I also agree that zines and photobooks are the most straightforward way to fight digital fatigue in photography. My teacher also gave me an idea for another one, when talking about Nan Goldin's life and explaining that she used to do these slideshows for friends and other people interested, to show her photographies in the moment. I feel like that could be a fun way to connect with people and give photos the importance they have, gathering a bunch of people and actually going through each of the pictures one by one projected on a screen in large size!
I firmly believe that the best way to combat the modern abyss that is digital connection is to make and share prints.
Go through your work and discover pictures and look for images of friends, family, or coworkers. Make a print and go the extra mile and frame it. Doesn’t have to be big or expensive. Handing that person a framed photo of themself or their loved one can, and often does, bring tears to their eyes. Especially if some time has passed since it was taken.
Sharing a singular tangible image in person is far more powerful than sharing multiple images online or getting digital engagement (“likes”). That’s the best way to use your images to forge real life connections.
My answer to the digital fatigue are definitely regular photo walks - I feel lucky to have found a dedicated photo walking buddy to talk about film, life and everything in between as we hit the streets🙌🏻!
Ironically I've worked in ecommerce all my professional life but never has a truer word been said. The beauty of social media is in connecting long-tail interests and people together - and not staying exclusively online. Well done on doing this!
I absolutely agree that being online constantly can be exhausting. I went a little extreme with it the last few years and slowly cut all social media out of my life. Honestly it was the best decision I ever made. I started getting out more, cultivating more meaningful friendships, and feeling way less anxious.
I use my photo walks as a mindfulness practice now, and just share the photos I like most with my close friends. It makes me enjoy it a lot more, not only as a hobby but also to just stay grounded and really take in the world around me.
As a retired photography teacher, I suddenly found myself all alone with my camera and without an art department to talk about (and touch) artwork. For the past couple of years, I have missed that connection with people to talk about photography and explore alt techniques, student work, and personal projects. I have an Instagram presence, but the occasional likes or short comments did not provide the feedback and conversations I was so used to having with colleagues/students. Last month, I submitted a few photographs for a group show and they were accepted. At the artist reception last week, I met and talked to other people who were navigating their work without feedback, too. It felt great to talk about each other's art and see it in person - not online.
So my answer to your question about "navigating the tension between digital fatigue and the need for real-life connection" is to work harder to seek out real-life connections and find people for real conversations.
Photobooks are a great way of fighting digital fatigue but for me the best way is connecting with a community in person. I'd love to connect with a small group of like minded souls in my area to share photowalks, give feedback on projects and do group exhibitions...but not take ourselves too seriously! In this digital society that sort of connection seems to be harder to come by nowadays.
Not everything should be a performance, not everybody should be performing all the time and yet here we are in an eternal limbo of stage fright (at least for me). We're blessed with 6 senses it's time to reconnect with them and with people. Really looking forward to the event (and the zine) it sounds like an interesting community! And thank you for for the lil feature, looking forward to collaborating more
I've been trying to put together some thoughts on connecting offline, so this comes at the perfect time. Definitely planning on using some of this as a jumping-off point (and might even ask for some suggestions on building those offline communities too). Great work!
It seems fortuitous that I should receive your email just minutes into writing on my blog about how unmotivated I am to be creative in the digital age and especially in our current and increasingly divisive times. Ironically, as I was writing I was even thinking to myself about the very action of putting down my thoughts in a digital environment versus writing them in an actual physical journal.
I am 47 years old. I have been photographing since I was a child, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography in college and I learned everything in a darkroom setting. I reluctantly embraced the digital realm after I graduated because of my lack of access to a darkroom and having no ability to have one of my own at the time. It was incredibly convenient and at first even exciting to be learning this new aspect of the medium. Over the years I gradually began to become less and less motivated or inspired to continue creating images that ultimately ended up simply being saved to a hard drive and rarely revisited. In the last year, I have become so jaded about digital photography that I missed 3 updates to the software...
A few years ago, I finally bought a house and fulfilled a 25+ year dream to build a darkroom of my own in an unfinished room in the basement. This opened up a true reinvigoration in my motivation to break out my old film cameras and get back into the visceral aspects of what I initially fell in love with. Creating physical, tactile artwork that I could work with and hold in my hands.
