People say that artists are not their own best editors, but I day to heck with that. Trust your vision and say what you want to say. That's what we do and that's how it should be.
The ‘Curse of the Artist’ is that we have a fiery passion for creating work that speaks with our voices and reveals some of our own truths to anyone willing to listen, but that passion is often tamed by the need for our work to be appreciated by others; Sometimes, you can’t have both.
i dont mean to be so off topic but does anybody know a tool to get back into an instagram account? I was stupid lost my account password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
Matt - As I am rarely posting on social media, I am not too much influenced. And believe me, that doesn’t make it easier as sometimes I have doubts about my own work. This prevented me for years to publish anything up until today. I just placed the order to have my first zine printed. Will be ready on Monday :) Thanks for another great vid
I think your style of sharing on IG and in general is a great influence. The hyper curated look can be cool but it makes it seem like there are certain "correct" or "perfect" photos to post. The only right photo is the one that feels right and special to you.
Shooting FOR a project, and making a project FROM your portfolio are very different things, each its own reward. With regard to sharing, I think you fundamentally need to understand if you are making the work for yourself, or if you are making the work for an audience. It is a wonderful but somewhat rare thing when those align perfectly.
I really appreciate the care free all over the place type of posts. It feels real, it feels transparent, It's relatable. Curated is nice, but it can get sterile. I love seeing other photographers post experimental work, even if it isn't "perfect". At the end of the day, do what feels right for you at that time.
I'm so glad you shared your thoughts on this as it relates to you and your life. I appreciate your candor with these different aspects of your photographic life. Several months ago, I was convinced to finally sign up for Instagram and began posting there. Well, my thoughts on IG are more on the negative scale than the positive. I find most people like images more as an acknowledgement that they've seen it as opposed to necessarily liking the image. But also few people leave any kind of comment. Oh sure you might get some silly emojis which, to me, mean zero. In my view, IG et al are not the venues for getting feedback. I love that you did that project without sharing any of the photos beforehand. Great way to do it. I've learned something from you sharing this with us. Thank you (and apologies for this long harangue).
I have worked as an Editor for years and now starting to shoot my own work is very difficult. I always feel like I never truly see with my own eyes. I always judge my own work so harshly. I worry too much about what others think. I fear my own vision will never be fully actualised due to fear. Thanks for sharing this video Matt.
I have roughly 2,000 photos stored away from the past few years, the bulk of which being from 2018-2020 (before that was mostly projects for uni). I think theres a benefit to keeping them to yourself for a while, as spending time with your photos or coming back to older ones later can spell a new appreciation for them that you may not have had originally. On the flip-side, sharing regularly even with no series or theme in mind, also helps people (and yourself) see what you are photographically attracted too, which is just as valuable. The trick is to find that happy medium between the two.
I've been sitting on my work for a minute now, due to my scanning workflow changing and wanting to have a consistent body of work. I'm in no rush to share my work since it's not my job and nobody is waiting for it, once it feels right I'll be sharing it little by little.
Curation is good in a trivial sense, but so is production. I dislike the opposite of curation, which I see as the "stream-of-consciousness"-style IG feeds where they post a blurry photo of their toe, a cat turd, their car door, etc. Your photos are quite decent photos of true-to-life events with good aesthetics and excellent craft, and they are relevant to your life. I love that and try to do the same (but not up to your example yet). There are already enough of those "hyper-polished" feeds where every single photo is a portfolio-worthy image that any of us would have been proud to take. You have to do what feeds your soul, but I personally would be happy to see you continue down the path you are already on. Seeing someone so real, and so near where I grew up makes me happy every day. The fact that Molly's feed dovetails so well with your feed is a huge bonus.
Great video Matt! I do enjoy your sort of off-the-cuff way of sharing your photography in your videos. I think it helps a lot of people and more than once you've inspired me to pick up my camera. I think most of us have been at a stage where we've asked ourselves oh damn, is this shot good enough for IG which totally ruïnes the inherently spontaneous and subjective nature of photography. I've certainly been there. As if somehow IG hired me to be their photographer, lol. So for the last year or so I've been getting back to just shooting what I like and I guess I'll post about 30% of what I shoot. Sometimes I do remind myself that my father shot in times without social media and he enjoyed photography just as much as I do.
Matt, you gotta keep sharing what works for you. For others, sharing a more curated gallery or portfolio might work or be what they (feel the) need to do in order to achieve their goals. If you enjoy sharing your work the way you do - as another form of family documentation, and it works for you and what you want to achieve with Photography then that's the way it's got to be. I've tried to improve (from my perspective) my curation of my work/archive over the past few months. I was always like you in that I didn't like sitting in photographs ... I like making photographs, I'm excited to share them but then I want to go out and make some more, and share those. My Instagram became quite disjointed with new pictures of all sorts of things popping up. Sharing pictures and then moving onto the next set also meant I often lost focus of things which might have turned into interesting projects because I was already off working on the next thing. Since about two years ago I've tried to keep more of an eye on longer term projects, organise my work better and share my work in a more structured and planned way - with that also being reflective of a more structured and planned approach to my work, and taking it more seriously again. For a few years my projects were dictated by others, so when I stopped working and became self-directed I was missing ... direction. Anyway, I think it's working for me ... it might not work for you, though. Sorry, I've gone on a bit myself here ... time to get to work!
