I have a major issue with digital photography. Don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience of it, but hate how little longevity there is to it. We’ve become a collection of short term gratification, move on to the next thing to get our endorphin rush, constantly searching for hollow happiness society, that it’s kind of sucked a lot of the enjoyment out of photography for more than just myself.
With applications like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and even my beloved YouTube, we’ve gravitated towards an unhealthy consumption of “content”. 2020 being the year that put the “final nail in the coffin”, so to speak. I truly feel like today, media addiction should be a massive concern and more openly addressed. I’ve even been subject to over consumption of “content”, watching YouTube for hours on end instead of being productive in any way, and even fallen into the recent pitfall of “YouTube photography” (doing photography JUST to put it out on the internet), which is ok to do occasionally, as long as it’s not the only reason you’re going out to take photos.
One of the hardest parts for me to get past, is that I have always enjoyed tangible photos. Receiving photos from family members, collecting band posters when I was a kid, scrolling through coffee table books and magazines of all different kinds, consuming images “the old fashion way”. When I started down the road of photography (late 2021), my first thoughts were of printing my own images and maybe creating images worthy enough to sell to others one day. Assessing where I’m at today, I’ve “kind of” reached that goal, I’ve sold a few prints here and there to friends and family, and even fewer to strangers. But my biggest heartbreak came from realizing that there are so few that care about physical/tangible prints, and are more concerned about getting “likes” and “views”.
I’m going to bring it back from the “sad” state of things, and talk about how I’ve tried my best to counter act the mentality of “digital only” photography consumption. At the beginning of the year (2023), I made a set of “Photography Resolutions”, which range from small things like shooting more photos each month compared to last year, and some bigger ticket resolutions like seeing if I can’t find a magazine to publish some of my work. Well I’m happy to announce that in the Spring 2023 issue of True Northwest magazine, I will be able to check off one resolution, and I’m over the moon about it. On top of that, I found out that a local restaurant I frequent has a “featured artist” wall, I asked if I could get on the list and they said they’d love to hang my work up on the wall in May. So bonus resolution I hadn’t even thought of, getting more physical prints out to the public to enjoy.
I know that these two events won’t change the way the mass majority views photography, no one will see these things and convert to only consuming printed images, and really that’s ok because I don’t want that to happen. I’m probably going to contradict myself in some way, but I don’t want digital photography to go away completely, as it’s still a killer way to get your photography out to so many more than a small group of people in your city or that just go to a single restaurant and see it. I do hope however that more photographers shoot with an intent to at least print some of their images, if it only be for ones self or to share/sell to others. Don’t just be an Instagram/TikTok photographer, or if you do want to share your work digitally, try your hand at YouTube or building your own website where you can choose how You want it to be Best Displayed digitally.
I have no doubt that at some point in the future, I’ll be investing in my own professional printer, building my own custom frames, and learning the art of Photography Archiving. Even if I only end up doing it for my own enjoyment. I may never become a world renown photographer, someone who’s known by name and whose work is sought after to hang on strangers walls. But I know that the work I produce (and the work of others I admire) will eventually be hung up all over my own home walls.
As always, I hope you enjoy the photos I’ve attached to the blog post (a combination of lunch break photos, and a few I used in the magazine and at the restaurant). If you’d like to continue this, or any other conversation, I’d love to talk with you and take inspiration for future writings. Feel free to email me at grimlockmedia@gmail.com
Catch y’all later.
Andrew Hoyle - Grimlock Media
