How QUITTING SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGED MY LIFE & PHOTOGRAPHY | The Landscape Photography Journals E14
Vložit
- čas přidán 26. 08. 2024
- FREE PHOTO EDITING VIDEO SERIES SIGNUP www.davemorrow...
New Episodes of The Landscape Photography Journals Every Tuesday.
SUBSCRIBE HERE - bit.ly/2o6I9Ng
WATCH THE ENTIRE VIDEO SERIES: www.davemorrow...
LAST WEEKS VIDEO
• PHOTO EDITING - RIVERS...
MY LATEST PHOTOS
photos.davemorr...
FREE PHOTO EDITING VIDEO SERIES SIGNUP
www.davemorrow...
Thanks for Watching,
Dave
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS TOPIC? Also, here are some really good resources that helped me make my decision, linked below. THIS BOOKS DRIVES MY DAILY CREATIVE PROCESS --> amzn.to/2G5L80d Here is a great video to go along with the book --> czcams.com/video/3E7hkPZ-HTk/video.html
Enjoy & thanks for watching,
Dave
Interesting approach, the thing is you already had like 1,5M follower combined on those platforms that learned about your website through social right?
I'm a young photographer focusing on portrait and fashion photography...
So I'm in a place with just about 2500 followers combined from 2 platforms, I don't think that quitting those platforms even if I did something really cool on my website would gain much traffic to it... also about 70-80% of my jobs come through social media marketing. + its an incredibly useful tool to find models, stylist, MUAs etc to collaborate...
I agree that you have to be carefull not to let social media consume you, but its a increadibly usefull tool, especialy when starting out...
Dave Morrow well said man, I just myself into photography just last year and I rarely use SM, at the moment you're an inspiration to the people who watch your videos. Keep it up man 👍🏽
Keep up the good work Dave! I rather enjoy written than video tutorials. I have to say I am so grateful for the guides you have created and shared for free with the rest of us. The most concise and precise introductory guide to photography I could ever find for methodical people like myself that likes to understand every step of the process. Thanks a lot!!
PS - I do spend a lot of time on social media... been thinking about quitting as well.
@Cristian Martín That's awesome you read the guides. I know that most people won't because they want the quick & easy! Really glad you enjoyed them. Improvement is all in the methodical process! Thanks for the nice msg!
@Billy Tz Short term, social media is okay. Long term it's a terrible business strategy. We also do different stuff. I'm creating new material from personal projects and things I'm currently learning about. To improve my own skills I write and make videos about it. If people like it great. If they don't great. Just keep in mind, if the platforms you're advertising on change their business models in a way that negatively effects your business, you have no control. That's why building a website which indexes in google and passively generates traffic is a better long term business model. Google states outright their goals for the search index. Social media platforms do not.
I have a website for my portfolio but no other SM presence. As an artist I have discovered that social media hanger-on'ners are not true consumers of my work but are really emotional leaches. And not to put too fine a point on it - Photography is not a team sport.
Its also not a competition... which social media turns it into.
You inspired me last year to stop all social media and I did. I have so much free time now to let my mind wander into the spaces it loves, and I've not missed social media at all. Thanks so much for living the life you live and helping the world become a better place.
Thanks, I really needed to hear this. I have just quit sm because I felt it was controlling me rather than the other way round. It has eaten up so much of my time and frankly it's a waste of time. Thanks for sharing your experience, it has encouraged me.
You're welcome. Glad it helped:) You made a good choice!
I did this same experiment on myself starting Jan 12th, 2018. I didn't delete my accounts, I just stopped logging in for a month. At first, the temptation to login was great. Like drug withdrawls. And then, as the weeks went by, I stopped caring less and less. Those four weeks felt like the longest weeks. I had so much *time*. Where did it all come from? So, I decided to read a few books. I read about 4,000 pages in a month. It was amazing. After the month was up, I reviewed myself. I felt happier. At peace. A bit disconnected. And unable to express myself. Now, I went back to my accounts. I realize how little any of it matters. It's like eating skittles, one at a time, hoping for a nutritious life meal, but it's all just little sugar pellets instead of lasting sustenance. I need to work on my life.
That's awesome! I went through all the same stuff too. The same mental habits as drug withdraw. They spend billions to design the platform very well. It's no joke!
On a completely different topic: I'm thinking about producing a VR travel series using 360 video. The concept is that I shoot a bunch of wilderness hiking adventures around the world with a 360 camera and I act as tour guide during the experience. I'm still working out the format. I noticed that you had really steady footage, despite walking up and down hiking trails. Are you using some sort of steady cam mount on top of a pole? How did you setup your audio?