It's MattDay MonDay! One I always look forward to. I am quite shy about sharing my own work, but when I do share on social media, it's very much your stream-of-consciousness approach rather than a curated portfolio approach. This video made me think about sharing more. Thanks. Andy
I like the uncurated posting style personally. It shows us that excellent photographers are more than just folks with cameras, and that you guys have LIVES and screwups too!
Been thinking about this a lot too. Definitely a fan of the public journal approach to ig, but I for sure relate to that feeling of being influenced by always sharing what you’re making. And I always have to wonder if my zines or projects would be more impactful if they were all unshared photos (or if anybody actually cares about that haha)
I do like the heavily curated look that some people go with (transitioning between seasons, mounting pictures on white squares etc.) but it does feel like branding rather than a natural, honest view into their lives. I feel like yours is a WYSIWYG portal into your life and work and I like that, it suits you. It'd be a shame, to me, if that changed but you do you... that's always the best way :)
Not gonna lie, I was hesitant to watch this video. Mostly from fear and insecurity of how I currently shoot and share photos, but I’m so glad I did watch. Thanks for all your advice and wisdom over the years, your videos have taught me so much and have challenged my photography!
Love You Matt!!! Thanks, I dealt with this on my music and figuring it out on the images I shoot and my first zine. I appreciate you addressing this bruh
After having 2 shows where people didn't show up in part because they had already seen the photos online, I decided to withhold photos when working on a zine last year. In a refreshing change of pace, I debuted about 15-20 photos through a zine and sold more than 100 copies. I share some things on IG just so I don't disappear, but I wind up keeping the important things to myself. Sometimes I'll only show stuff on RUclips , but I'm still trying to decide how I feel about that. It's frustrating to work so hard on photos only to have them die after being shared on a medium just larger than a postage stamp. That's where I am now ... which at least feels a little like it's going in the right direction.
Hey Matt, so I know exactly what you're talking about when it comes to figuring out your style. It really makes me relax about obsessing over the thought that I've got to find my style. It feels a little anxiety inducing when I feel like everyone else has it figured out. But it seems like in reality it may take a person's whole life to figure out their style, what things are meaningful to oneself, and what exactly can make a person passionate about doing a craft is that chase. I love everything about what you share, it's really amazing. Your photography has pushed me in a similar direction as, just as your hat says, to document my life. Keep doing what you're doing!
Interesting, Thanks for sharing. About a month ago, I logged out of facebook and instagram so that I could clear my mind in terms of why I am a photographer and the meaning attached to my images. I am already developing ideas for a project, and the reason i am taking photos are much more focused on story telling as apposed to shots to post on social media. I will go back to social media once i have a "clear head", but then only as a back-story journal for friends and family. my actual body of work I want to be more meaningful to me, and probably will then also be to others as well. Prints, magazines (Zene - what is that?) books. Problem, my stock of film is still sitting in an airport warehouse waiting for my country (Laos) to open up, and I have enough developer for only 2 rolls of 120mm.............aggghhhhh! I guess there are more important issues at stake than my film stocks during this time! Thanks for posting, keep it up.
Listen dude, just trust your first instinct and share what you love without regard to what anyone thinks. You have developed enough of an eye that you know what is important to you, and that's why we subscribe and follow you. Down the line you're not going to care about what trends, you're going to care about what those photos mean to you and your family. Use IG as a journal, let it tell your story, not the story you think others want to see. It'll be fine! The more pressure you put on yourself to cater to an audience the quicker you'll burn out and drive yourself crazy. Just enjoy yourself and good things will follow.
I share no more than one photo a day on IG, and treat it more like a scrapbook, or work in progress outlet. My photo series and book projects all reside on my website.
FWIW I think you are doing it right. Project based using social for BTS and announcements. And thanks for helping me see the light re: project-based :)
I’m increasingly coming to the position that it is a mistake to attribute value to art based on it’s reception on Instagram, whether that’s in metrics or feedback from people in comments. Whilst social platforms like Instagram give everyone the chance to get attention from potentially a lot of people, the amount of attention is very little per person - so really, and judgement of the work is quite superficial. Likewise, the reception more often depends more about your social connections than the art itself. I once had a photo reshared by a well followed “magazine” account: it got more likes than all of my own posts combined - and has remained that way. It wasn’t the photo that was bad, it was the artists social connections! Distributing your work as a zine, though, might not reach as many people, but those it does reach you have more of their attention (most people aren’t in the habit of throwing away their zine collection once a day!). So I guess as to deciding what you share when, you just have to take into account the nature of the medium and the goal for sharing it. If the goal is promotional (I.e. I want people to buy my prints/zines) that’s quite different to just sharing an image you enjoyed with people who like your work, or sharing a well curated story told through a series of images.
