Thanks for watching and I hope this video helped you out! - If you'd like more free resources for Instagram as a photographer checkout my free mindset guide to IG and my free instagram reels course- www.evanranft.com/free-products
It used to be fun to post your work there, now is like playing a video game in hardcore mode trying to figure out how to get some engagement and new people to see your work.
@@RanftEvan I did actually watch this video to see if it would encourage me to perhaps consider rejoining, but as a portfolio only account. Not sure just yet. But I'll be honest, I didn't miss it all. I think I made the mistake last time of making my account trying to work for all my interests, not just photography (I draw and make experimental music too), but didn't like having loads of different accounts. The algorithm doesn't like mix and match content. Subbed btw too.
I won’t lie, using the backlog is definitely something I need to do more of. I am absolutely guilty of the “need to share something new”. I’ve even seen some artists reuse photos for posts and I have to realize I can do that now and again as well
Very insightful video, love that you're taking a different approach than "just make engaging reels" which is a known thing by now to pretty much all photographers. Videography is a completely different artform that not every photographer enjoys or can afford to learn/has the time for.
I’d rather view it as a consistent challenge. If we “won” or completed the challenge, what is there to do after? A consistent challenge gives purpose, something to always strive for.
@@Nic_v. it's not a nice challenge nor a challenge we asked for, it's just imposed upon us. my purpose is to make photos and share them with my community, not chase an algorithm
@@Nic_v. yep i think people miss the point abt instagram... they dont even think about all the social media dynamics or even human thinking as a whole... even without the algorithm changes, the more people watch a content or a type of picture the more they get bored of it
It feels like the best way to get my photos noticed is to put an ad on it and boost it. Spend a little money, let the photo go for about a week, get noticed around the world. Problem is, I get mostly people from the same countries rather than most of the countries I ask my photo to be featured at. For some reason, the countries where people notice my photos when they are boosted are normally Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey, some African countries, and some South American countries. No American or Europeans notice it, which is where I would mostly prefer. I used just about every major city in the world I can think of for boosting. If I boost my photo so it focuses on my country, the U.S., I notice it mostly targets people living around Chicago. And I used just about every major city in the U.S. Sometimes if I am lucky, people from Japan will notice my photo if it's not boosted. But usually now, it's my followers who see my photos and it's usually the same people who do.
If you’re posting for the sole reason of getting likes then you’re going no where. Post your work because you want to share it and expect nothing in return
@@Re4derTheGlorious this is the difference between the photographers who are working a job making $40,000 a year with barely enough time to get out wanting to make it their living so they can do it all the time, and the one’s whose dad buys them a house as a college graduation present alongside a $20,000 camera set up and tells them to just have fun for the next 50 years of their life
I'm also doing a photo a day project. It has created a little growth but not a lot. Due to time constraints, I have frequently used older photos. I still need to make a decent reel but I don't see that happening. I was thinking of using some outtakes from my YT videos because they are of my dogs interrupting me. Many people have been complaining that the shared work is getting more views from the account that shared it than from the original.
The daily project kinda turns into a paradox where you’re posting more but the time limits of needing something every day could impact the quality. I guess they call that a catch 22. At the end of the day I think sharing something everyday is more fun than anything
My reels do worse than my pictures. No one sees my reels unless I pay to promote them. Whereas my pictures are picked up quickly. I don’t know what that’s all about
I've been watching photo youtube for more than a decade. This is the best channel on youtube these days by far!! Thank you for the tips and content Evan. Also your photos are next level. Keep up the great work Sir. I'll be here for it.
Hey that really means a lot! I put a lot of tedious work into these videos to make sure they’re the best they can be. Especially when it comes to information videos like this. So the kind words are motivating to keep going 🙏
There was Vero and I tried it a couple of years ago right as it was gaining some popularity with photographers, but it didn't last long. I like some of Vero's features such as viewing photos in full screen, full resolution and not having to worry about cropping like Instagram does. But even when I did what others did to get hundreds of subscribers, somehow I got nowhere.
Not sure if everyone has the similar experience but when trying to view carousel photos, I noticed after viewing the first photo, the rest take too long to load for my short attention span, which usually results in me just scrolling along without leaving a like. Does anyone else experience or do this?
If i wanted to have a hybrid photo & reel creative account, would my account have the same chances of growth if i kept all my reels on the dedicated reels tab on my profile exclusively? or would i have to keep them on my main feed? I feel like the reel thumbnails ruin the main aesthetic of the main photo feed. great video!
From what I’ve seen, hashtags help with major subjects. For example “shot on #nikonz8” that Nikon z8 tag acts as SEO to feed the post to other camera enthusiasts. And also makes the post easier to find if someone’s searching for content on the Z8. However, it’s pointless using a million hashtags now like people did years ago
Tried it out as a new creator and my posts seem to have absolutely zero reach. It's terrible and demoralizing. Going to use it as a temporary portfolio before picking something else.