It's not easy and yet I have no desire to return to Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat after deleting them entirely 7 months ago. I've even been considering scrapping my photography Instagram (1K followers) and leaving it up to my huge website blog archive I've built over years and occasional CZcams channel videos.
Yes, I have a few occasional interactions with people on IG but the main problem I find is that people aren't really actually social. I would prefer to meet people, have a coffee and shoot or whatever. All that happens is people like your pictures and occasionally get a mention.
Herzog, Meyerowitz, Avedon, Bresson and Erwitt got by okay just working on their craft and living in the real world. Maybe it is time to consider dropping Instagram for an additional slice more of my mental peace and quiet.
BALANCE is the key as with EVERYTHING in LIFE. I post and forget, which means, I post a photo to Facebook and Instagram and dont look back. Its fun. I dont think of STRATEGIES for posting. I just post when I feel like it.
I have never watched before 10 minutes video of someone walking and talking . Your thoughts and insight on social media is something I felt deep inside but was afraid to speak out loud. I'm so happy I found you. Your work and knowledge about photography helped me a lot. Keep doing what you're doing Dave.
Thanks Haka! Glad you liked the vid. Tons of videos & written stuff here: www.davemorrowphotography.com/2013/01/tutorials-photography-post-processing.html Take care,
Dave
You just confirmed what I suspected. A lot of time is wasted on SM.
The websites are designed, by very smart people, to keep you scrolling to up ad revenue. It's by no means designed for your benefit.
You're right on point with this video. There are far more disadvantages to social media than advantages, and like you I feel it causes more unhappiness and drama than personal rewards.
hey Dave,
thank you so much for these words, I really appreciate that I ended my day finding your video. I've been the last 24h just thinking about on deleting or not after a 4 months break from social that totally gave me a better life quality, the same exact feeling you point on your video.
Despite the clear benefits, I still was afraid of loosing "something" important if I quit, it's hard. But after your words and the point you made on the LONG TERM goal, I believe now is the right decision. Thanks for this beam of light man
you're welcome!
THANK YOU!!!!!! I quit FB about a 1.5 years ago. Best thing I ever did. It's the same as "turn off your TV" from the analog age. I have done both...no more TV, no more soc med (I recently quit the rest of that shit, IG, twit, etc.). No more "background static" etc. I now put all my energy into my work and into myself. I get more exercise, I create more, and I'm happier. What a relief!!!!!!!
I quite facebook for 6 months last year and it didn't affect my website traffic at all either. I might get a few extra visits when I post to instagram, but if I go long periods without, it affects my site traffic none at all. I don't do youtube videos anymore either, and that hasn't lowered my website visits. You're absolutely right about real hard work being the thing that drives people to your art. The more time I put into making images and writing for my blog, the more my audience grows. People think the key to success is a huge social media following, but if I ended all my accounts today I'm sure I'd still have the same revenue and probably be producing more and better work with the time I save. Great video, Dave!
You are on the right path grasshopper. Keep on trekking' Dave. Social media is a computer opiate.
I am one of the staff writers on Fstoppers so saw an article about you there. I really needed to hear this today, I am a wedding and street/docu photographer so I always thought if my social media presence is lacking that means I lack as a photographer but hearing this really inspired me to work harder on meaningful things and although I cannot quit social media due to wedding work, this video made me re-think my strategy for this and next year.. Thank you!
Hi Anete, that's great to hear:) You can always limit social and have a strategy that optimizes for some other method. If you work at that plan for 2-5 years constantly, it will put you in places you never thought possible! If you get this, shoot me an email, I'd love to discuss sharing something on f-stoppers in the future. My email is dave@davemorrowphotography.com. Enjoy your day!
BAM. You hit the nail on the head. Well done, Dave.
Thanks Ray. Glad you thought so!
I cannot fathom how Dave Morrow manages to get as much done as he does. He certainly does not waste time.
haha. I feel like I don't get enough done! Always trying to improve on that one;)
As always, an honest conversation. I quit social media for a year and came back to it last summer. I was shocked to find the overwhelming influence of marketing and advertising had increased massively and as long as the dopamine flowed - everyone gobbled it up. As you pointed out, it is an endless hamster wheel of pleasing others that kills internal introspection. Your ethos and your work continually impress me. I, for one, am glad you are out there...
It's a crazy transition right! I see the same thing happen when I come back from a long wilderness trip, say 2 months, with no internet. Even without social media, the influence of marketing and ads is everywhere. Thankfully at this point in the techno-evolution we still have a chance to step off the hamster wheel. Enjoy the day & thanks for the nice comment.