Obviously it's completely up to you how you share your work, but I think what you have done all these years is perfect. However, there is definitely a time and place for some work to sit off to the side for photobooks/zines!
My Instagram is all over the place. Haha. Dogs, beer, coffee, toys, actual portraits, etc. My website is a little more focused and organized. But I like the idea of keeping a project pretty quiet until I feel it’s ready. Too much outside influence can really change things. I have spent hours setting up lights and compositing images together, and I feel really proud of it. Then it doesn’t get the same love and attention that I feel like it deserves. But a quick snapshot of my dog or whatever will get all sorts of attention. Social media can be strange that way. I want to make a zine/book, and I have been playing around with a few ideas. I do think I will go the route you did when I do it. Just shoot for what I think it should be and put it out there when it’s ready.
I do, normally, like to show a bit of the process. Depending on the project, of course. I'll try and post updates on IG to keep people in the loop. With the recent book release, I didn't really share anything. I shared a few of the photos on IG back in October when I originally took them, but I made no mention of the book. I didn't even announce the book release, because I was torn on releasing with the current state of things. Obviously, I decided to go ahead with the release, and I am overwhelmed by the support shown. I know I've already said it, bu I really appreciate you picking up a copy, my man. Can't wait to get hands on your zine. From an outsider perspective, I do enjoy seeing a bit of the process. I really appreciate how Jason Lee tends to go about showing his progress on books and such. It's nice to see that BTS stuff, but I really like being surprised by the final product. I don't want to purchase a book full of photos that I've already seen. That kind of takes the fun out of it.
I think that when shooting for a project it is best to not share individual photos as they lose context. Outside of project work I would share the images.
My own favorite posts on Instagram are almost always the ones, that get less likes and reach far fewer people. The most liked of my own posts always come as a surprise to me. It's mostly pictures I posted because they are good enough to share in my opinion, but never the best in the batch from my point of view. I try not to be influenced by that fact, when I decide what to post - but it does mean, that I'm more inclined to post things now, that are similar to posts of the past, that were better received, than I expected at the time... As far as what take photos of, I don't care what other people think. I shoot what interests me. It's the only way I can feel good about wasting film when I make mistakes, continue to learn from the mistakes and try again, until I got the shot the way I wanted it. As far your Instagram style, I say, do what you feel comfortable doing, that works!
Cool video , Matt. Personally, I like the journal-like style you use for sharing your photos. In the end, though, use whatever style motivates you most to be creative.
My own instagram is very much just a diary of film and digital photography and I like it that way. I do understand for some the cohesive everything is the same model works for them. That does not bring me joy and when I did it before I got no more leads than I do now just being myself.
Love it. Love your work and the direction you are taking. And honestly, stick to your gut-feeling. I am a professional photographer myself and I 've had a love hate relationship with Social-Media at least since it has become less social and more marketing... its weird as you have to decide how much time to spend on what and, as you said in your video, consider so many different opinions... but in the end... even-though that can lead to huge success... at least for me, my way is the only one. And sure that can and certainly is and will be influenced by different people, trends etc... it will not be dictated though... if that makes any sense... english is not my native language so I hope I'm not blabbering to much. Either way. keep up the great work and stay healthy.
My Instagram swings with my mood. I went for a while where it was curated for consistency in look. I found that limiting my posts a bit to much for my taste so I ditched making sure 3 photos were tied to each other and back to at a minimum of 1 post a day to coincide with a 365 project I am doing this year. I do post more but there is at least one post a day.
Hi Matt, Have you considered creating two separate IG accounts? One that's tailored towards this channel, your family, test shots from using various cameras and film and the other IG account that markets your business and specific projects/portfolios. The work that you post that are specific to a project, theme feel like they were taken with more thought and intent thus translating to more artistic quality and therefore are a bit more relatable personally for me; just my personal observation. Also, have you thought about taking pictures of Chillicothe that reflect more specially of how the town is responding to this pandemic to further expand upon your Social Distancing project?
This whole stay at home thing caused me to loose interest in photography and also I have a hard time inspiring others if I can't be inspired myself! So I chose to take care of my myself instead and accept that it is not the time for photography for me at the moment!
I think that not sharing the photos before publishing the zine was a good choice, in this way you took photos in the way you wanted without being influenced by others.
I don't really care for the super curated Instagram profile.. portfolios might be a good way to solicit work, but I'm just looking at Instagram for fun and inspiration since I'm not hiring. Likewise I'm just sharing as I go myself, but I do think twice about posting something other than "proper" photos. I normally delete the title card posts for my videos after a week or two.
Most of my photos on IG are film so before I post a photo it always takes a few days, sometime weeks and it has to go through some post treatment, crooked horizon, adjust light and I let it sit for a few days before posting. In a few occasions, I changed my minds about a photo that was supposed to be posted and was discarded.
Previously I shared just about every photo I made that I really liked. But recently I am trying to be more selective in what I share, in part, because I'm working on making my first zine. I think once an artist "posts" or puts their work out to share with the public they giving away some of their ownership of it because others will formulate their own interpretation into the meaning of the photo/art. We want what we create to be appreciated/valued but that should not depend on others reaction to it, but rather from the process we go through in creating it. If only you saw your work, would you still feel the same about it?
