Over a year ago I wrote a blog titled "Are we being ripped off as Photographers". And the funny thing is nothing has changed It may have even gotten worse.
For the past few months I have been speaking with various people about social media and in particular Instagram and just watching what is happening, don't get me wrong I enjoy posting and the interaction of Instagram, but delve a little deeper and there are all sorts of shenanigans going on between companies and people. The truth be known I don't care what goes on, I have enough in my own life to worry about.
But what really is annoying is that there are so many people posting images, that are still not real be it a composite image and then selling workshops on the back of this stating that this is what you will capture if you come on "OUR" workshop or the general adding of elements to make the scene. Keep it f&*king real people, if not tell people, they may think twice about coming to your workshop!
Bots and computer-aided help is also a big topic and a lot of people are using them to gain followers and likes, I do not understand it, is it that important to be have a gazillion followers, it takes hard work and dedication to build up any following and you have to put in the mileage and hard yards to keep them by posting and interacting with people, who are hopefully real and are not a bot.
Bullying is also rife within the IG communities, a photographer will be approached by a company or the other way around and together they will work out what’s best for each other and good luck to them. They don't need harassing or publicly being pissed on that they are ruining the photography industry. It’s a business and people go with the cheaper option if the quality is good, that's what happens, also check back to a few years ago when you were the one on a plane going to an instameet for FREE because of exposure and Instafame.
Instagram is as far as I am concerned still awesome, if you don't get involved in who is in bed with who or who is not talking to who and they don't know what they are doing etc comments, enjoy it for what it is, a photographic sharing site and if you are lucky to make money from it even better, but please don't become an Instafu*&kin Diva like so many are.
Cheers
Wayne
