Instagram and the Struggle to Create

Instagram is the go-to platform for many photographers who want to share their work for fun or to market themselves to their community. Lately, a lot of photographers will strive to become “Instafamous” on the platform by getting the most engagement on their creative content. I have fallen under the spell of Instagram notoriety many times and I can definitively say that it can be unhealthy for my mind AND business.

Instagram, like every other social media platform, can become addicting and narrow our perceptions on what we see as quality content. Social media is where people advertise happy moments and fun adventures, not reality. It is essentially a highlight reel. This has led many users, including myself at times, to assume that our lives are boring.


This is especially the case for photographers who see other creators traveling the world or working with big-name brands to create amazing content that goes viral. Many of us smaller accounts envy the larger ones as we wish we could achieve the same success because we somehow decided that the measure of our skill and creativity is the number of followers we have on social media. This is a highly contagious and toxic trap that you should avoid falling into at all costs. We have all been there, but for someone like me who puts content on social media t advertise myself and my brand, this mindset can seriously affect my business and my mental health.


Speaking of business, there are some companies who will use your Instagram post in their advertisements without your permission. According to a New York court ruling, posting content on Instagram essentially grants the platform to sublicense your images. This is a serious problem for photographers who make a living off the images they produce; we do not just hand them out for free to companies. Posting images on your public Instagram page grants Instagram licensing rights to your photos and they therefore can sell your images to other clients.

Now, for most people this is not an issue as they post content on Instagram for the fun of it and do not care to license their images, but for professional photographers, we have to be careful about what we post on social media. We cannot post any of the work we create professionally and cannot control what our clients post. There are a handful of alternatives to Instagram that I personally recommend.

500px is a photography-centric platform built for professionals and creatives specifically in mind, and Flickr has been around for a while and is trusted by many professionals. I have accounts on both platforms, though I use 500px more frequently as it is more engaging.


Mental health is a clearly important issue and has affected me with social media as a direct cause. Rather than be motivated to go create engaging content, I would sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that I will never be as good as some of the people I follow, and in turn completely lose any motivation. My solution? Get off of social media for a day or even week and go to an art museum or walk around the city to get motivated, breath some fresh air, and find inspiration. Reality is often more interesting than what you see on a screen.


Note that when I started this post, I said that social media “can” be unhealthy for my mind and business. There are times when other people on the platform have engaged with me about my content or a mutual interest and that has been very educational and interesting. Other times I have had potential clients see the kind of work I have on my page or my website and they have reached out to me for jobs. Technology helps me reach more people and maximize my business. It also helps me meet new people and expand my horizons.


Everything in moderation, though, as there are always unintended consequences with technology and social media platforms host a variety of people with different opinions and objectives. That being said, just have fun with it. Do not take social media too seriously because it is not meant to be taken seriously; it is meant to be fun.

Sources:
https://fstoppers.com/legal/new-york-court-rules-posting-instagram-photographer-gave-her-exclusive-licensing-477136
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/may/03/how-instagram-changed-our-world

The Father of Photojournalism

Matthew Brady was an American photographer best known for his work on the American Civil War. He studied under Samuel F. B. Morse, the American pioneer of the daguerreotype technique, and owned a studio in New York City. He received permission from President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 to document the War and travel the battle sites.


This move by Lincoln is extremely surprising as he was never a supporter of the war effort and never wanted it to have taken place, so for him to allow a photographer to document something for which he felt shame is unprecedented. Nevertheless, this sealed Brady’s spot in history as the “Father of Photojournalism.”


During the War, he maximized his efforts by employing the help of assistants who went around to the different battlefields and documented the soldiers both living and dead. He opened a gallery in his New York studio called “The Dead of Antietam” and this was the first time the public was able to witness the harsh realities of war. They were at first intrigued, but after the end of the War, the interest faded as people wanted to forget the conflict.


The growing disinterest by the public and the refusal by the government to purchase the plates culminated in the bankruptcy of Brady and his studio. He eventually died poor and in debt in New York City in 1896.


Tragic as this story is, it set a massive precedent for Americans as the interest in war photography grew during both World Wars and interests the public even today. Controversy surrounds this form of journalism as either informative or gruesome. It is an influential aspect of our country’s history as seen in the World Wars and especially the Vietnam War when war photography gave rise to anti-war protests across the country.


War photography may be morbid at times and representative of the darker side of humanity’s inability to live peacefully, but ultimately it informs the public about the facts of war so that they can in turn make their own informed decisions on the matter.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathew_Brady

Street Photography Laws

The newest category of photography I have dived into is street photography. Street photography consists of taking pictures of urban architecture, people, and objects in interesting situations or lighting. However, there are a slew of laws surrounding what you can and cannot take pictures of in any given location.