Feed backs are nice, even if they aren’t, if they give you an extra doubt or none at all, it’s curious how people see. In the end it’s all up to you. And also, when we talk about “photo books” there are always two parts involved, in respect to the pictures that are done you cannot go back, only forwards and in respect of editing anything is possible. But then, again, isn’t “going back” to a specific body of edit work toward a revised edition actually “going forward” on that? You can have a well registered process of the evolution of a book doing so. Or if you don’t, just let it be. There will be an answer, let it be.
Hi Matt, I've been following you on youtube for many years, but do not follow you on other platforms, so I can't comment on where/how to best share content. My bigger concern if I was in your shoes is how much personal info do you want to share publicly with the threat of identity theft and/or harassment. Those are my thoughts. Keep up the good work.
I much prefer the genuine way you use Instagram than the highly polished portfolio style, or worse, the share accounts (share accounts or Instagram 'magazines' are a video and discussion in themselves). These accounts amass huge followings off the backs of talented photographers and dictate the trends of what's in vogue in photography based on the preferences of one individual behind a username. Also, you have so much to offer the community Matt, but your message can get lost when your constantly trying to correct and neutralise your opinion and your wording just to appease a few idiots in the comment section. Having an opinion isn't a bad thing mate, don't let the morons who like to argue behind their keyboards turn you vanilla 👍🤘
Makes perfect sense. I'll pick an artist like Mark Rothko. His art had to be his own expression, by definition. Only Rothko could be Rothko. But there is only one reason to express yourself and that's to share your expression with other people, otherwise why bother? But if Mark Rothko could have shared the journey with us on social media then we'd all have more insight into what he was tying to say in his art work. For instance, in your zine you show a picture of any empty street. We look at it and we go, that's nice. But when we know why you took it and put it in context it suddenly takes on meaning. I think I'm trying to say it's all good.
I’m pretty new to film photography. Once I got my first few rolls developed I created an Instagram @ chloemakesphotos , I’m currently sat at 99 followers which is really cool! I really only created it as a place to put my photos and it’s nice to know others like them. I’m really enjoying taking photos and having fun with it.
I really do wanna work on a zine, and I sort of am. The issue lies in how I just don’t know much more material I need. I sort of treat instagram differently depending on a few factors. On my RUclips branded account, I do sometimes post images but as I put in my bio I “post various malarkey here”. On my personal photography page, I’ve found that it’s become more like a portfolio. The best of the best, though I do sometimes post duds. The issue for me is probably posting the bad ones; which to be honest is most of my work ahahaha. I feel like both resistant to making it more like a journal with more information and interaction, but also welcoming of it. It seems like I need that a little more.
Hey Mat, not releated to this video but... Which fuji with film emulation do you reccomend? Like the cheapers that i will get good quality of video and stills
I'm stuck in the mindset of, nobody really wants to see my stuff anyway. Would love if someone would give my stuff, even a little interest. I think some of my photos are really good, but no one seems to care.
Thank you for your insight. I think I haven’t understood social media completely. Or I just don’t care. But: usually my photos lay around for a while until I recognize that some photos fit together as a series. Then I publish some of them on IG in a way that 3 photos in a line tell a story, maybe you wanna have a look @micha_ziesch .
My insta ( @portraitsbyjoey ) is mainly a stream of consciousness display of what I'm learning. Last month was social distancing, the month before was flatlays. Your feed is inspiring as it doesn't have that ultra curated 'only bangers' fake perfection that has become ubiquitous.
I personally shoot and they wait a while before reviewing the photos. At that stage I'm more detached from the initial Hype of the shooting and, therefore, it helps me look at the photos more objectively. For example, I made a trip to Tokyo a year ago and waited until February 2020 to print a photobook about it. Although I did see the photos once I was back in my country, and tried to work on them as soon as possible, the results were not very good. However after a year the Subject matter appeared and i was able to put them together. Cheers Matt
People say that artists are not their own best editors, but I day to heck with that. Trust your vision and say what you want to say. That's what we do and that's how it should be.
The ‘Curse of the Artist’ is that we have a fiery passion for creating work that speaks with our voices and reveals some of our own truths to anyone willing to listen, but that passion is often tamed by the need for our work to be appreciated by others; Sometimes, you can’t have both.
You’re too romantic
i dont mean to be so off topic but does anybody know a tool to get back into an instagram account?
I was stupid lost my account password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
Matt - As I am rarely posting on social media, I am not too much influenced. And believe me, that doesn’t make it easier as sometimes I have doubts about my own work. This prevented me for years to publish anything up until today. I just placed the order to have my first zine printed. Will be ready on Monday :)
Thanks for another great vid
I think your style of sharing on IG and in general is a great influence. The hyper curated look can be cool but it makes it seem like there are certain "correct" or "perfect" photos to post. The only right photo is the one that feels right and special to you.
