There’s something about this era in photography that feels more performative than ever. Not in the sense of crafting a photo — I’m talking about what happens around the photo. The pressure to build an online persona, the need to be “camera-ready” for your own behind-the-scenes content (ugh) and the constant reshaping of our work to satisfy content moderation bots and engagement-hungry platforms.
And while that game isn’t new, it is exhausting.
I didn’t get into photography to become a content creator. I got into it because light, expression, and emotion pulled at something deep in me. Because a still image could scream louder than words. Because crafting something beautiful, something sensual, something artful — that’s always been the point.
But now, too often, it feels like photographers are seen as avatars for their gear or as influencers for brand partnerships. The craft is still alive, but it’s buried under a thousand algorithm-choked layers of social performance.
So I’ll just say this: if you’re out there trying to hold onto your artistic soul in the middle of this circus, I see you. If you’re doing work that still moves you, even when the metrics don’t, I respect that. And if you’re evolving, adapting, growing — without letting the machine turn you into a caricature of yourself — you’re doing it right.
The industry might shift, but the art stays sacred. Let’s keep it that way.