By Ian Hollidae, 2025/02/07

At the start of my photography project, I thought it might be a good idea to do some research into what the best platforms for sharing photos were. I searched through Google, Reddit, Youtube and various photo-related sites to find as many answers I could. At the time, I wasn't entirely sure what my own criteria for photosharing was. I eventually boiled it down to photo quality, ability to get feedback as a newbie and whether the service had a free tier (since I was new, I didn't want to get stuck with a monthly charge for something I no longer used). It seemed like a good place to start.

However, there was something else I ran across during my research. Articles, comments and forum posts about one platform or another no longer being optimal for sharing pictures.

I didn't know what to make of it initially. Given all the noise you find on the internet, it was easy to label these posts as minor. Photosharing can mean different things to different people and no platform stays the same over time. I decided none of it was important because, in the end, I'd have to start somewhere.

So why am I writing this?

Because years later, I'm still seeing the same types of posts (via Fstoppers) and comments but this time against the backdrop of an emerging video dominance.

Right now, it's clear that video is pulling the cart. I think it's perfectly logical for people to ask what this means for photography. What seems lost in that question is the downstream effect of what does this mean for photosharing. After all, if photography is being diminished, then all photography related items would have to be diminished as well. And it's easy for everyone to come up with their own answers given that point of view.

So for now, my response is based on taking the current problem and pointing out the positive. We live in an age where there are more photgraphs shot, produced and published than at any point in human history. In that context, it's next to impossible to contain photography. And photosharing. If the main issue is that you have to do what you've been doing somewhere else, then I don't see a problem.

In other words, there is no crisis.

Tags: Social Media