Shooting FOR a project, and making a project FROM your portfolio are very different things, each its own reward. With regard to sharing, I think you fundamentally need to understand if you are making the work for yourself, or if you are making the work for an audience. It is a wonderful but somewhat rare thing when those align perfectly.
I really appreciate the care free all over the place type of posts. It feels real, it feels transparent, It's relatable. Curated is nice, but it can get sterile. I love seeing other photographers post experimental work, even if it isn't "perfect". At the end of the day, do what feels right for you at that time.
I'm so glad you shared your thoughts on this as it relates to you and your life. I appreciate your candor with these different aspects of your photographic life.
Several months ago, I was convinced to finally sign up for Instagram and began posting there. Well, my thoughts on IG are more on the negative scale than the positive. I find most people like images more as an acknowledgement that they've seen it as opposed to necessarily liking the image. But also few people leave any kind of comment. Oh sure you might get some silly emojis which, to me, mean zero. In my view, IG et al are not the venues for getting feedback. I love that you did that project without sharing any of the photos beforehand. Great way to do it. I've learned something from you sharing this with us. Thank you (and apologies for this long harangue).
I have worked as an Editor for years and now starting to shoot my own work is very difficult. I always feel like I never truly see with my own eyes. I always judge my own work so harshly. I worry too much about what others think. I fear my own vision will never be fully actualised due to fear. Thanks for sharing this video Matt.
I have roughly 2,000 photos stored away from the past few years, the bulk of which being from 2018-2020 (before that was mostly projects for uni). I think theres a benefit to keeping them to yourself for a while, as spending time with your photos or coming back to older ones later can spell a new appreciation for them that you may not have had originally. On the flip-side, sharing regularly even with no series or theme in mind, also helps people (and yourself) see what you are photographically attracted too, which is just as valuable. The trick is to find that happy medium between the two.
I've been sitting on my work for a minute now, due to my scanning workflow changing and wanting to have a consistent body of work. I'm in no rush to share my work since it's not my job and nobody is waiting for it, once it feels right I'll be sharing it little by little.
I totally agree with EVERYTHING you said bro. 💯
I made my first zine with a bunch of car photos it was so much fun to make.
Matt's spying on me, I was looking for a video like this. I needed this
Curation is good in a trivial sense, but so is production. I dislike the opposite of curation, which I see as the "stream-of-consciousness"-style IG feeds where they post a blurry photo of their toe, a cat turd, their car door, etc. Your photos are quite decent photos of true-to-life events with good aesthetics and excellent craft, and they are relevant to your life. I love that and try to do the same (but not up to your example yet). There are already enough of those "hyper-polished" feeds where every single photo is a portfolio-worthy image that any of us would have been proud to take. You have to do what feeds your soul, but I personally would be happy to see you continue down the path you are already on. Seeing someone so real, and so near where I grew up makes me happy every day. The fact that Molly's feed dovetails so well with your feed is a huge bonus.
Great video Matt! I do enjoy your sort of off-the-cuff way of sharing your photography in your videos. I think it helps a lot of people and more than once you've inspired me to pick up my camera.
I think most of us have been at a stage where we've asked ourselves oh damn, is this shot good enough for IG which totally ruïnes the inherently spontaneous and subjective nature of photography. I've certainly been there. As if somehow IG hired me to be their photographer, lol. So for the last year or so I've been getting back to just shooting what I like and I guess I'll post about 30% of what I shoot. Sometimes I do remind myself that my father shot in times without social media and he enjoyed photography just as much as I do.
I like the current format. It's like I shoot. I don't have a shoot plan I just go out and see what I can find. Thanks
Matt, you gotta keep sharing what works for you. For others, sharing a more curated gallery or portfolio might work or be what they (feel the) need to do in order to achieve their goals. If you enjoy sharing your work the way you do - as another form of family documentation, and it works for you and what you want to achieve with Photography then that's the way it's got to be.
I've tried to improve (from my perspective) my curation of my work/archive over the past few months. I was always like you in that I didn't like sitting in photographs ... I like making photographs, I'm excited to share them but then I want to go out and make some more, and share those. My Instagram became quite disjointed with new pictures of all sorts of things popping up. Sharing pictures and then moving onto the next set also meant I often lost focus of things which might have turned into interesting projects because I was already off working on the next thing. Since about two years ago I've tried to keep more of an eye on longer term projects, organise my work better and share my work in a more structured and planned way - with that also being reflective of a more structured and planned approach to my work, and taking it more seriously again. For a few years my projects were dictated by others, so when I stopped working and became self-directed I was missing ... direction. Anyway, I think it's working for me ... it might not work for you, though. Sorry, I've gone on a bit myself here ... time to get to work!
It's MattDay MonDay! One I always look forward to. I am quite shy about sharing my own work, but when I do share on social media, it's very much your stream-of-consciousness approach rather than a curated portfolio approach. This video made me think about sharing more. Thanks.
Andy
I like the uncurated posting style personally. It shows us that excellent photographers are more than just folks with cameras, and that you guys have LIVES and screwups too!
Happy Day. Thanks for the extra video Matt.
