Instagram: recognition, dissatisfaction, and a re-think

Every month, Orms (the company that does my printing and framing and is a mainstay of the South African photography scene) releases a list of nine of its “favourite SA instagrammers to watch.” Last week, I got news that I made the list for January 2020.

Photo grid of Orms’ nine favourite SA instagrammers to watch, January 2020 (my photo of a surfer at Muizenberg features middle right). Photo via Orms Connect.

I’m grateful for the exposure and flattered to make the list. It’s nice to get some recognition for my photography. But the news came at a time where I’m reassessing my relationship with instagram. I don’t feel like much of an ‘instagrammer’ at the moment and am exploring more sustainable ways to grow as a photographer.

Like many early-stage photographers, I’ve relied on instagram to share my work with a broader audience and have benefited in the process. Over the past few years I’ve built up a small following (just over 600 at last count) and have some people who regularly like and enjoy my photos (if one of you is reading this — thanks for the support. It hasn’t gone unnoticed). Having a platform to easily share my work has certainly pushed my development as a photographer. It’s helped keep me shooting. But if I look at the input costs (hours shooting and editing photographs) vs. the payoff (fleeting feedback on my work) it’s clear that the ratio is out of whack.

I put a lot of time into making photographs. But when they’re live on instagram they have a lifespan of about 12 hours, often shorter. People take a look, drop a few likes, possibly share some comments. But the attention quickly dwindles as their feed gets filled with whatever everybody else is pumping out that day. I’ll be the first to admit that I like to see a post of mine ‘doing well’ (good number of likes and comments) but I’ll also admit that I don’t like the way I’ve bought into that method of validation. It’s not healthy. And since I’ve been running instagram’s insights tool I’ve found myself spending too much time tracking how my posts are performing. Between that and browsing my feed, I’m spending more time than is necessary glued to my phone. Instagram’s power of distraction is strong.

I recently had a discussion with a friend who shares similar sentiments. People are reassessing their relationships with social media. I’ve also noticed that some of the photographers I follow who used to post frequently are posting less. Others, I note, seem to be posting more frequently.

I’m not discounting instagram altogether. I value the community I’ve built over the past years. I’ve connected with photographers from all over the world, discovered exhibition opportunities, been inspired by the work of others, and sparked conversations that have led to collaborations. Perhaps the key going forward is to think of the platform as a way to build and maintain community. And to do that in conjunction with building community offline.

Thinking of it like that, I’m starting to see instagram as a secondary avenue for work that already has a carefully considered outlet. A way to let people in my community know about what I’m working on. A way to share news and updates. From what I can tell, this is the way well-established photographers use it. For example, I admire the portraiture of New York photographer Ethan James Green. Green shoots for high-level publications like Vanity Fair and posts a lot of images from his magazine work on instagram. The point is that the work already has a tangible outlet with instagram serving a secondary purpose.

I’m still work on establishing myself as a photographer. But I want to use instagram more as a secondary outlet. This year I’m concentrating on my ‘Movement’ series, shooting with specific people and building up a thoughtful body of work that can be exhibited and turned into a ‘zine or book. I’ve hardly posted any of this work on instagram and will keep it that way. But I’ll share some photos and updates along the way.

I’m also keen to sell more prints this year. I’m so much happier seeing one of my photos as a print on somebody’s wall than as just a tiny frame on a screen. Again, instagram can be good for letting people know about pricing and print sales.

Evidently, Instagram still has its place in my photographic life. The key will be to remember to use it in a way that is disciplined and supports more tangible gains instead of getting in the way of achieving them.

I’d be interested to hear from other photographers about their relationship with instagram. How do you see it fitting into your photographic ethos and approach? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.