Damn, preach it brother! Any time I want to get anything done, I have to commit to not picking up my phone, and I'll log off my computer, because I know the second I sit down in front of any social media, that's it, my day is gone. I am so much more productive, and feel better about the things I accomplish in a day then any "like" will ever give me. So, why do I stay? I like to feel connected to my family and friends that are far away, it is a convenient way to stay in contact. Although more and more there is so much being posted that I just don't care about, and it is feeling more and more like I am picking the corn out of the shit.
SOLD! I've been on the edge with these issues myself, and what you've said here reinforces my decision.
Not "Crazy" only genius. I have had ALL of the feelings/thoughts you experienced regarding posting stuff on social media. Very insightful vlog, well done and thanks for sharing.
Thanks Dave. I agree with your comments very much. Social media is a big distraction in many ways and you can easily get caught up in it. You become enslaved to having to do it often, and feel anxious if you’re not. For me I feel Pressure to show something I think people will like on social media rather than sometimes showing work that means the most to me personally. It may not WOW people, so I’m conflicted on being myself on those platforms. I want to focus my energy and limited time on my art, craft and personal vision- not trying to please everyone else or keep up with the Jones’s
I've been a huge fan of your work since I found your astrophotography stuff a couple of years ago but this may be my favorite piece of yours yet.
That's great to hear. Thanks Jacob! Much appreciated
Great argument and very much worth thinking about so thanks for sharing!
Thanks for doing the experiment, and sharing your results. Congrats on breaking the addiction! But please, don't quit CZcams (or if you do, please keep posting your videos somewhere we can see them :-)
Hi Sue. You're welcome:) I won't quit CZcams. I can turn off the ads on all my videos & the videos are "indexed" on Google search so the world can search / find them. It's a great, non-intrusive platform to share on.
yes please do keep posting videos.
Thanks for your thoughts. I agree with your idea. Today it's really a commen idea to publish content on the own web page and just use Social Media to promote the own content. But you are right the time you have to spent is really big and I have feeling wasting my life time. So I basically just publish on my own web page / blog.
I'm happy you share your ideas and experiences.
You're welcome, Andre. Lots of time. It all depends if the pros outweigh the cons, for each individual:)
Thanks for sharing. I’m going to think about this
As a photographer, social media plays a major role in my every day life for I rely on it so I am informed about exhibitions, events, stay in touch with friends and fellow photographers and artists and of course, if it wasn't for social media, I'd not know half the people I know today. Also, the models I photograph all come from social media platforms such as instagram and if it wasn't for instagram, again, I'd not have the contacts that I have and I'd not be photographing as many models as I do. Instagram also has helped me get involved with a magazine which I am now an adviser to.
Saying the above, I hear what you are saying and I can relate to it and in many different ways and it is why I never allow social media be in charge of my life and instead, I use it to benefit me and my photography. And as for my photography, it is never influenced by social media for I have always done what I love and will always do what I love and I will always have the time for photography and yes, I am a loner and yes, I love the solitude and at the same time, I also love the people I go out photographing with, people that I have met on social media.
And also, youtube is a social media platform and is why it is used by so many photographers and artists in general!
And what I am saying is, balance is such a wonderful world and it is exactly what we all need to have in our lives!
(and you do have a new subscriber!)
Dave, you'e perspective gives me hope that more people of your generation and the one that follows will come to the same conclusion as you, and that they'll be able to disconnect from their devices and really experience life. Congrats on making the change.
We shall see! Thanks buddy:)
Great message, Dave. Everyone else says you must build your social media in order to leverage it and establish your brand. It's an interesting thought to completely circumnavigate that and focus all your energy into a personal website or blog. I must say, just the thought of deleting Facebook released a good whack of dopamine!
Thanks, Jon! Yeah, the filter bubble is alive & well. They do keep saying it. They also spend all their time saying it instead of creating. Dopamine is a great! Gotta love that feeling.
Kudos to ya Dave. I get tired of seeing people, heads down, into their smart(dumb you down)phones.
agree. It's really strange! Scrolling thumbs in all directions.
So true about the low and high spikes. I finally ended up deleting all of my social media accounts yesterday and it’s still kind of tough but I’m going to stick it out as best I can and focus on things I want to do and I’m passionate about. It’s really cool that you’re doing this and traveling the world. Where all have you been so far. I’m really into traveling the world too so this video is pretty inspiring to me. Thank you 🙏🏽
Good for you man! That's awesome. I've spent the last 3 years traveling the western US, before that mostly the far north & south, Nordic countries, and Patagonia. Here's a recent travel video I made: czcams.com/video/MJT0ie7hDWY/video.html
Love this channel and this video rings as true as ever 4 years later.