Been thinking about this a lot too. Definitely a fan of the public journal approach to ig, but I for sure relate to that feeling of being influenced by always sharing what you’re making. And I always have to wonder if my zines or projects would be more impactful if they were all unshared photos (or if anybody actually cares about that haha)
I do like the heavily curated look that some people go with (transitioning between seasons, mounting pictures on white squares etc.) but it does feel like branding rather than a natural, honest view into their lives. I feel like yours is a WYSIWYG portal into your life and work and I like that, it suits you. It'd be a shame, to me, if that changed but you do you... that's always the best way :)
Not gonna lie, I was hesitant to watch this video. Mostly from fear and insecurity of how I currently shoot and share photos, but I’m so glad I did watch. Thanks for all your advice and wisdom over the years, your videos have taught me so much and have challenged my photography!
I just want to say that I think you’re a beautiful human being. Just keep on keeping on, Matt. 👍
Love You Matt!!! Thanks, I dealt with this on my music and figuring it out on the images I shoot and my first zine. I appreciate you addressing this bruh
thank you for great videos in times like this
After having 2 shows where people didn't show up in part because they had already seen the photos online, I decided to withhold photos when working on a zine last year. In a refreshing change of pace, I debuted about 15-20 photos through a zine and sold more than 100 copies. I share some things on IG just so I don't disappear, but I wind up keeping the important things to myself. Sometimes I'll only show stuff on RUclips , but I'm still trying to decide how I feel about that. It's frustrating to work so hard on photos only to have them die after being shared on a medium just larger than a postage stamp. That's where I am now ... which at least feels a little like it's going in the right direction.
Hey Matt, so I know exactly what you're talking about when it comes to figuring out your style. It really makes me relax about obsessing over the thought that I've got to find my style. It feels a little anxiety inducing when I feel like everyone else has it figured out. But it seems like in reality it may take a person's whole life to figure out their style, what things are meaningful to oneself, and what exactly can make a person passionate about doing a craft is that chase.
I love everything about what you share, it's really amazing. Your photography has pushed me in a similar direction as, just as your hat says, to document my life. Keep doing what you're doing!
Gracias! No sabes cuánto me ayuda este video!
Cool video Matt. Beautiful pictures, that zine looks really good.
Interesting, Thanks for sharing. About a month ago, I logged out of facebook and instagram so that I could clear my mind in terms of why I am a photographer and the meaning attached to my images. I am already developing ideas for a project, and the reason i am taking photos are much more focused on story telling as apposed to shots to post on social media. I will go back to social media once i have a "clear head", but then only as a back-story journal for friends and family. my actual body of work I want to be more meaningful to me, and probably will then also be to others as well. Prints, magazines (Zene - what is that?) books. Problem, my stock of film is still sitting in an airport warehouse waiting for my country (Laos) to open up, and I have enough developer for only 2 rolls of 120mm.............aggghhhhh! I guess there are more important issues at stake than my film stocks during this time! Thanks for posting, keep it up.
Just bought my copy!
I hope it'll be soon on its way to Italy!
Listen dude, just trust your first instinct and share what you love without regard to what anyone thinks. You have developed enough of an eye that you know what is important to you, and that's why we subscribe and follow you. Down the line you're not going to care about what trends, you're going to care about what those photos mean to you and your family. Use IG as a journal, let it tell your story, not the story you think others want to see. It'll be fine! The more pressure you put on yourself to cater to an audience the quicker you'll burn out and drive yourself crazy. Just enjoy yourself and good things will follow.
I share no more than one photo a day on IG, and treat it more like a scrapbook, or work in progress outlet. My photo series and book projects all reside on my website.
FWIW I think you are doing it right. Project based using social for BTS and announcements. And thanks for helping me see the light re: project-based :)
I’m increasingly coming to the position that it is a mistake to attribute value to art based on it’s reception on Instagram, whether that’s in metrics or feedback from people in comments. Whilst social platforms like Instagram give everyone the chance to get attention from potentially a lot of people, the amount of attention is very little per person - so really, and judgement of the work is quite superficial. Likewise, the reception more often depends more about your social connections than the art itself. I once had a photo reshared by a well followed “magazine” account: it got more likes than all of my own posts combined - and has remained that way. It wasn’t the photo that was bad, it was the artists social connections! Distributing your work as a zine, though, might not reach as many people, but those it does reach you have more of their attention (most people aren’t in the habit of throwing away their zine collection once a day!).
So I guess as to deciding what you share when, you just have to take into account the nature of the medium and the goal for sharing it. If the goal is promotional (I.e. I want people to buy my prints/zines) that’s quite different to just sharing an image you enjoyed with people who like your work, or sharing a well curated story told through a series of images.
Obviously it's completely up to you how you share your work, but I think what you have done all these years is perfect. However, there is definitely a time and place for some work to sit off to the side for photobooks/zines!
