So, has social media ruined photography? The short answer is yes… and no. Like everything in life, there are both positive and negative aspects to its existence. The internet, and to a large extent social media, have ultimately democratized photography. The days of what was once something of an old boys‘ club, where techniques were closely guarded and only passed down from professional photographer to assistant, are well and truly over. Of course, this does still happen, but type practically any technique into the YouTube search box and you’ll be presented with a plethora of tutorial videos.
It’s not that I’m completely against social media. I respect each of the current platforms for what they are, but over the last several years, I’ve taken a drastic step back in terms of my engagement on social media. … While I still manage inquiries that I receive on Facebook and Instagram, I’d estimate that only 20 percent of those inquiries lead to a paying job. On the other hand, nearly 100 percent of the inquires made through my website, emails, phone calls, or in person lead to booking a job.
So yes – I suppose you could say that social media is destroying photography as we knew it twenty years ago, but it is not all bad news for us photographers! After all, while the introduction of 35mm created much controversy at the time it came out, it also granted wider access to photography for the general public.
My 5 cents: It is only destroying commercial photography…