If Ansel Adams were alive today, would he have a Snapchat account? The answer is probably yes. Imagine for a second that our young iGeneration Ansel becomes so enamoured with adding large chicken emojis to photographs of his daily breakfast McMuffins that he completely loses his curiosity for the natural world. Perhaps his follower count is too high and he feels extreme pressure to perpetually share moment-by-moment dog-faced selfies, photos of his morning cappuccino and inane vanity-driven drivel that he never finds the time to climb those misty mountain tops?
Well that would be a tragedy, wouldn’t it?
Over the past few years, sharing saccharine posts on social media has become a necessary evil for all enterprising artists. I use the heavy-handed word “evil” because no matter what follower gain you receive from your sycophantic social media exploits, the malignant darkness of sharing things that aren’t true to who you are or what you believe in simply to please your followers, will inevitably spread from your innards to your brain, trickling down your spinal column and filling your soul with such an apathetic unease that you will find it hard to create anything truly meaningful. To an artist, that is death.
A tad overdramatic? Maybe. But, I’ve seen a lot of artists lose their voice and sense of self to the guiles of social media in the last few years. I’m the first to admit, I’m one of them.
8 years ago, I was an eager early adopter of all things 2.0, joining every social network from myspace to friendster to our lady Twitter, Google+ & Facebook. In 2007, it was the wild west for social networks and people shockingly spoke their minds. There was a lot of good that came from these early 2.0 days. I actually owe my involvement in Camera+ to Twitter and a cartoonish viking hat I used to wear in my profile picture which the founder of the iPhone development company, tap tap tap spotted while searching Twitter one day.
After I gained some notoriety and success with Camera+ in 2011, I started to cull my creativity & spunkiness because I was receiving a lot of criticism and trollish nastiness, opting for a more genteel voice that would appeal to all and offend none. No one was offended by a photo of a sunset with the phrase, “amazing sunset tonight”. No one. Doing a quick word count, I’ve used the words, “wow” “awesome”, “epic” and “amazing” more than 500 times over the past few years. And so, the sassy girl who offended many including, Katy Perry and David Copperfield with brassy, judgemental newspaper articles, was boxed up and put away into a package labeled “hyperboles to use with photos of rainbows”, along with some of my integrity and better judgement.
The result of choosing fabricated spoon-fed posts over genuine, meaningful thoughts to please and garner likes resulted in a slow and painful deterioration of the voice I’d worked so hard to achieve. In the past few years, I have taken several long breaks from social media. I’ve abandoned Facebook for months at a time and up to a year on Twitter. I didn’t join Instagram until a few months ago, which I admit was from a lingering fear of missing out (FOMO) which is an official syndrome now, so it’s not entirely my fault.
After a month on Instagram, I felt worse about my photography. I felt like my photos weren’t good enough or my content appealing enough for this new, hip crowd. I started changing the things I photographed and the way I shot them to gain more followers and likes. And the hashtags. Don’t get me started on the amount of hashtags you have to use on that platform. After a while, I was exhausted again. I had compromised my artistic vision for the platform’s vision and my creativity took another huge nosedive, much like my Valeant stock.
The question is, “Does anyone actually enjoy following “fake” content anymore?” Nothing feels authentic, because nothing really is. It feels like everyone is on a permanent vacation with a charmed life that moves along without a single hiccup. To the content creator, this puts a huge pressure on them to endlessly post only their very best and most likeable photos. To the followers, it aggravates their FOMO anxiety making them endlessly compare their daily lives with this extravagant wanderlust lifestyle that everyone else seems to be enjoying. I get so many comments that indicate that my “epic” travel photos are actually making people feel bad.
In our efforts to appear flawlessly inspirational, we’ve actually ostracized our audience.
This makes me feel horrible and has got to change.
Nothing is easy. The photos I post don’t come easy either. One Icelandic waterfall long exposure might take me a full day to drive there, hike into a location and wait for the perfect light. But my followers don’t know this. They don’t know that I dreamed of going to Iceland for years, but I’ve had a horrible back and neck injury for years that has kept me grounded for almost 10 years. That it’s taken years of photographing everyday to be able to shoot photos like this. But how could they with captions like, “such an amazing waterfall in South Iceland.” It’s laziness on my part to not tell the full story and I don’t always have time, but I feel like I need to make time.