Ok, and all for WHAT, exactly. Put in all this work, and how does this help with your photography? Do you get clients from it? Rarely, if ever. As a business move, it’s generally only good for having as a portfolio you can direct people to. That’s about it.
Sponsorships is one big thing though. More engagement, more business will be intrested of showcasing their products on your channel, i.e more money for you!
I also use music on most of my photo posts. I love music so it's in my wheelhouse. Besides I try to use songs that fit the mood or the edit in my photo.
Is Instagram still relevant for photographers? This tiny output on a small smartphone screen doesn't really fit for artistic output. What about Flickr and 500px? Or is photography generally dead? I guess nobody at IG is really interested to buy prints?
Why would photographers care about reaching other photographers? They don’t buy photos! Perhaps ads on IG could work. I suppose it’s nice to have samples of your work available on every platform. But otherwise I think FB is far better at generating real leads for clients. Which is the whole point.
I wonder how many people really take note of, or care about, what the CEO of Instagram, or other platforms, is saying! As for all the rest of it, the hacks, the daily attention to posting, hashtags, trending, whatever….it all sounds far too desperate, unreal, and life-sucking egotistical egoism.
MEH! Sounds like WAAAAYYYYY too much work for so little reward! Waste of time in my opinion! Photos online now are like tears in the rain! They just get lost with the millions of other photos from the millions of other photographers desperately trying to get attention!
Does IG bring in clients? I suspect no. Does it sell your stock photos? Again, no. So why do you really care? Because you’re obsessed with seeking approval from strangers due to the lack of in person contact, created by social media. It’s a circle of pointless nonsense. Get off the circle.
Thanks for watching and I hope this video helped you out!
-
If you'd like more free resources for Instagram as a photographer checkout my free mindset guide to IG and my free instagram reels course- www.evanranft.com/free-products
It used to be fun to post your work there, now is like playing a video game in hardcore mode trying to figure out how to get some engagement and new people to see your work.
Quit Instagram about 4 months ago. No regrets. There’s always that fear of missing out… but you get over it.
Good for you 🙌
@@RanftEvan I did actually watch this video to see if it would encourage me to perhaps consider rejoining, but as a portfolio only account. Not sure just yet. But I'll be honest, I didn't miss it all. I think I made the mistake last time of making my account trying to work for all my interests, not just photography (I draw and make experimental music too), but didn't like having loads of different accounts. The algorithm doesn't like mix and match content. Subbed btw too.
Where do you share your work now???
@ I don’t really. I’m trying to print more.
I won’t lie, using the backlog is definitely something I need to do more of. I am absolutely guilty of the “need to share something new”.
I’ve even seen some artists reuse photos for posts and I have to realize I can do that now and again as well
Very insightful video, love that you're taking a different approach than "just make engaging reels" which is a known thing by now to pretty much all photographers. Videography is a completely different artform that not every photographer enjoys or can afford to learn/has the time for.
I know this is made with good intentions but instagram is pretty depressing for artists. It’s like the goalpost keeps moving
Yeah I agree but there’s sadly not many other options 🤷♂️
I’d rather view it as a consistent challenge. If we “won” or completed the challenge, what is there to do after? A consistent challenge gives purpose, something to always strive for.
@@Nic_v. it's not a nice challenge nor a challenge we asked for, it's just imposed upon us. my purpose is to make photos and share them with my community, not chase an algorithm
Great pov mate 👍 @@Nic_v.
@@Nic_v. yep i think people miss the point abt instagram... they dont even think about all the social media dynamics or even human thinking as a whole... even without the algorithm changes, the more people watch a content or a type of picture the more they get bored of it
It feels like the best way to get my photos noticed is to put an ad on it and boost it. Spend a little money, let the photo go for about a week, get noticed around the world. Problem is, I get mostly people from the same countries rather than most of the countries I ask my photo to be featured at.
For some reason, the countries where people notice my photos when they are boosted are normally Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey, some African countries, and some South American countries. No American or Europeans notice it, which is where I would mostly prefer. I used just about every major city in the world I can think of for boosting.
If I boost my photo so it focuses on my country, the U.S., I notice it mostly targets people living around Chicago. And I used just about every major city in the U.S.
Sometimes if I am lucky, people from Japan will notice my photo if it's not boosted. But usually now, it's my followers who see my photos and it's usually the same people who do.
If you’re posting for the sole reason of getting likes then you’re going no where. Post your work because you want to share it and expect nothing in return
"How to grow - just accept not growing". Ok.
@@Re4derTheGlorious this is the difference between the photographers who are working a job making $40,000 a year with barely enough time to get out wanting to make it their living so they can do it all the time, and the one’s whose dad buys them a house as a college graduation present alongside a $20,000 camera set up and tells them to just have fun for the next 50 years of their life
I'm also doing a photo a day project. It has created a little growth but not a lot. Due to time constraints, I have frequently used older photos. I still need to make a decent reel but I don't see that happening. I was thinking of using some outtakes from my YT videos because they are of my dogs interrupting me.
