photography when I was young. I was obsessed with taking photos of -everything and anything just to capture that experience. Most of the photos I took were -of random trees and stuff, but, some photos turned out decent. It did not matter -the quality of the photos were, the important thing was that I was preserving, capturing, and -digitizing something so real and breathtaking like nature. - - - - - - +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 +of random trees and stuff, only a few photos turned out decent. However, back then it did not matter +the quality of the photos, the important thing was that I was preserving, capturing, and +digitizing something so real and breathtaking. Back then photography was a tool +for archiving 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 split past like the clouds through last night 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 merely a "cropping of reality". I often found myself searching for that +right moment to take a photo and turn it into a Snapchat story. I don't see this +as a huge issue, it is good to share your experiences; however, we +have to recognize that we present ourselves at our best +on social media. +I take issue with people who do anniversary posts where they +post senior ball or vacation pictures annually with a short caption like "missing the beach". +Although we subconsciously know that people's lives are not always like their Instagram photos; +it is hard for younger impressionable people to make this distinction when scrolling through +a massive feed of photos portraying people at their best. That is why to this day +I prefer using Snapchat over Instagram. Snapchat is more personal and conversational capturing day to +day activities where Instragram is a more polished refined version of someone's desired +appearance. + +While on an internship I found myself once again getting back into photography. +This time around I find myself doing this more as an artistic hobby rather +than an attempt to document my experiences or find something to post on social media.