I’m not saying that social media is fundamentally bad or that taking dog-faced selfies in Snapchat isn’t endlessly entertaining, in fact I think the opposite. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t post pretty pictures with neat little captions or post pictures of our shoes or morning cappuccinos, if that is what is truly genuine for us. What I’m saying is:
Posting content that isn’t GENUINE to who you are with the sole purpose of getting likes doesn’t help you or your audience in the long run. One day, these platforms will inevitably shift and disappear, but a unique voice and authentic style will always be timeless.
This is why, after almost 3 years away, I am returning to old school blogging and authentic tweets and posts that MEAN something to me. I hope it means something to you, because after 10 years in this game, I’m simply over being fake.
Thoughts? Anger? Love? Feelings? Unleash them in the comments below…
John
May 9, 2016 at 9:06 AMThis is an excellent, revealing and well thought out post. Speaking for myself, I enjoy reading more about the what and why vs. a beautiful photograph with a basic caption. The people I like to follow offer something different, extra, or allow us into their world.
I do see the other side as well. It’s so easy to troll someone or criticize without thinking of the person that is behind the post, the one who is willing to put themselves out there and have an opinion or two. I can’t imagine having to read some of the awful comments that get put out there that someone would never say to a person face to face.
I’ll admit, I have had a touch of envy seeing your photographs or reading the posts thinking, ‘wow, what a life! Amazing! I wish…” and of course, there’s no way to know that there was struggle, or sacrifice, or years of planning, and honing one’s craft behind it. I’m glad to read that you’re moving ‘back to yourself’, and really look forward to the blog now!
Mostly Lisa
May 9, 2016 at 1:01 PMthank you for your comment. I always try to be honest and open about my process and I’m hoping to do a lot more of it in the future. It’s hard to not get sucked into what other people are doing and saying, but I’ve had enough time away to start to believe in my own voice again :)
Greg
May 9, 2016 at 10:30 AMVery nicely written. My thoughts can be expressed with this movie quote:
“If you build it, they will come”
Keep photographing what you want, and you will have followers that appreciate your art. We should all stop chasing the false validation of ‘numbers of followers’
Mostly Lisa
May 9, 2016 at 12:59 PMyes… exactly. It’s hard to remember this, but so vital to keeping your voice and your art alive.
Steve Uhlman
May 9, 2016 at 12:28 PMHi, thank you, I think many folks (myself included) are feeling the exact same way… it’s funny when you listed all the social media sites, I immediately thought of 500px, Ello, Snapchat…. and who knows how many others… I post to FB (and I hate FB) I love G+ but hardly ever post there because I know almost no one…. then Instagram, I’ve post 15 images there…. I refuse to post everywhere, so I guess I’ll never be popular…. :)
Mostly Lisa
May 9, 2016 at 12:58 PMIt’s not a competition. We need to stop treating it as one. :)
Scott Tucker
May 9, 2016 at 2:41 PMYeah the social media crowd has no idea what amount of planning, energy, and personal finance is required to take that #amazing waterfall photo. They’ve all seen MTV cribs/the kardashians and think everyone is rich but them. And there is the other lie in Instagram – most of those #zomg photos aren’t shot by cell phone cameras, but real DSLRs with a real photographer behind the camera carefully taking the planned shot. Great perspective in your blog.
Mostly Lisa
May 9, 2016 at 4:06 PMAnd most of them are stolen… I’ve been very negative about social networking in the past few years, and I’m not a very negative person. For that reason, I have to alter the way I interact with it to make it a more positive experience because I think ultimately there is a lot of good that can come from connecting and networking with people online.
Pete Burger
May 9, 2016 at 3:24 PMNicely opined Lisa. I’ve enjoyed being able to view your creativity through you posts.
Mostly Lisa
May 9, 2016 at 4:05 PMthank you so much! I’m enjoying expressing my opinions again.
Dipal
May 9, 2016 at 8:36 PMLisa – This is a brilliant post!
We’ve gotten so obsessed with seeking attention on social media that it is disturbing.
Not one person knows what you must have went through to get that frame – Iceland or anywhere. The effort cannot be substantiated by likes or comments.
It hasn’t helped that we now have access to cameras at the press of a button. On our mobiles, computers, on GoPros, Bikes, Cars – we have them everywhere! There’s so much data and no way to process this for one person.
I’ve decided to keep most of my photos more personal – nothing wrong in sharing on Social Media but it did hit me sometime last year that at the end of the day, you can get likes but not real appreciation.
It’s disenchanting to be honest when you realize how fake it all is. I can especially understand your case as the amount of attention that you’re getting is much much higher than an average person.