At the risk of sounding like a film/darkroom snob, I want to be clear that have no issues with digital photography at all. The image is all that is important. How the image is created is the artist's vision regardless of the instrument used. I still carry both a film and digital camera with me everywhere I go.
The darkroom is the break in the routine that I needed from doom-scrolling on flickr, spending less than a minute on images even if I found them absolutely captivating and superb. Even though, similar to digital, most of my images end up in boxes and not shared with others, this simple act of creating them this way makes it such a wonderfully fulfilling experience. This is how I break away from the digital fatigue aspects of photography.
For real-life connection, I would love to find, or even start a community such as yours where we can go on photo walks, share and critique each other's images together rather than the simple "like" on social photography sites. To have that sense of community that we so desperately need today. We are social creatures by nature and I truly believe that the digital and divisive environment that the world has become has diminished us in so many ways not the least of which is that innate need for human connection. We need each other. I fully believe this.
Sorry for such a long-winded reply to the question.
No need to apologize Cory! THANK YOU for sharing your perspective, I love how you describe it, especially "the darkroom is the break in the routine that I needed from doom-scrolling". Congrats on having been able to make that move, huge!
Printing, of course, helps combat the endless feeling of being online. I've also found that photographing a community makes me feel very connected to the world. I became the team photographer for a local softball team and it has been a joy.
I also agree that zines and photobooks are the most straightforward way to fight digital fatigue in photography. My teacher also gave me an idea for another one, when talking about Nan Goldin's life and explaining that she used to do these slideshows for friends and other people interested, to show her photographies in the moment. I feel like that could be a fun way to connect with people and give photos the importance they have, gathering a bunch of people and actually going through each of the pictures one by one projected on a screen in large size!
Love me some slide shows! Great suggestion!
Awesome! Wish I could be there ❤️
WE ALL DO TBH
😊❤️😊❤️
I firmly believe that the best way to combat the modern abyss that is digital connection is to make and share prints.
Go through your work and discover pictures and look for images of friends, family, or coworkers. Make a print and go the extra mile and frame it. Doesn’t have to be big or expensive. Handing that person a framed photo of themself or their loved one can, and often does, bring tears to their eyes. Especially if some time has passed since it was taken.
Sharing a singular tangible image in person is far more powerful than sharing multiple images online or getting digital engagement (“likes”). That’s the best way to use your images to forge real life connections.
Thanks Omid! I love a great print!
My answer to the digital fatigue are definitely regular photo walks - I feel lucky to have found a dedicated photo walking buddy to talk about film, life and everything in between as we hit the streets🙌🏻!
having the buddy is so key! accountability!
It improved my own practice 💯% !
Ironically I've worked in ecommerce all my professional life but never has a truer word been said. The beauty of social media is in connecting long-tail interests and people together - and not staying exclusively online. Well done on doing this!
Thank you Jennie!!
PS I'd go but can't get to AMS then
would have loved to have you, but next time :)
I absolutely agree that being online constantly can be exhausting. I went a little extreme with it the last few years and slowly cut all social media out of my life. Honestly it was the best decision I ever made. I started getting out more, cultivating more meaningful friendships, and feeling way less anxious.
I use my photo walks as a mindfulness practice now, and just share the photos I like most with my close friends. It makes me enjoy it a lot more, not only as a hobby but also to just stay grounded and really take in the world around me.
love this answer, ryan! thanks for sharing, inspiring!
As a retired photography teacher, I suddenly found myself all alone with my camera and without an art department to talk about (and touch) artwork. For the past couple of years, I have missed that connection with people to talk about photography and explore alt techniques, student work, and personal projects. I have an Instagram presence, but the occasional likes or short comments did not provide the feedback and conversations I was so used to having with colleagues/students. Last month, I submitted a few photographs for a group show and they were accepted. At the artist reception last week, I met and talked to other people who were navigating their work without feedback, too. It felt great to talk about each other's art and see it in person - not online.
So my answer to your question about "navigating the tension between digital fatigue and the need for real-life connection" is to work harder to seek out real-life connections and find people for real conversations.
yes yes yes Kim!
