Lloyd
@lloydy11031 May
Share Your Long Form Photography Posts
I have a L̶o̶v̶e̶/Hate thing with Instagram. As in a really hate it but I will admit, it's got me somehow. I take regular breaks but it always sucks my back in. There are some great alternatives such as Glass and Foto... And now I'm really pleased to see, 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨!!! ( I m loving it). These remove any pressure and are photography focused. What I have really enjoyed getting into is long form posts. Blogs and newsletters let you slow down and absorb photography in your own time and at your own pace. Photos with thoughts, insights and stories. Photos on insta appear and disappear in seconds as you scroll, long form posts last as long as you wish. I cannot write for shit but I started posting in Substack a year or so ago. It's been calming for me. Even if nobody reads what I write, its a great positive experience. So, if you blog, send out newsletters, Substack or similar, share here so tha it can absorb your stuff in your own time. I can recommend @atikusphoto recent newsletter, on his South Korea trip. Well worth your time. Printed photography, be it on a wall or in your hands exceeds any digital forms of course, so do that when you can. My posts are here (no account or sign-up needed to view): https://lloydhunt.co.uk/blog
When I need inspiration I listen to Lenswork podcast. Just start at the latest episode and work backwards. When I’m looking for photos to get inspired I pick up a photo book. I’ve collected about a dozen or so. I find leafing through a book I have already seen before brings new under standing as I have changed as a photographer.
Podcasts are great
@lloydy110 Did you spot my poem in the Assignments chat tab?
Yes, I love it
moved it to its own post now...
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I think you’re right about the value of writing about photography. A good blog, newsletter, or Substack can add context, stories, and insight that a single image often can’t, I cant really write very well either, it’s hard to write, even harder than photography
That said, I see Instagram as a different thing rather than a worse thing. Photography and writing complement each other, but they’re not the same experience. Instagram is primarily about the immediate impact of a photograph. A strong image can stop you in your tracks in a second, insta for its many many faults is still probably the best medium to get your work seen, it’s always a catch 22 though, foto Flickr etc, are probably better places to view and experience a photograph, less distractions etc, but very little engagement
I enjoy reading longer pieces about photography, but I also enjoy seeing great photos presented in a way that lets the image do most of the talking. For me, they serve different purposes rather than competing with each other.
Instagram only cares about keeping you on the app. So they promote reels and stories and sensational photos. I find it changes photography because artists quickly realize the kind of photos that get more engagement and we subconsciously start chasing engagement. Reluctantly I have started posting on instagram but only for the community side of it. I have discovered and messaged with new photographers, and even traded ideas and locations which have been lovely to do.
I think Instagram’s priorities are very different these days. At its core, it’s an advertising platform, so its main goal is to keep people scrolling for as long as possible. That naturally means reels, stories, and highly engaging content get pushed ahead of photography.
As photographers, we all want our work to be seen, but it can be hard to gain traction when the algorithms are competing with funny videos, fluffy cats and dogs, and whatever else grabs attention for a few seconds. It’s a strange world we live in, when a carefully crafted photograph can struggle to get noticed while a random pet video reaches thousands.
That said, Instagram still has value for exposure and connecting with people. If your main goal is to meet other photographers, share ideas, and be part of a creative community, I think platforms like Foto, Framelines, and some of the smaller photography-focused apps are often a better fit. The trade-off is that you’ll probably sacrifice reach and engagement, but you may gain more meaningful interactions with people who are genuinely interested in photography.
This is exactly why I am here!
Instagram lessens the impact of the photo, though, because the next one is right there below it, ready to scroll to. Then another. And another. Photographs become disposable on Instagram.
It's one of the reasons we started our magazine, to create a place where people would sit a bit longer with a curated selection of street photos accompanied by the photographer's thoughts and process.
I don't hate Instagram, but over the last few years, I've found I actively don't like it, and I feel better when I'm not on it.
@heroesforsale that’s very interesting and with that in mind, anything you think you could do different with the dailies section? Could be a simple as longer gaps inbetween images, or a slowed down scroll maybe…
Dailies was a completely different concept before we launched, but we relaxed it into something more standardised. We may reintroduce the original concept at some point.
Replying to Shane Taylor
This app is great.
Print and community, great solution, I’ve heard a couple of guys started something it’s called frame something or other😂 who would you rather go to the pub with a photography geek or a algorithm
I do enjoy your Substack, @lloydy110!
I’m here for the long form 👊
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Share your newsletter signup have James, it's great
Nice one Lloyd. I have read your blog before and find enjoy the balance of entertaining and not-too-long posts. I personally find photography and writing completely opposite skill sets and find the latter does not come naturally to me.
Nevertheless, I try to keep my blog at https://lukekennyphoto.com/blog updated everyone few months to at least show that the site is active and I am still here.
Nice Luke, will add it to my list
Thanks for sharing - I’m the same with instagram!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog and to shout it out 🙌
I very much agree that slowing down to appreciate photography and the stories behind the work is the best way to enjoy it.
I'll hopefully have many more South Korea posts to come as I have a lot more photos to share