My Instagram is all over the place. Haha. Dogs, beer, coffee, toys, actual portraits, etc. My website is a little more focused and organized. But I like the idea of keeping a project pretty quiet until I feel it’s ready. Too much outside influence can really change things. I have spent hours setting up lights and compositing images together, and I feel really proud of it. Then it doesn’t get the same love and attention that I feel like it deserves. But a quick snapshot of my dog or whatever will get all sorts of attention. Social media can be strange that way. I want to make a zine/book, and I have been playing around with a few ideas. I do think I will go the route you did when I do it. Just shoot for what I think it should be and put it out there when it’s ready.
Love this thought process Matt! I love holding back photos, love building an archive, some surprised a year later etc
Quantity leads to Quality
Hey Matt!!!, your work is fantastic!!!; Spanish fans of photography love you!!!; Best Regards!!!; 🙌🏻👍🏻🙏🏻...
I do, normally, like to show a bit of the process. Depending on the project, of course. I'll try and post updates on IG to keep people in the loop.
With the recent book release, I didn't really share anything. I shared a few of the photos on IG back in October when I originally took them, but I made no mention of the book. I didn't even announce the book release, because I was torn on releasing with the current state of things. Obviously, I decided to go ahead with the release, and I am overwhelmed by the support shown. I know I've already said it, bu I really appreciate you picking up a copy, my man. Can't wait to get hands on your zine.
From an outsider perspective, I do enjoy seeing a bit of the process. I really appreciate how Jason Lee tends to go about showing his progress on books and such. It's nice to see that BTS stuff, but I really like being surprised by the final product. I don't want to purchase a book full of photos that I've already seen. That kind of takes the fun out of it.
I think that when shooting for a project it is best to not share individual photos as they lose context. Outside of project work I would share the images.
My own favorite posts on Instagram are almost always the ones, that get less likes and reach far fewer people.
The most liked of my own posts always come as a surprise to me. It's mostly pictures I posted because they are good enough to share in my opinion, but never the best in the batch from my point of view.
I try not to be influenced by that fact, when I decide what to post - but it does mean, that I'm more inclined to post things now, that are similar to posts of the past, that were better received, than I expected at the time...
As far as what take photos of, I don't care what other people think. I shoot what interests me. It's the only way I can feel good about wasting film when I make mistakes, continue to learn from the mistakes and try again, until I got the shot the way I wanted it.
As far your Instagram style, I say, do what you feel comfortable doing, that works!
Great point. I feel the same way...
Cool video , Matt. Personally, I like the journal-like style you use for sharing your photos. In the end, though, use whatever style motivates you most to be creative.
Thanks for sharing, that puts a lot into perspective!
I love it. Thank you! This is a gift to any photographer :)
My own instagram is very much just a diary of film and digital photography and I like it that way. I do understand for some the cohesive everything is the same model works for them. That does not bring me joy and when I did it before I got no more leads than I do now just being myself.
Love it. Love your work and the direction you are taking. And honestly, stick to your gut-feeling. I am a professional photographer myself and I 've had a love hate relationship with Social-Media at least since it has become less social and more marketing... its weird as you have to decide how much time to spend on what and, as you said in your video, consider so many different opinions... but in the end... even-though that can lead to huge success... at least for me, my way is the only one. And sure that can and certainly is and will be influenced by different people, trends etc... it will not be dictated though... if that makes any sense... english is not my native language so I hope I'm not blabbering to much. Either way. keep up the great work and stay healthy.
My Instagram swings with my mood. I went for a while where it was curated for consistency in look. I found that limiting my posts a bit to much for my taste so I ditched making sure 3 photos were tied to each other and back to at a minimum of 1 post a day to coincide with a 365 project I am doing this year. I do post more but there is at least one post a day.
I love you Matt
woot woot.... this video dropped just in time as im sitting down to eat my breakfast!!! loved it. thanks matt
woot!
Looks great Matt! Take my $$$!
Stay safe
Hi Matt, Have you considered creating two separate IG accounts? One that's tailored towards this channel, your family, test shots from using various cameras and film and the other IG account that markets your business and specific projects/portfolios. The work that you post that are specific to a project, theme feel like they were taken with more thought and intent thus translating to more artistic quality and therefore are a bit more relatable personally for me; just my personal observation.
Also, have you thought about taking pictures of Chillicothe that reflect more specially of how the town is responding to this pandemic to further expand upon your Social Distancing project?
This whole stay at home thing caused me to loose interest in photography and also I have a hard time inspiring others if I can't be inspired myself!
So I chose to take care of my myself instead and accept that it is not the time for photography for me at the moment!
Haha you genius! Was thinking exactly this after watching your last video.
I think that not sharing the photos before publishing the zine was a good choice, in this way you took photos in the way you wanted without being influenced by others.
I don't really care for the super curated Instagram profile.. portfolios might be a good way to solicit work, but I'm just looking at Instagram for fun and inspiration since I'm not hiring. Likewise I'm just sharing as I go myself, but I do think twice about posting something other than "proper" photos. I normally delete the title card posts for my videos after a week or two.