It’s heartening to know that you feel the same way.
Looking forward to more posts! :)
Paul Csogi
May 9, 2016 at 8:58 PMIt’s refreshing to read this post. I’ve followed you as an early adopter of camera+ and enjoyed the 365 days of posting. It really let you take a photo every day and not have to worry too much about who is viewing it, rather doing it for yourself and loving the art of finding that shot. Best, Paul
Viktor
May 10, 2016 at 1:02 AMI was touched when I read your story in Follow the Geeks and this seems a bit like a follow up to me. Not only the so called celebrities suffer from what you describe. Every social media user has to keep an eye on what one posts. When you start posting things only because you believe your followers want to read/see it, and you are thinking about how to post it to get the most view/likes/comments it is the beginning of the end. No matter whether it is photography, lifestyle, tech related or else.
On a side note: I really love your writing style. Though I’m not a native English speaker I normally read english texts very fluently. But here I had to look up some words like “enamoured”, “sycophantic”, “genteel” and a few others, That’s challenging :) And an expression like “inane vanity-driven drivel” is absolutely “epic” (just to use one word from your list ;)
Looking forward to reading more from you!
Mostly Lisa
May 10, 2016 at 7:20 AMSo happy you enjoyed my story and my vocabulary. All those years of university education are finally paying off! Those are fun words. I sometimes feel my command of my language slipping… so many text messages, emojis, gifs… At one point, I had command over several languages, French, Spanish and Russian, and now I cling on to one. Not enough hours in the day to follow all my passions. Thanks for your comment. It made my morning :)
Thomas
May 10, 2016 at 5:10 AMI was so happy to see your posts showing up in my RSS feed a while back. I figured you like most people had gone the way of Twitter/Facebook/yadayada.
I have no problem with social media, however I ignore it, it takes too much time to follow people for what amounts to a passing thought on their part.
Welcome back!
Mostly Lisa
May 10, 2016 at 7:13 AMHappy to be back and writing :) Feels great to put something meaningful out into the world.
Jesus
May 10, 2016 at 9:33 AMGood read and I agree, it’s not a competition, truly enjoy your work, keep doing what you are doing.
Fred DeCock
May 10, 2016 at 9:58 AMWell written, thoughtful, revealing. I am responsible for our use of social media for a large health system and we see the good and the very ugly so I’m tainted in my viewpoint – it has huge benefits, but as you point out huge drawbacks. My wife avoids social media, but I tell her it is not all gossip and a morass of un-researched opinions (although it is in a lot of cases, especially lately with all the political shenanigans here in the US). Without it, we would be very likely to have not found your work and talents until years later. So please keep up the positive, hard work of being selective and discriminating. It’s an uphill battle worth fighting!
Edward Iglesias
May 10, 2016 at 10:14 AMI think that you make some very valid points. I first found out about you back in the TWIT days with Leo. When I started following you on various social media I never found your work shallow at all, quite the opposite. I have always wanted to go to Iceland myself and know how incredibly difficult it can be to get a shot like the aurora one you recently posted. There is definitely a quandary about how to proceed. I follow you on Twitter and Facebook even though there is overlap. (FOMO)
However you proceed I hope you know that there are a few of us that appreciate the patience, the attention to detail and the love with which you pursue your art. Now please post a selfie with your tongue sticking out it’s been 15 minutes!
Mostly Lisa
May 10, 2016 at 12:08 PMhaha on it!! I’ll admit to doing that occasionally on Snapchat… Thank you for following along for so long. It’s been a crazy journey since those early days on TWiT. I remember being so intimidated on that show. So many eyes watching… I’ve always tried to remain connected to people, but sometimes I’ve had to pull back to reflect on things. I’m a perfectionist and very A-type which is difficult to deal with on social. I overanalyze everything I do, so I’m taking steps to be a bit more free with my words and content.
Joseph Sanders
May 10, 2016 at 10:31 AMI hate social media for the reasons you mentioned, but sometimes it is useful..such as this blog post bringing people together. I think the deluge of photos we all see on a daily basis makes us all really numb to just how amazing some of the photography, photographers and even photo editors are out there. But it also pushes us all to get even better and be even more creative because we are seeing how creative and amazing other people are.
There are 2 things that personally fulfill me when it comes to photography:
1) The experience or adventure of finding things you deem worthy of taking a picture of…whether it’s a picture of a family member or something you find during a hike through the woods. The ability to create something that hasn’t been put into the universe yet is really cool.
