Episode 1
· 19:39
Hey everyone. Welcome to between the frames. I'm Josh, your host and this is actually the very first episode of this podcast. So first off, I wanted to say thank you for being here. I wanted to create this podcast as a place to talk about photography and other creative outlets in a real unfiltered way.
Joshua:Not just talking about gear or tutorials because honestly, there's already a million of those on YouTube and other platforms, and I'm sure that I have watched about half a million of them. I wanna try to focus more on the experiences, the struggles and the things we don't always say out loud as artists in public spaces. So today, on the inaugural episode, we're diving into something I think some of us may have felt at some point. The photography community's toxicity. Don't get me wrong, I think that the community overall can be an incredible source of inspiration, but sometimes it does feel a little negative or even competitive, at least to me.
Joshua:Have you ever shared a photo you are really proud of only to have someone nitpick it to death instead of just appreciating it? Or maybe you've been in a photography form where it feels like people are more interested in flexing their gear knowledge than actually talking about creativity. It's a weird energy where instead of supporting each other, it feels like a competition to be honest, and that's not cool. So we're talking about all of that today. First off, I want to acknowledge that the community isn't all bad.
Joshua:Like I said before, far from it. In fact, some of the best moments in my journey have come from connecting with other photographers or other artists in other space, say animation, freehand drawing, sketching, things like that. There's something really special about being surrounded by people who just kinda get it. People who understand the excitement of walking around literally all day taking shit photos and still being extremely happy with that. The thrill of nailing a shot and telling the story that you had in mind when you first came across the scene, I think is very special as well.
Joshua:Or the frustration of missing said story. YouTube and the internet, it's been so much easier to learn. When I came back to photography, I spent hours watching YouTube tutorials, reading blogs, following photographers I looked up to. It's honestly wild how much you can pick up just by studying other people's work in this space, not to mention the friendships or support groups you can form. But I have to admit, this is something that I've only recently started doing.
Joshua:But when you find the right people, it can be insanely supportive and something that I highly recommend everyone to do. But and you knew this was coming. It's not always sunshine, perfect days out shooting, or epic moments. So here's where things get a little tricky. As much as the photography community can be uplifting, it can also be exhausting and honestly sometimes discouraging.
Joshua:Let's start with the biggest one that personally comes to my mind. Comparison culture is a huge thing these days, I feel. Social media is a blessing, but also a curse. One minute you're inspired, and the next you're questioning your entire skill set because someone else's work just seems to look better. Whatever that means, honestly.
Joshua:I know I've definitely fallen into that trap before where I'm scrolling through Instagram, seeing super polished images and thinking, damn, what the actual hell is wrong with my work? And does everybody just seem to own a Hasselblad with a thousand megapixels now? Because everything seems to look so crispy. I just don't get it. It's not just about the skill, it's also about the numbers, followers, likes, engagement, blah blah blah.
Joshua:It's so much easier to tie your self worth as a photographer to those things in this day and age, even though deep down we know they don't actually define anything as far as your talent goes. At least it shouldn't. And then there's the gear. Something I saw first hand at a gallery, recently in San Diego. I was walking around checking out the work and I kept overhearing people talking.
Joshua:But not about the photos. No one was talking about the composition, the emotion, the story that the photographer may have been trying to convey in the image. It honestly was all about what camera did this get shot on? Is this medium format? Did they use a Leica?
Joshua:I get it. Gear matters to a degree. I'm not saying it doesn't but should it define photography? I don't think so. And here's a funny story at that same showing, one of my photos actually made it into the show, I was very proud of that.
Joshua:And I was standing kind of in the back, looking at the the image, just kind of seeing seeing what people thought about it from afar, not announcing myself. And I heard a gentleman talking to his friend about the piece. He was going on about how much he loved the detail, the way the shadows and contrast played together. Bleh. You know?
Joshua:It was a, pretty mediocre waterfall photo, if I'm being honest, in Iceland, but he was really into it. And cool. That was great. It it made me proud. So I walked up and I started chatting with them about it, where I took it, my thought process, all of that stuff, small talk.
