Photography in the Age of Social Medias

The world of visual production has been turned upside down by the rise in popularity of social medias. Today, you have to know how to navigate and work with these media to give yourself the best chance of success. And the possibilities are endless!

Social media and smartphones have allowed people to start creating with a tool that can fit in their pocket, which has broken down the main barrier of entry for creativity in the photo world: equipment and the budget to buy it.

Many people are now developing an interest or even a passion using their phone. From there, they can make the choice to equip themselves based on what works best for them and the style of photography they plan to do.

Social medias give more people the chance to show their creativity, no matter the field, and thus, inspire other people to do the same.

The amount of photos required by businesses has never been greater, since the consumption of images on social medias is very large and very fast, which gives more opportunities in professional photography. Whether it's in tourism, fashion, agribusiness, real estate, restaurants, outdoor and any other field, the need for photos is recurrent and you must know how to take advantage of it as a photographer.

David Mamàn
Canon EOS R6 + Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM
1/125  |  f/4  |  ISO 500

The abundance can sometimes give the impression that everything has been done, but in my opinion this is not true. The creativity of photographers combined with the creativity of entrepreneurs and their companies means that there will always be new needs, new contexts and new settings to create innovative, sometimes innovative and often unique visuals.

Thus, the number of sources of inspiration is also enormous and it is positive to be inspired without comparing oneself, but one should not fall into imitation. We must find a way to put our own touch or style while matching the client's needs to our vision.

Social media and the consumption of images on phones and tablets have changed the format and industry standard. Before, the vast majority of photos were taken horizontally, whereas today, the vertical format wins hands down. Horizontal photos are still relevant for billboards and some website photos while the vertical format is very strong on social media, especially Instagram and is also useful for some display formats like bus shelters or promotional flyers.

Personally, I only took my photos horizontally when I started and nowadays, unless it's a specific request from a client, all the photos I take are vertical.

You can see here that with a screenshot from my cell phone, the vertical photo takes up much more space and is therefore much more visible. It captures more attention. So it's a good practice on Instagram.

One of the main reasons for this change is that we consume images on a phone that is vertical. A horizontal versus vertical publication takes up less space on the phone's screen, which makes the photo less visible.

The most popular places are so common on social media that it sometimes seems that people only go to the places they see in pictures to take the same shot. It's important to stay creative and always try to put your own touch, whether it's by the angle, the composition or the use of subject or props, not to do like everyone else. Even the Eiffel Tower can still be shot in a different or original way!

For me, Instagram is a search engine for photogenic and awesome destinations and places. It's easy to limit yourself to only the most famous places, but it's also possible to do some good in-depth research and unearth some very unpopular places, and ideally, go there afterwards!

Here is a place, quite famous in Europe but still far enough to be able to have moments alone: Lago Di Braies, in the north of Italy. You can see with the hashtag that it's a place where all kind of people meet and often, they take a picture. So I found it thanks to Instagram, and I had the chance to have a long time without anyone around me. Here are some pictures I took, and so, here is my interpretation of this place, at this moment.

On Instagram, the main photo platform there is, the sequence of photos on a profile, the feed, has forced photographers and content creators to pay special attention to the consistency of photos between them, which has led people to choose a style, refine it and assume it. There are a thousand ways to edit a photo, but to create a beautiful profile on Instagram and precisely try to stand out with your style, you have to make consistent choices!

Here is the example of my profile, which over time, seasons and destinations, has gone from blue/turquoise to orange to blue/white.

For my content creation business, you can see that the styles also change with the seasons and are different from what I do for my personal profile.

In the end, I think social media has created a great wave for the visual production world. It's a wave that you have to know how to ride, while keeping your feet on the ground. You can't be overwhelmed by the quantity, but you have to be inspired by it and find your way.