Skip to main content

Photo upload sites - audience opinion

Having uploaded to numerous websites which allow photographers to share their images with a world-wide audience I've come to some interesting conclusions.

Each website has it's own audience and character, although I have noticed that like me there are other promiscuous photographers who upload to more than one site. I may upload the same picture to different sites and the reaction will be completely different.

Some sites, like altphoto are open about their preferences. They want to see 'alternative' photography and warn photographers not to upload sunsets and flowers - two subjects that are very popular on ephotozine.

In many ways these websites for photographers to showcase their work and get feedback play the role of amateur photography clubs, albeit on a much bigger scale.

Conforming to any of them, in the sense of pandering to the predominant taste on the site, can be detrimental to your photography. This is especially true if you take photographs to please a specific audience rather than pursuing your own artistic vision with integrity.

One of the most important things to realise about the camera club mentality is that in order to get members to conform, or measure their progress against their peers it is necessary to follow a set of dogmatic principles. They try to get you to fit a mold. It is easier to measure people against pseudo objective criteria, the received wisdom of photography classes than it is to judge each work by the artists intention. So they hammer on about things like keeping your horizons straight and various other criteria all to do with presentation rather than content.

Beware and remain true to your own vision, no matter how many clicks, ratings or whatever else the online camera club deals out. Don't let yourself get pushed into their way of thinking. Rather seek the audience that suites your work.

I think that there are many different audiences each with it's own set of values and preferences. Art directors, marketing executives, picture editors, amateur photographers, professionals, art critics and museum curators will all look at the same image in a slightly different way and their judgment will reflect their viewpoint.

The thing that really surprises me though is that so many truly great photographs get ignored by the masses. I try to judge pictures in terms of how effective they are at achieving the photographers intention. Do they really communicate something? Do they evoke an emotion? Ultimately I think the judgment of whether a photograph is good or bad is not very useful. Images should instead be looked at in terms of whether they are interesting or not, and this will often depend on context and content.

Your feedback is always welcome. Click on my name below to send me an email.

Paul Indigo

Comments

Anonymous said…
Ray Bradbury said "If they give you lined paper then write the other way."

I think in anything creative you should be like this if you can do so. It was nice that you covered it in this article. I liked the article and thought the Bradbury Quote fits.
David

Popular posts from this blog

Approach to taking a portrait

Portrait of Amitabh Bachchan. Click on the image to see larger version. Every portrait is different but there are also elements which are the same, whether you’re shooting the famous or the locally famous. Fame is of course all relative. It depends on profession, accomplishments or media celebrity status. Whoever the ‘famous’ individual is there are millions of people in the world who will never have heard them. For example I photographed the legendary Indian Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who amongst his many accolades was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, the highest civilian award of France. But I’m positive that many people in North America will not have heard of him – although he has more fans than Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro put together. I find that however well known a person is cracking through egos and insecurities is really important when it comes to getting authentic strong portraits. However I hasten to add that when it came to photographing Amitabh th

The portrait photographer's motivation

Easy access to the Internet and digital photography has resulted in an ever growing number of photographers uploading their images for comments and ratings from peers. Online communities evolve and these mini-societies each have their pecking order, internal groups and communal preferences. Photographers learn from each other. On sites that have a rating system there is often pressure to conform to certain styles, techniques and even subject matter. Although I participate in numerous sites (it's great fun), I recognise the danger of becoming a herd animal and losing the edge of individual creativity. There will always be the creatives that lead the way and the imitators that can only try to follow in their footsteps. This lead me to think about classifying photographers according their inner motivation. So as a bit of fun here are a few different types: The innovator Driven to always find something new, different and creative. Wants to be leading edge. Motivated by creative satisfa

Capturing the truth: The power of documentary photography to shape public opinion

Photographer, writer and artist, Paul Indigo (Photo by Magda Indigo ) Documentary photography is more important than ever because it plays a critical role in informing and shaping public opinion, particularly in today's fast-paced, information-saturated world. With the rise of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, we are bombarded with images and information daily. It can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. From a trusted source, documentary photography counterbalances the often sensationalised and biased coverage of social and political issues. Documentary photography can challenge dominant narratives and foster greater understanding and empathy by presenting a nuanced, humanistic perspective on complex issues. It can highlight underreported and marginalised issues, giving voice to those who are often ignored or silenced. In a world where many people feel disenfranchised and marginalised, documentary photography can help to create a sense of community and solidarity by