Every photographer has the right to take any picture they want in a public setting, within reason of consideration of ethics and private property. Public property is public, and we all pay taxes for it, so every photographer has the right to shoot any scene in a public space. Private property is another story as once you set foot on property owned by an individual or organization, you are subject to the rules and regulations that they set. If you walk into a mall, restaurant, or amusement park and an employee states that you are not allowed to take photographs, you are legally required to not use your camera.


Obviously, you need to do your homework before traveling somewhere so you can be aware of your rights and what rules are in place where you are going. Street photography laws are different in almost every state but the right to photograph in public spaces and copyrights to your images are consistent under “Freedom of Panorama.”


Some public spaces may have regulations surrounding the use of flash, disturbing the flow of traffic, or causing safety hazards. Again, do your homework as these regulations are specific to every state and country. Some buildings or spaces are protected such as the Eiffel Tower at night because the light show is protected. The worst thing you can do is get yourself arrested in Budapest for photographing a police officer without a permit!


If someone approaches you asking what you are doing or to remove the image, be honest and courteous and tell them who you are and what you are doing. If they insist then you can remove the photo to avoid any potential conflict, but they cannot legally force you to do this. No image is worth an altercation in my opinion.


If taken in a public area, the copyright of the image is yours and you can display the image however you want, unless it is for commercial purposes. In that case, you will need a model release for any identifiable person in your future advertisement or promotional material.


Make sure you read up on your rights and restrictions before you go out to shoot. Street photography is intimidating enough, so do not make things harder for yourself by breaking the rules and displaying poor ethics.

Sources:
https://expertphotography.com/street-photography-laws/
http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

Valor por Tamaulipas

Citizen journalism is a highly interesting and relevant topic in our current climate of a globalized economy of information. First, what exactly is citizen journalism? It is exactly what the name implies: ordinary citizens acting as reporters of local news to which they have firsthand access. Primary sources of newsworthy events are important, but in many cases, there are issues of bias, risk of libel, and copyrights. Anyone can be a citizen reporter but will obviously have an angle in what they report or could put out damaging information to an individual in mainstream media. 

One of the best examples that came to my mind of citizen journalism is the Facebook page “Valor por Tamaulipas” in which an anonymous administrator posted security-related information about drug-related violence in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The page was founded on the first of January in 2012 and underwent a series of threats from both local cartels and government officials as it was bringing their wrongdoings to light. For context, there are two transnational cartels based in Tamaulipas: Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel. Both of which have been at war since 2010 and are some of the biggest players in smuggling across the Texan border. Mexico has been an extremely dangerous place for journalists who report on drug-related events and approximately 100 journalists have been kidnapped or murdered since 2000.

One of the cartels, supposedly the Los Zetas and affiliated government officials, posted fliers around the state offering 600,000 pesos for information on the identity of the page’s admin or family members. After a string of other threats and released videos of murders and people asking for the admin to reveal their identity being tortured, the admin released a statement placing blame of these killings on the government officials whom were corrupt or afraid to act out.

The admin released one final statement in December of 2014 announcing their retirement from the page and that it along with sister sites would be under new management. The reasons behind the admin’s retirement are unknown and stated simply as “personal.”

What are the implications of a Facebook page administrated by an unknown ordinary citizen exerting a level of control over an entire criminal empire in their state? There is a level of power that comes with citizen journalism and anonymity. Anyone can shed light on news they find worthy of dissemination, but this can lead them down a very dangerous road if they are not careful. People died because of the content posted on Valor por Tamaulipas. Citizen journalism can ultimately act as the leveling field for the rich, poor, old, and young to be cut down to the same scrutiny of the public and the law. I personally believe that my generation will be the most proactive with citizen journalism than any other generation in history because of our access to a camera and skill with social media. It has become easier for people to discern between fact and fiction in politics, and it will be up to us to bring these discrepancies to light and inform the public about how local cities and towns are affected by crime, policies, and social issues.

Sources:

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/rise-citizen-journalism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valor_por_Tamaulipas#cite_note-18

Digital Privacy

Privacy online has been a hot topic for the past few decades as technology becomes more accessible and commercial. Kids as young as 3 can have iPads or other brand tablets to play fun or educational games on, thus growing up to be accustomed to technology and seeing easy access to devices as the norm, not a luxury. This leads into a growing concern for what kind of information people put on these devices and the shared platforms such as social media or even email.


Concerns over hackers, stalkers, police, and multiple governments having access to our personal information rise as we discover the usage of license plate readers, facial recognition, and other penetrating technology. Tech companies have to build encryption features into our devices in order to prevent this from happening, but it is nowhere near impossible to hack devices and find banking information or private messages for blackmail.


