The Big Lie of Social Media... and Episode 64 of Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres

Inherent in the narratives we are fed from childhood, and are reinforced at every turn, is the idea that if we have a modicum of talent, and work hard, then it will be recognised and we will be rewarded.

And if we have more than a modicum, and are actually considered to be pretty damn good, then additional fames and fortunes await.

So we take our photos, paint our paintings, weave our willow, sculpt our clay or croon our tunes. We study, we practice, we have friends and family who tell us how talented we are. And periodically we even have a few people part with their own hard won cash to buy the product of our skills.

Surely, then, it is only a matter of time before the breakthrough happens – we will achieve a wide enough recognition that enough people will want to pay us enough money such that we can afford a good enough life, or at least sufficiently survive.

And yet somehow it never quite materialises.

Surely then, this must mean we are not as good as we thought we were.

Or...

We expand our narrative to include the ones that tell us it doesn't matter how talented we are, we'll never be a success if no one has heard of us. Marketing, publicity, getting our name out there for more people to recognise our awesomeness is what's required.

And aren't we extraordinarily fortunate that we live in a time of the world wide web, and social media.

Prior to this era, fame and fortune were only open to people who were found and nurtured by the gatekeepers. These were other people who got to decide whether we were worthy enough for the world to see us.

But now we can bypass them. There are countless examples of people who achieved their recognition on a global scale with nothing more than a fraction of a modicum of talent, and a Facebook account.

So we invest time and energy into creating a Facebook account, posting content, and trying to build a following.

And yet somehow it never quite materialises.

Oh, but, ah, but... if it's a visual medium we work in, then Instagram is the place where even those with a fraction of a fraction of a modicum of talent are achieving global recognition. Just think how many accounts we can find that have hundreds of thousands of followers and all they do is post selfies and motivational quotes they've stolen?

So we invest time and energy into creating an Instagram account, posting content, and trying to build a following.

And yet somehow it never quite materialises.

Oh, but, ah, but... you need a blog! Every article to be found online about how to promote ourselves online talks about having a blog. You could be an INFLUENCER!!!

But I've already got one of those and have been producing content for almost 16 years and have fewer followers than ever.

Oh, but, ah, but... a YouTube Channel is essential!

I upload my podcasts to it every week to the sound of tumble weeds rolling past.

Oh, but, ah, but... if you deal with other businesses then LinkedIn...

Got one.

Oh, but, ah, but... Twitter is really the place to be...

Really?

Oh, but, ah, but... TikTok! It's taking the world by storm don't you know?

Fuck off.

OK, forget social media – there are fortunes to be made in crypto-currencies...

At this point I should probably disconnect myself from the Internet and see if I can get a job stacking shelves in a warehouse somewhere.

But Kim, I hear you cry, what a waste of your talents that would be! Show us another photo...

Meanwhile, enjoy episode 64 below which has nothing to do with the above blog post and is nothing like as depressing. In fact, it even includes the wonderful mug I got from my daughter for Father's Day.

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0:00 - Welcome, what's coming up, greetings and comments
3:22 - Warning: may start talking about photography...
04:07 - Moniaive Comic Festival 2018
13:38 - The editing sequence for the main publicity photo
26:17 - Introduction to the Critique section of the podcast
29:27 - Critique of images submitted to the Facebook Group, "Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres"
1:03:08 - Using Photoshop's Sky Replacement tool
1:12:48 - Coming up next week
1:17:00 - End

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And, or course, if you would like to submit a photo for feedback, or just ask a photography related question, then do join my Understanding Photography with Kim Ayres Facebook group and I will put it into the following podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240842990388815/