Joshua:Something I'm not honestly very good at, but putting myself in those uncomfortable situations has been my new thing that I've been trying out this year. It's, going interesting. It's interesting. We'll say that. So after all of that small talk, he he asked me a question.
Joshua:He said, what camera did you use? And I said, my iPhone 12 pro. I was kinda shaking my phone in my hand when I said that. And I swear to you, this man's entire expression changed. Like I just personally offended him.
Joshua:Like I called him an asshole to his face or something. I didn't get it. It was like suddenly all of a sudden the photo that he was hyping up and was enjoying so much wasn't good anymore. It was a very strange interaction with somebody, but that's what it was. And to me personally, I think that that is the kind of mindset that kills creativity.
Joshua:If a photo speaks to you, it speaks to you. Who gives a shit what it was shot on? It's wild to me that people will ignore the actual art just because it wasn't taken with a quote unquote real camera. What is a real camera anymore? To me, it goes with the old saying, the best camera is the one that you have with you.
Joshua:And what I traveled with for years, years, was just my iPhone. I don't do that anymore because I feel like I did miss some moments that could have been higher quality, but for years I traveled with just my iPhone. I swear we'll get into some positive, notes in this podcast, but the last point I'm going to make is clout chasing and toxic competition. If you ever notice how some people in the space seem more focused on being seen as a great photographer than actually being one, it's less about creating meaningful work and more about going viral. I've seen people, literally copy trending shots just to chase engagement.
Joshua:I did this in Kyoto, and I was taking a photo of a very famous pagoda there down a a windy street. I woke up and got there super early, and the amount of people that were there at the exact same time, the exact same photo, I honestly was doing it just because I wanted to see what it was like to go to a place that has been photographed thousands of times to see what the kind of response is. And literally everybody there is taking the exact same photo, the exact same shot. I didn't share mine because I feel like it's kind of, pointless, But I got the shot, the exact same shot, got in line pretty much to get the shot, which was, interesting. But that's something I think a lot of people do, is they chase engagement.
Joshua:And And it makes me wonder, are we creating or we're just chasing numbers? Does this even fall under, toxicity or toxic competition? I don't know. I really don't know. Don't get me wrong, I think it's totally fine to care about your reach especially if you're trying to make a living from photography.
Joshua:I think reach and engagement and building a social platform is super important for you if that's what you're going for. I'm not trying to completely bash on on that. But but when your work starts to feel kinda like you're just shooting for the algorithm, to me, that's a little silly. And I think that's why I I think that that's kind of a clout chasing or a competitive thing because you're going out and you're taking the exact same photos as other people or you're mimicking styles to a degree that there's no creativity in it for yourself. There's no, originality to it.
Joshua:It's just you going and getting the same exact shots that everybody else is getting and you're not even attempting to put your own spin on it at that point. Look at me. Am I part of the toxicity in the community? I don't know. But, maybe.
Joshua:What did Faisal Westcott say the other day on threads? He said, ever notice how the people that have the least amount going on with their photography have the most to say about your photography. And I think that that is what I'm trying to convey in this is that the negativity on photography forms, Instagram comments, threads, you're always going to find people who seem to have something to say. Constructive criticism is great, that's one thing But when you find people that straight up start tearing you down, that's a whole different conversation. I've had people DM me with unsolicited critiques before.
Joshua:Like, hey man, your composition's off or this edit looks like shit. Cool? I I guess. Cool? I didn't really ask for it, but that's your opinion and, thanks for the feedback.
Joshua:Why don't you travel across an ocean and get the shot yourself if you don't like my work so much? At the end of the day, if feedback isn't helpful or requested, it's just noise. And honestly, sometimes the best thing you can do is mute, unfollow or just ignore it altogether. So if you are feeling burnt out, this is where we get into a little bit of the, the tips, I guess, you can call it. No more negativity, promise.
Joshua:We're gonna get into some helpful tips hopefully. At least, I hope they're helpful to you. These are these are things that I wish that I listen to sooner personally. And I think that the first thing that I would do would be focus on your own path, grow at your own rate, grow at your own pace rather. Photography definitely is not a race.