About to put out a new video on this soon that I think you'll like!
Quite an interesting subject and perspective here. Social media has opened many doors for creative types and content creators but also does indeed have negative side effects. I myself am at a cross roads with my channel and how to stand out on a platform filled with landscape photographers and how to tutorials. I have also found similar to what you were saying is that constantly spending your time on countless platforms will effect your quality. Thanks for sharing your viewpoint on this.
I've been struggling with that decision for a year now. All I know is I'm not happy with status quo. This video helped move my decision making forward.
That's great man! Just make sure to constantly create content and get your work out there via other mediums or the method won't work well:)
In my profession (Real Estate), which I am trying to retire from, SM is pushed if you are to be successful, they say. However, Dave is right on! SM is disruptive and time intensive. Since I am no longer a young man, I don't have time to waste. When I gave up TV and News programs a few years ago, most all depressive thoughts and a lot of anger went away. It was calming. It now may be the time to cut the SM cord.
That's very truth, media can vampirize your focus and energy. As a photography learner I watch mostly tuts. Great vids Dave.
:) Awesome to hear that!
Well done Dave! Social Media is over rated and no substitute for real life experience and interaction. Yes, it is sometimes necessary but only in small amounts in my opinion. Glad someone finally said it!
By removing the social media distraction, you are living a healthier, productive life. I admire you for doing it and sure do appreciate the photography information that you are sharing with others. You've taught me a lot. Also, I hope that if your future contains a wife and children, that you can find a way to continue your current work in a way to make you, your family, and us happy. After following you, I bet you'll find a way to do just that.
Thanks Linda. That's so nice of you:) No kids for me. I do have a girlfriend!
The rules you put up are super important!
I also started to put up more for me, because I realized how much time i spend on the medias and at the end I didn't have any time anymore to do something next to it and everything around me was doing social media, filming, editing and programming
Since I realized this, I went down communicating too much with people online, and meeting them in real instead. I set up some triggers that will remind me to post things in specific moments and not spending more than 5 minutes on a network. And I started to film different, more focused on the end product, putting up a script so I don't film too much that I will have to edit afterwards.
I understand your approach, and of course it makes much more sense to put all your content on your website and not publish everything on many different platforms. But of course, you have a different background, you already have a user base that follows you and this makes things easier. For people who start new, it would be a hard time to just put everything on their website without using any social media. In fact, social media is not the bad thing, it's just, we never learned to use it correct!
Hi. You are so right. Social media does take over your life at the expense of other activities. Unfortunately it is life for people who have nothing else to hang on to.
Worth a watch and I will share this with those who attend on my photography workshops. Been pondering same issue myself but still feel I need to have those accounts semi-active for now. One thing I have considered is to narrow my social media presence to one platform and shut down others.
Such a great video and something I have been thinking about for some time. Social media is and has been a time killer. I got okay views on Instagram and Twitter but I find you put a lot of effort in and get very little back. As I type this I am setting up my new website. From 2023 I too will be saying goodbye to social media. Thanks for inspiring me Dave :-)
Dave, could not agree with you more. SM is a time pit with little or no return on invested time. Thanks for a great discussion
You're welcome Lew. I agree. It's hard to detach from though, none the less!
Been thinking of this for a while ... watched your Vid and FB has gone ... Really appreciating your Stuff. The Back focus was excellent
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on social media in this video. It really spoke to me... in the way that I always have this uneasy feeling of “missing something” or feeling like I need to respond to comments, etc when I should be/would rather be focused on doing what I LOVE... going and seeing... and making and creating!
You're welcome! Glad to hear that. That feeling will go away. The feeling of building new creative stuff will always win out:)
I so totally agree with this. It's a thought I was struggling with for a while but after seeing this video I'm glad to see I am not the only one thinking the same thing. I'm shutting down my social media and I'm sure I won't regret it! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
These are food for thoughts for me. I have resisted the peer group pressure of joining any social media platform until lately from the last photography workshop I attended where everybody thought I was putting myself at a disadvantage for not being on Instagram. It made me feel like I have been living under a rock and at this point considering creating an account.
Relate to your thoughts for sure, I don't even use my social accounts even semi regularly - they just sit there until I update them every few months. I'm following your lead and then I don't have to worry about it and can use my web background to actually make progress.
Could not agree more. I need to consider this strongly. Thanks Dave.
You may enjoy this article: davemorrow.blog/2019/07/hidden-costs-social-media-for-creators
Hey Dave, I agree with you 100% on this issue, i remember deleting my Facebook account a while back and it was the best decision i ever made. Social media platforms including youtube can be addicting and at times wasted time, no question about it, cheers.