Many people have been complaining that the shared work is getting more views from the account that shared it than from the original.
The daily project kinda turns into a paradox where you’re posting more but the time limits of needing something every day could impact the quality. I guess they call that a catch 22. At the end of the day I think sharing something everyday is more fun than anything
IG wants to be TikTok
Yeah that’s become very clear
Thanks for the tips, these were some great points
Bro, I love what u have said in the important section 😎
bro, what gear did you use to make this video? so amazed!
My reels do worse than my pictures. No one sees my reels unless I pay to promote them. Whereas my pictures are picked up quickly. I don’t know what that’s all about
Same
thx for your help. You gave me a lot of inspiration...
I've been watching photo youtube for more than a decade. This is the best channel on youtube these days by far!! Thank you for the tips and content Evan. Also your photos are next level. Keep up the great work Sir. I'll be here for it.
Hey that really means a lot! I put a lot of tedious work into these videos to make sure they’re the best they can be. Especially when it comes to information videos like this. So the kind words are motivating to keep going 🙏
Instagram holds no value. We need another app strictly for photography
There was Vero and I tried it a couple of years ago right as it was gaining some popularity with photographers, but it didn't last long. I like some of Vero's features such as viewing photos in full screen, full resolution and not having to worry about cropping like Instagram does. But even when I did what others did to get hundreds of subscribers, somehow I got nowhere.
Lightroom Community is great
Not sure if everyone has the similar experience but when trying to view carousel photos, I noticed after viewing the first photo, the rest take too long to load for my short attention span, which usually results in me just scrolling along without leaving a like. Does anyone else experience or do this?
If i wanted to have a hybrid photo & reel creative account, would my account have the same chances of growth if i kept all my reels on the dedicated reels tab on my profile exclusively? or would i have to keep them on my main feed? I feel like the reel thumbnails ruin the main aesthetic of the main photo feed. great video!
What about hashtags? Should I include them or just don't bother?
From what I’ve seen, hashtags help with major subjects. For example “shot on #nikonz8” that Nikon z8 tag acts as SEO to feed the post to other camera enthusiasts. And also makes the post easier to find if someone’s searching for content on the Z8. However, it’s pointless using a million hashtags now like people did years ago
Tried it out as a new creator and my posts seem to have absolutely zero reach. It's terrible and demoralizing. Going to use it as a temporary portfolio before picking something else.
Great Video
Hey! How did you put that white frame on your IG photos??
I like your analysis. Any thoughts on Behance?
Reels have killed instagram, as a photographer i use it mostly for my photographs.
Ok, and all for WHAT, exactly. Put in all this work, and how does this help with your photography? Do you get clients from it? Rarely, if ever. As a business move, it’s generally only good for having as a portfolio you can direct people to. That’s about it.
Sponsorships is one big thing though. More engagement, more business will be intrested of showcasing their products on your channel, i.e more money for you!
Please review Sony Xperia 1 VI
I literally gave up my bluetick which is bogus!
You didn’t really see any benefit from it? Genuinely curious cause I never subscribed to get it
I can only post 10 photos in a carousel. And even then i get errors so i stay to 8 or less.
I also use music on most of my photo posts. I love music so it's in my wheelhouse. Besides I try to use songs that fit the mood or the edit in my photo.
Ig is dead
Idk what the secondary option is for artists. Maybe something will come about eventually and stick
But still, you are watching a clip and commenting about the subject. Curious…..
I made a new account to promote my virtual photography, it is beyond stagnant. 😬😬
I feel this.
Is Instagram still relevant for photographers? This tiny output on a small smartphone screen doesn't really fit for artistic output. What about Flickr and 500px? Or is photography generally dead? I guess nobody at IG is really interested to buy prints?
Why would photographers care about reaching other photographers? They don’t buy photos!
Perhaps ads on IG could work. I suppose it’s nice to have samples of your work available on every platform. But otherwise I think FB is far better at generating real leads for clients. Which is the whole point.
I wonder how many people really take note of, or care about, what the CEO of Instagram, or other platforms, is saying!
As for all the rest of it, the hacks, the daily attention to posting, hashtags, trending, whatever….it all sounds far too desperate, unreal, and life-sucking egotistical egoism.
MEH! Sounds like WAAAAYYYYY too much work for so little reward! Waste of time in my opinion! Photos online now are like tears in the rain! They just get lost with the millions of other photos from the millions of other photographers desperately trying to get attention!
Does IG bring in clients? I suspect no. Does it sell your stock photos? Again, no. So why do you really care? Because you’re obsessed with seeking approval from strangers due to the lack of in person contact, created by social media. It’s a circle of pointless nonsense. Get off the circle.
Thank you
We’re all waiting for your iPhone 16 Pro camera 📷 review.
Mad sales pitch. 100% speculation 0% results.
Did your little sister say it was OK for you to wear her shorts?
With photography I've found better engagement on TikTok than IG
🙏🙏🙏