2) Seeing my photos PRINTED (even if nobody else outside of my house ever sees them) and the possibility that somebody besides myself would actually want that photo on their wall. The tangible photo in my hand that I created is very fulfilling to me….way more so than posting that photo on social media. And then idea of somebody hanging one of my photos in their house is crazy-awesome to me. But that usually requires me to print and display my photos somewhere, which I find to be the true way to tell if people like what I create….versus how many likes an instagram post gets.
I wish the world had more galleries that were affordable and printing was more affordable for people to display their work like social media allows for. I think the world would be a better place.
Mostly Lisa
May 10, 2016 at 12:15 PMThere is a huge up and down side to it all… I agree to feeling numb about it all. There are so many incredible images out there now, it’s hard to not feel bombarded with them. They often make me feel jealous or anxious as if I have to go tick that box. I spent a lot of time and money ticking photography boxes and in the end, I’m not sure I really enjoyed it. The photographs that mean something to me were those gems I discovered, where I felt something move me to take a photo, rather than plan to shoot something. I find a lot of those experiences somewhat empty. I have never printed my work. I should, I know! I just see flaws in my work and I’ve yet to truly LOVE one of my photos. You are right though… Perhaps I should print my current favourites.
Joseph Sanders
May 10, 2016 at 12:37 PMUm yes…Print stuff. You will figure out which photos you really like after you see them printed. At least that is how it works for me.
Gordy
May 10, 2016 at 1:34 PMThis sums it all up so succinctly. I’ve had a Flickr account since it first started and I don’t seem to crave attention on there for some reason but I really started to feel this way when Tumblr came along. At the start I was doing the same as Flickr, just posting photos I had taken that I personally liked and tried to tell a wee story with each one. I was of the opinion if people came by and liked them then that was all good, but it wasn’t the reason I was doing it. I didn’t care about followers (although I did feel like I had made it somehow when your good self started following me!), but over time it started to get to me, and exactly as you say I found myself choosing photos I thought others would like rather than ones that might be special to me and posting them at times I felt would get the most exposure.
In the end it wasn’t the disillusionment that stopped me, I had a kid and he consumed my time almost completely and I basically turned into someone who posts photos of their kid a lot! Not because I wanted to post those photos necessarily, but that was the only subject I had to take photos of because I didn’t have time to climb a mountain or go to some far off land! It was exactly what I needed and it broke the cycle. Now I just post what I like again, some folk appreciate it, some folk don’t, and that’s the same with life in general really!
Sorry for the epic novel of a comment! Keep up the good work!
Chris Leboe
May 10, 2016 at 1:57 PMWell said. I’ve got a love/hate thing going with social media :)
I think I do a reasonable job of posting my real life as well as photos that I’m proud of. Hopefully that helps people realize we’re all just “normal” people.
You’re right though, letting the trappings of social media influence your art is a slippery slope. I developed a passion for photography before social media so hopefully this is a lesson I’ll learn.
Mark Clifton
May 10, 2016 at 4:59 PMSo, how is it you sum up my thoughts and feelings in such a way that it feels as if you somehow pulled out my thoughts and gave them reality in your words? Thank you for sharing this. I connect to all you said. The loss of the truly genuine and authentic is real when all that I care about is whether or not someone likes or “hearts” my particular social media post or photo. I lose myself when I care more what others think than simply being me and sharing out of that center of balance. Thank you for being vulnerable and transparent and reminding me what genuineness and authenticity are all about.
Lee
May 11, 2016 at 2:32 AMI really enjoyed reading this. I’ve grown bored of social media and gone ‘old school’. To me it’s not about ‘likes’ or how many followers you have, that just doesn’t bother me anymore (and if I’m honest, it never did). And don’t get me started on hashtags.
On another note, I’m a pretty rubbish photographer and don’t know the magical formula to what makes a great photo. But I enjoy seeing great photos and, more importantly, hearing/reading the story behind them which always gives them an added dimension. I look forward to your future posts.