Joshua:There's no finish line, trust me. There's no prize for getting the most likes and your competition really is yourself. Instead of looking at other photographers and feeling discouraged, look at your own work from six months ago, a year ago, just to see how far you've actually grown. I think that growth goes unnoticed often these days because you're so busy trying to produce the next image to put the next post out, make the next reel, come up with the next idea. Go back.
Joshua:Go back and look at look at how far you've come as a photographer or an artist. I think it's extremely important to do that, to reflect. I do it all the time. I look at past images that I've taken all the time. I recently was going through some of my very first photos that I took when I was doing sports photography.
Joshua:And it was it was honestly incredible how, I I don't even wanna say bad because they were just that's just what I was doing at the time and that's where I was in the in my journey as a photographer. So I won't say that they're bad, I think that they were just different. We'll just call them different. Secondly, I think what I would do is I would curate my social media feed. If someone's work makes you feel inspired, definitely follow them.
Joshua:Awesome. If someone's post or work makes you feel kind of, like crap or you can't live up to that standard, then, I mean, it maybe unfollow them. I don't know. I think that looking at photographers and other artists that are at a completely higher level than than you are or years ahead of you is a good thing. But if if it really brings you down, then maybe unfollow them for a little while until you progress further.
Joshua:You are definitely in control of what you consume. Always remember that. At the I personally started a whole new Instagram page. Got rid of my personal one that I had since I started the platform when it first came out. And just focused on photos again.
Joshua:And trying to use social media in more of a positive way rather than sending the boys, 57 memes a day. This kinda leads me into my next point. Definitely find your people. Not everyone in this community is bad for sure. Probably probably 90% of people in this community are actually really good.
Joshua:There are amazing people out there. People who genuinely want to support and uplift each other. Find those people. Engage with them. Collaborate if you're if you're able.
Joshua:I personally wouldn't be writing on substack or even recording this podcast if it wasn't for the help of an awesome photographer who goes by the name of her name, Lucy Luman. So seriously, find your people. It is by far if you take anything from this, that. Because building building a community that's supportive is the best thing that you can do. Seriously, the best thing that you can do.
Joshua:The last point I wanna make is try to detach from validation. Your worth isn't tied to likes or followers or what kind of camera you own, blah blah blah. It's not. Some of the best photographers I know, they don't even have Instagram. Mainly because most of them are dead but that that's besides the point.
Joshua:They love photography and to be honest, I'm not sure if they would have been participating in this chase for likes and engagement like we do today. But who knows? It's part of the world that we live in and that's just is what it is. I think that's a good place to wrap up. I know that this kinda turned into a little bit of a ramble, but it is my first episode.
Joshua:If you've ever felt frustrated by the community, whether it's the pressure to consistently post, the comparisons, the gear struggle, just know you're not alone. Yeah. You're not alone. But also, photography is supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be fulfilling.
Joshua:So if the community or social media is making you feel drained and you can't seem to get out of that that, spot spotlight of negativity when it comes to sharing your work, take a step back. Shoot for you, not for the internet. Keep it simple. Don't share for a while. Just keep it for yourself.
Joshua:And when you feel like you've grown enough, then maybe start sharing again. The worst thing that you could do is get to a point where every time you share you feel some level of anxiety that drains you so much that you don't even wanna shoot photography anymore. Because if this is a passion for you, if this is something that you actually care about, don't do it for other people. Do it for yourself. And if doing it for yourself and sharing work online stresses you out, don't share it.
Joshua:It's fine. Look at Vivian Meyer, she shot for years, years. Never shared it. Never shared it. I love to hear from you.
Joshua:You can message me on substack or Instagram. I'll put those in the show notes. And I would love to keep this conversation going if it's something that resonates with you. Thank you for listening to between the frames. If you like this episode, subscribe so you don't miss the next one.
Joshua:I'm not sure when I'll post the next one. I'm gonna try to do two a month. We'll see how it works out. I do travel a lot. I'm recording this right now in Nashville, Tennessee in a hotel room and, yeah.
Joshua:So hopefully two two a month. That's, that's the goal. They will definitely get more polished, I hope. I I hope. And I appreciate all of you for joining me on this first episode.
Joshua:See you next time. Thanks.
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