There are two aspects to the information out there online about us: voluntary information and involuntary information. Voluntary information is what we post about on social media or put in our bios on our accounts. Involuntary information is someone being able to take a picture of another person and use face recognition to find out everything about that person’s life before even saying a word to them.


All this information is stored by those who find it since it is so affordable to do so. The government and security organizations keep information on innocent people, not just known criminals, just in case they may need to locate that person in the future. GPS systems in cars show our every move, location services on our Internet browsers show advertisers where we are and what to show in ads, and CCTV tracks every store that we walk in and out of. All of this can surprisingly be hindered by purchasing the right products. Microsoft and Apple products are generally safe and have high levels of encryption that make it difficult for hackers to get on to your devices.


All it takes to lessen fears about your information being stolen is choosing the right technology and being aware of what information you are posting about yourself and what others are posting about you. Ask your family members to ask your permission before posting anything that involves you in some way. Think twice about the image you post on Instagram or late-night tweet you post on Twitter. Talk online like you talk to your mom!

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu1C-oBdsMM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt4o-R9wzrs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni4FV5zL6lM

My Online Footprint

Most people do not even consider the fact that all of their information is out there for anyone, with or without good searching skills, to find. In lieu of the information found in a handful of articles from Bloomberg News, The Atlantic, and Fast Company about our lack of privacy online, I decided to do an audit of my online footprint. Even if we are not on the Internet at all, others are pushing out content about us sometimes without our knowledge.



How big is my online footprint? Well, I am a socially active 21-year-old, so it is pretty big. I am active on multiple social media platforms and I even have a professional website for my photography business. I have multiple accounts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Vero, Pinterest, 500px, Flickr, and probably a few others. Some of these platforms I do not even use anymore. On my business accounts, I have my email up in my bio so that potential clients can reach me. On my website, I have links to my business accounts and my email and phone number live on my contact page. This probably freaks out some people, but it is the easiest way for clients to get in touch with me.



On my social media sites and website, visitors can access some biographic info about myself so that they can get an idea of who I am, and I can create some trust with my audience. My social media sites, more so than my website, give a look into my daily life and my personality. The whole purpose of social media is to be social and put yourself out to the world in order to make connections. Obviously, some companies such as Facebook and some ad agencies take advantage of this by digging deeper and trying to use private information for profit. This is what turns most people off from the Internet, and under no circumstances is that just “the risk that you take.” Your life is your own and you can put out whatever information you want and keep private information private as is the law.



I put out the information that I feel comfortable revealing to people and fully understand the risks of using social media, though I am one of the few people who see social media as a fun outlet for me to be inspired by others’ creativity or philosophies as long as I do not take criticism too seriously or spend too much time online. My personal motto is “Everything in moderation” and this is one of the many situations where something can be fun and engaging when handled in small doses.

Sources:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90315706/kids-parents-social-media-sharing
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/facebook-users-still-dont-know-how-facebook-works/580546/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-03/millions-of-facebook-records-found-on-amazon-cloud-servers?srnd=premium
https://www.fastcompany.com/90359992/an-ad-tech-pioneer-on-where-our-data-economy-went-wrong-and-how-to-fix-it

Virtual Reality and the Diffusion of Innovation

Virtual reality headsets for video games have been in development since the early to mid 1990s but did not pick up steam until 2012 with the Kickstarter for the first independently made VR headset: the Oculus Rift. This innovation launched the world of video games and even cinema into new territories as people were now able to experience things seen in movies and games in first person and react in real time.


The Diffusion of Innovations theory describes how and why new ideas and technology spread and even at what rate they spread according to Everett Rogers. There are four proponents to the spread of new innovations, and they are the innovation itself, different communication channels, time, and an established social system. In America, innovation is par for the course as I mentioned in my previous post about the Promotion of Innovation as the most important of the Eight Values of Expression.


The spread of innovation can be categorized in innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. The innovators are those who created the technology and the early adopters are the first ones to accept the innovation whether it be in use or independent development. The early and late majority are those who adopted the technology during its peak innovation and profit. Finally, the laggards are those who adopt the innovation after its peak transmission when it is either phasing out or becoming mainstream.


In the case of virtual reality, the rate of adoption is still pretty high as we have not even reached peak transmission because the technology is still new and only in the past few months has there been a completely affordable and easy-to-set-up headset for people to purchase and a full triple A game developed solely for VR. All of which has happened in the past year. Virtual reality is a completely new innovation following the advent of 3D visuals in cinema, striking me as the logical next leap in technology.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality#Technology