... just thank you (by the way...great pics)
Most of my photos on IG are film so before I post a photo it always takes a few days, sometime weeks and it has to go through some post treatment, crooked horizon, adjust light and I let it sit for a few days before posting. In a few occasions, I changed my minds about a photo that was supposed to be posted and was discarded.
Previously I shared just about every photo I made that I really liked. But recently I am trying to be more selective in what I share, in part, because I'm working on making my first zine. I think once an artist "posts" or puts their work out to share with the public they giving away some of their ownership of it because others will formulate their own interpretation into the meaning of the photo/art. We want what we create to be appreciated/valued but that should not depend on others reaction to it, but rather from the process we go through in creating it. If only you saw your work, would you still feel the same about it?
Feed backs are nice, even if they aren’t, if they give you an extra doubt or none at all, it’s curious how people see. In the end it’s all up to you. And also, when we talk about “photo books” there are always two parts involved, in respect to the pictures that are done you cannot go back, only forwards and in respect of editing anything is possible. But then, again, isn’t “going back” to a specific body of edit work toward a revised edition actually “going forward” on that? You can have a well registered process of the evolution of a book doing so. Or if you don’t, just let it be. There will be an answer, let it be.
What was that software you were using on your iPad to edit the photos? I'm curious... And where did you get the zine made?
Hi Matt, I've been following you on youtube for many years, but do not follow you on other platforms, so I can't comment on where/how to best share content. My bigger concern if I was in your shoes is how much personal info do you want to share publicly with the threat of identity theft and/or harassment. Those are my thoughts. Keep up the good work.
I much prefer the genuine way you use Instagram than the highly polished portfolio style, or worse, the share accounts (share accounts or Instagram 'magazines' are a video and discussion in themselves). These accounts amass huge followings off the backs of talented photographers and dictate the trends of what's in vogue in photography based on the preferences of one individual behind a username.
Also, you have so much to offer the community Matt, but your message can get lost when your constantly trying to correct and neutralise your opinion and your wording just to appease a few idiots in the comment section. Having an opinion isn't a bad thing mate, don't let the morons who like to argue behind their keyboards turn you vanilla 👍🤘
Makes perfect sense. I'll pick an artist like Mark Rothko. His art had to be his own expression, by definition. Only Rothko could be Rothko. But there is only one reason to express yourself and that's to share your expression with other people, otherwise why bother? But if Mark Rothko could have shared the journey with us on social media then we'd all have more insight into what he was tying to say in his art work. For instance, in your zine you show a picture of any empty street. We look at it and we go, that's nice. But when we know why you took it and put it in context it suddenly takes on meaning. I think I'm trying to say it's all good.
I’m pretty new to film photography. Once I got my first few rolls developed I created an Instagram @ chloemakesphotos , I’m currently sat at 99 followers which is really cool! I really only created it as a place to put my photos and it’s nice to know others like them. I’m really enjoying taking photos and having fun with it.
I really do wanna work on a zine, and I sort of am. The issue lies in how I just don’t know much more material I need. I sort of treat instagram differently depending on a few factors. On my RUclips branded account, I do sometimes post images but as I put in my bio I “post various malarkey here”. On my personal photography page, I’ve found that it’s become more like a portfolio. The best of the best, though I do sometimes post duds. The issue for me is probably posting the bad ones; which to be honest is most of my work ahahaha. I feel like both resistant to making it more like a journal with more information and interaction, but also welcoming of it. It seems like I need that a little more.
Hey Mat, not releated to this video but... Which fuji with film emulation do you reccomend? Like the cheapers that i will get good quality of video and stills
Why can't I buy your zine? The link doesn't work?
Hi matt. Can you tell us how to create a zine?
I'm stuck in the mindset of, nobody really wants to see my stuff anyway. Would love if someone would give my stuff, even a little interest. I think some of my photos are really good, but no one seems to care.
Damn, now I wanna make a zine too!
Why would people downvote...strange
How you downloaded it on magcloud.com
Thank you for your insight. I think I haven’t understood social media completely. Or I just don’t care. But: usually my photos lay around for a while until I recognize that some photos fit together as a series. Then I publish some of them on IG in a way that 3 photos in a line tell a story, maybe you wanna have a look @micha_ziesch .
What is this a seen. Or how do you call it?
Zine. It comes from the word magazine. Zines are usually associated with independent publishing. :)
I've never been this early!
My insta ( @portraitsbyjoey ) is mainly a stream of consciousness display of what I'm learning. Last month was social distancing, the month before was flatlays. Your feed is inspiring as it doesn't have that ultra curated 'only bangers' fake perfection that has become ubiquitous.
After watching this video I feel like we all think the same way, we photographers and instagrammers :)
Hey so doesn’t that hat make yer head sweaty?
I personally shoot and they wait a while before reviewing the photos. At that stage I'm more detached from the initial Hype of the shooting and, therefore, it helps me look at the photos more objectively. For example, I made a trip to Tokyo a year ago and waited until February 2020 to print a photobook about it.
Although I did see the photos once I was back in my country, and tried to work on them as soon as possible, the results were not very good. However after a year the Subject matter appeared and i was able to put them together.
Cheers Matt