Mostly Lisa
May 11, 2016 at 7:39 AMOld school is new school ;) I honestly believe that taking a great photo is easily attainable. Just takes a willingness to learn technique and the time to go do it. Let me know if I can help with any of the technical stuff :)
Edward Iglesias
May 11, 2016 at 7:56 AMMy wife had her first job at Mesa Verde in the bookstore. One of the highlights was getting to accompany David Muench and “keep him out of trouble” while he was photographing Mesa Verde. According to Paula he came out the first day and just sat down and looked at the site he was going to photograph and stayed there from sunrise to sunset. The next day he came out with his big 8X10 and spent an hour setting up and taking just a few exposures. That resulted in the 1986 Cliff Palace photos. http://www.davidmuenchphotography.com/portfolios/mesa_verde1.htm#.VzNHaxUrJBw
Michael Goh
May 11, 2016 at 4:42 AMWell written Lisa – please stay true to your creative self and not pander to the masses. Don’t feel obliged to tag everything under the sun – it may not earn you more followers, but being true to yourself is more important than that (heh – I’ve often been told I should have more followers – but I don’t care and I only tag a small number). I know that I follow you because I’ve enjoyed your creativity (and humour) and not because you’re someone you’re not.
It’s easy to get caught up in the glamour of popularity – so it takes a bit of discipline to being yourself. Every now and then I get a bit of a feeling to quit social media (or break) due to the pressures of all the demands (people asking questions, trying to be polite responding etc) – but then I just remind myself the reasons why I enjoy photography and why I share. Both have nothing to do with followers and the demands of popularism.
Hoping you stay with us and keep sharing Lisa – wishing you the best always.
Mostly Lisa
May 11, 2016 at 7:44 AMThank you for your kind words. I have certainly done my share of pandering, but no more… I may still you hash tags occasionally ;) I think you can choose your journey on social media just like in life. I choose for it to be a positive experience. It it becomes negative then I have to change something. It’s that simple. Thanks for all your comments. Always appreciate them :)
Dara Craul
May 11, 2016 at 3:13 PMBrilliant Lisa and so well said. Authentic communication at its finest, and I think your honesty and directness helps us to look into our own life and evaluate how genuine we are being when we share our content. Its so easy to fall into the trap of putting out stuff to get more followers or more interest but connection is what its its all about, and even before social media creators had this problem, am I creating stuff to please others or am I creating from a place of my own true genuine self. and then as you say “that unique voice and authentic style will always be timeless”. Its a wake up call to the myriad of distraction that can take you away from your true work, so in that way I’m thankful that you have put it out there in this way, its real, its helpful and its a lighthouse for those of us, who can get lost along the way, in the world of hashtags, likes, etc. Our talent should be our guidepost, and the world around us our inspiration, and if our energy is directed to become more of who we really are and not what we want to appear to be, I think people will recognize it, and the true expression of who we are is its own reward. Thanks Lisa, for all the great work you produce, its a learning experience in itself! and I hope you do come to the point where you really do love the photo’s you take. Most of all, its inspiring to read this, because it makes me want to produce the best work I can and do whatever it takes to make this possible. Thanks and take care. Dara
Mostly Lisa
May 11, 2016 at 4:14 PMThank you so much for your comment. It certainly tough to maintain your own path… and certainly worth it to regularly reflect on the things you post, instead of just pushing it out every day. The pressures are pretty extreme, so it requires a lot of discipline to do so, but so worth it!
Mark Devereux
May 11, 2016 at 8:52 PMWell said! In the end, authenticity will show through and, if that means a blog as a conduit, rather than the myriad of rapid social media shares, then all the better! Life is far too short…
Mostly Lisa
May 12, 2016 at 8:43 AMExactly. I have a strong desire to create meaningful projects and I feel like I need more than 140 characters to do that…
jack hollingsworth
May 12, 2016 at 12:02 PMRight on Lisa. I heartily agree with your words. Spot on. In the end, does it really matter what people say about our photography? Not really. The only voice that ids important is your own. You’ll done a hell of a job being authentic-in your person and in your work. damn the cities. Embrace the lovers. In my book, you’re still the best. Keep at it and keep shooting away. be yourself. And if that ain’t good enough for everyone else…tough. Again, loved this post. I read every word!
Mostly Lisa
May 16, 2016 at 2:37 PMAww thanks so much. I’ve struggled a lot in the past few years to really embrace my own voice and opinion. It’s hard with the constant pressure to produce content. Stepping back and allowing myself time to sit with all my thoughts and take the photos I want… Thank you for your encouragement!!
Donald Lee
May 15, 2016 at 10:13 PMHi Lisa – A few things on my mind tonight:
1.
I was talking to a lady tonight and photography came up (we just met and in the process of getting to know each other). I mentioned I had done your mostly365 / Photo of a Day thing several years ago. I was glad the photos were still there and I could show her what I did. I was poking around to see what you had been up to and saw this blog. Interesting thing? The lady sent me a photo her mom took….of a double rainbow where her family is from (in California). I thought your photo in this blog and her mom’s was interesting. :)
2.