Photobooks are a great way of fighting digital fatigue but for me the best way is connecting with a community in person. I'd love to connect with a small group of like minded souls in my area to share photowalks, give feedback on projects and do group exhibitions...but not take ourselves too seriously! In this digital society that sort of connection seems to be harder to come by nowadays.
Where are you based, if I may ask, Lin? Perhaps there are other Process readers there with the same wish?
I'm based on the south coast of England...connecting with others for photowalks here is on my to do list once I retire in a few months time :-)
Let's fine some locals down there!
Not everything should be a performance, not everybody should be performing all the time and yet here we are in an eternal limbo of stage fright (at least for me). We're blessed with 6 senses it's time to reconnect with them and with people. Really looking forward to the event (and the zine) it sounds like an interesting community! And thank you for for the lil feature, looking forward to collaborating more
Likewise, Cam!
This is an essential and timely topic. Thanks for this. 👏🖤📷
Glad you enjoyed that, Benjamin! I feel over here we are quite on the same page.
I've been trying to put together some thoughts on connecting offline, so this comes at the perfect time. Definitely planning on using some of this as a jumping-off point (and might even ask for some suggestions on building those offline communities too). Great work!
Thanks for the kind words, Constantin! Yea please go forth and spread the offline gospel in your community!
It seems fortuitous that I should receive your email just minutes into writing on my blog about how unmotivated I am to be creative in the digital age and especially in our current and increasingly divisive times. Ironically, as I was writing I was even thinking to myself about the very action of putting down my thoughts in a digital environment versus writing them in an actual physical journal.
I am 47 years old. I have been photographing since I was a child, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography in college and I learned everything in a darkroom setting. I reluctantly embraced the digital realm after I graduated because of my lack of access to a darkroom and having no ability to have one of my own at the time. It was incredibly convenient and at first even exciting to be learning this new aspect of the medium. Over the years I gradually began to become less and less motivated or inspired to continue creating images that ultimately ended up simply being saved to a hard drive and rarely revisited. In the last year, I have become so jaded about digital photography that I missed 3 updates to the software...
A few years ago, I finally bought a house and fulfilled a 25+ year dream to build a darkroom of my own in an unfinished room in the basement. This opened up a true reinvigoration in my motivation to break out my old film cameras and get back into the visceral aspects of what I initially fell in love with. Creating physical, tactile artwork that I could work with and hold in my hands.
At the risk of sounding like a film/darkroom snob, I want to be clear that have no issues with digital photography at all. The image is all that is important. How the image is created is the artist's vision regardless of the instrument used. I still carry both a film and digital camera with me everywhere I go.
The darkroom is the break in the routine that I needed from doom-scrolling on flickr, spending less than a minute on images even if I found them absolutely captivating and superb. Even though, similar to digital, most of my images end up in boxes and not shared with others, this simple act of creating them this way makes it such a wonderfully fulfilling experience. This is how I break away from the digital fatigue aspects of photography.
For real-life connection, I would love to find, or even start a community such as yours where we can go on photo walks, share and critique each other's images together rather than the simple "like" on social photography sites. To have that sense of community that we so desperately need today. We are social creatures by nature and I truly believe that the digital and divisive environment that the world has become has diminished us in so many ways not the least of which is that innate need for human connection. We need each other. I fully believe this.
Sorry for such a long-winded reply to the question.
No need to apologize Cory! THANK YOU for sharing your perspective, I love how you describe it, especially "the darkroom is the break in the routine that I needed from doom-scrolling". Congrats on having been able to make that move, huge!
Writing on paper! Ideally, quietly around other people.
HUGE fan myself, always for my to-do lists and brainstorms.
Printing, of course, helps combat the endless feeling of being online. I've also found that photographing a community makes me feel very connected to the world. I became the team photographer for a local softball team and it has been a joy.
Donna-Claire! Your comment was randomly drawn as this week's winner! Congrats! Please email me your mailing address.
What a nice surprise! Will do so right away.
Oh that’s such a cute idea!
Really nice stuff! Thanks for sharing!
thanks for the kind words gang, glad you enjoyed!
really can’t wait to be there at May 17! so excited to be part of this amazing project!!!
So glad to have you!