Speaking of Mostly365 / etc, are you still involved with Camera+ I still use the app every now and then though I default to the iPhone 6 camera if I am using my phone. Actually, I am a multi-camera person these days (compared to when I first has Camera+). I use my phone, point and shoot, Canon EOS-M (1st edition) and Canon 70D. In a way, first few years using Camera+ were a good learning experience that I went to using DSLR’s. :)
3.
I wanted to ask why you don’t have people do the mostly365 project anymore? It would be nice to encourage people to take shots and get practice. After doing photography so many years, I have my preferences and I notice many people don’t have any idea of how to take good pictures. I’m a mostly self-trained amateur (except for a couple of classes I took via group on) but feel I know a bit more than the average user.
4.
Lastly, like you, I don’t use Intragram / SnapChat. I put some of my photos up on FB and store them on my Smug Mug site. I’m also not 25 so I don’t care about people paying attention to me. I post stuff on FB on real things (articles of interest, videos or photos I have taken / created, etc). It’s a means of self expression. I admit, I do do “selfies” but they are usually cropped from photos people have taken of me. My friend calls them “croppies”. :D
Mostly Lisa
May 17, 2016 at 7:58 AMFunny! I will always be somewhat involved in Camera+, although I am focusing on other projects now. The Mostly365 was a passion project that I just didn’t have time for anymore. It took a lot of backend maintenance to the site and I required a coder to help with that. He’s become busy with other projects now unfortunately. I still encourage people to share photos on the social platform of their choice or in my blog comments. Always looking for ways to inspire :)
Greg
May 16, 2016 at 9:46 PMLisa, you’re taking the right approach. Stay true to yourself. I know what it takes to get those photos. I mean, I haven’t travelled like you have, but I know people who have, and I’ve trekked around here to get some cool stuff in my day too, so I think I can say “I get it”.
You are a great photographer. Your stuff is indeed amazing and I hope you continue to share it.
Mostly Lisa
May 17, 2016 at 8:00 AMThank you so much. Lovely comment to wake up to. I’m glad you get it :)
Jorge Quinteros
May 17, 2016 at 7:17 AMA lot has been said lately regarding this topic and the reality is, it’s become fairly easy to differentiate between those who are playing the Like game and those who have focused more on not only establishing a vision for the people they inspire but more importantly, they’ve a created a vision for themselves first. These are the people with the authentic voice and style. These are the people we’ve come to recognize because of how transparent they are in sharing their stories. By virtue of being themselves, they’ve established as to how they wished to be perceived by others as oppose to anyone else taking the liberty to decide for them and place them in a box.
Like you said, even if a platform like Instagram went away, we would still know what these people are about which is an approach I wish more people would take as oppose to pretending to be something they’re not just because doing so is what will get them to top quickly. I rather play the long game.
Mostly Lisa
May 17, 2016 at 8:03 AMYes, exactly. We are in an exciting time where there is a lot of new and often times distracting ways to share our art. I feel like I’m at a stage where I’d like to stop allowing the platform to dictate what I share… Thank you for your kind words :) Nice to hear from you.
Tom
May 22, 2016 at 9:40 AMGreat read. Great writing. Great thoughts.
It’s said so often that a picture is worth a thousand words but I really like hearing the thousand words behind the picture! Based on the number of interesting and thoughtful replies to your post, I must not be alone.
Mostly Lisa
May 23, 2016 at 4:06 PMThank you for taking the time to write a comment. I am really enjoying sharing more truthful behind the scenes stores. Happy to hear there are people out there enjoying reading them!
Ben
November 19, 2016 at 11:13 PM“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.” ~Oscar Wilde. So are social media…. In the end, artists must chose what they want to share, where to set the boundaries between the public, their life and their art. Some artists like Alex Colville would not allow anyone to get in their painting room, not even his wife. Others like Picasso would get filmed while painting. However, I doubt they would have shared their morning cappuccino other than on a canva. In a world where everyone gets over exposed, the best thing you can do is entertaining your mystery.
New Year’s Resolutions Every Photographer Should Make in 2017 – Mostly Lisa | Photography tips & travel inspiration
January 3, 2017 at 5:25 AM[…] year I learn more about photography as an art form and a business. I’ve struggled over the past few years with finding a balance between pursuing the photography I love and posting things to social media […]