My background was also aerospace & defense. I joined FB back in 2010 after my wife passed as a way to "keep her memory alive" or whatever I thought I was doing with it. I quit FB less than a year later. Then I joined again in early 2017 strictly to share my photography. Nature, landscape, weather. But never any cussing or questionable shots and certainly nothing sexual.
But that's not the kind of "customers" FB is interested in. My account was deleted on me because I was "spamming". I wasn't asking for money, I was just sharing a couple photos every day with about 10 different photography groups on FB.
That was the reality check I needed. Thank you SO MUCH for doing what I would not have done, FB! Thank you for getting rid of me, and just know that I will tell everyone what I think of you!
This is perfect. Tired of SM and the peripheral noise. This is the tipping point for me to say goodbye to SM. Thanks!
Yes. Fleeting hits of dopamine are not inspiring my followers do do anything. But I agree 100% that the website has a lot more staying power and long term loyalty. Very good.
I really appreciate this video more than you will know. You said exactly what I have been thinking for the last couple years and I'm a very moderate user of social media. Most of my efforts are targeted at CZcams, because I feel it's the most important SM platform in the world. CZcams is where you can leave a legacy, not Twitter & Instagram. My Facebook is now family only because I apparently offended a bunch of people I went to high school with and I got tired of seeing what people eat everyday. The concept of finding something that you love and pouring your efforts into it 100% is a formula which is almost guaranteed for success. Carving yourself up into a pie chart and doing a little of this and a little of that is almost a guarantee of not reaching your potential and an overall feeling of depression. In this video you spelled out how to be successful in a very simple easy to understand way and I hope people will heed your advice. I know I will be.
That's great to hear:) I like your pie chart analogy & completely agree. I was on your channel, good stuff. Enjoyed the kayak setup. Looks like a well though out rig.
Gosh, I know this has to be the 3rd time I've watched this video, and would sear that I've "hit the thumbs up" before, but CZcams doesn't show that. Anyway, totally agree with your assessment, Dave. I'm just an amateur photographer, and am fine with that distinction, but I am concerned with the time I've been spending on CZcams as opposed to shooting photos. Plus, political news has me by the short hairs. My plan is to dive into the nomadic life in about 2-3 months, and work on a photo journal for my daughter and granddaughter, but also just because I want to travel and photograph the west (mainly). I'm 63 and can't get around as well as I used to, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway. There's no second chances now.
Amen brother and I agree whole heartedly 100%. Thanks for sharing this input with others. Keep inspired and continue making images!
Just subbed. Excellent insight into what I call the "unsocial network". I create because I love to create, and agree with you in finding that I'm focused too much on the (albeit low) numbers, and less on creating my visual works. Keep doing what you love, because in the end that's all that really matters.
yes. The love to create. That's where the good stuff is. Low numbers grow over time if you keep going after it because you love it:)
Totally agree with this Dave. It sounds simple but if you create with passion , doing what you love, your channel will grow naturally.
Sharing your thinking and describing the information you have considered along the pathway is extremely useful to others and a generous, authentic way to to enable others to learn. Absolutely agree with regards to how responsible and thoughtful we need to be with our attention and energy. Warm wishes to you on your fascinating journey. You have a made a choice with regards to social media that is ahead of your time and that although many others will see the wisdom in, they themselves may not have the strength of character to follow. Most inspirational. Thank you.
i've been thinking about this for a couple of months now. Thanks for the insight. Time to delete some accounts!
Really enjoyed the reflections on social media. I can see how not having the constant chatter can improve focus and enjoyment of life, without hurting your core business either. I had a similar experience when we dropped cable. Most of what was on offer was commercials and pretty vacuous content. One day I hope to find a way to minimize our exposure to the internet. It brings some obvious benefits (such as your video series) but has problems of its own. Keep up the good work!
This is a really interesting perspective. I’ve been backpacking around New Zealand last 2 months and have went a few days without social media plenty of times now. Don’t miss it for a second have to say. I guess I was worried about the business aspect of it too but you raised a really good point with the website. I think I will try redirect my time to that instead now too
Cheers man!
Great to hear. It will pay off for you! Enjoy your trip:)
This is something I have thought a great deal of late. I feel like it's a addition and very time consuming, I get reward in terms of beautiful comment and get to connect with many people but it feels like I don't have control and having dyslexia makes things twice to three times as slow when it comes to writing/commenting. Like your good self I am very much hot n cold with no middle ground, which is why (along with the points I have made above) on the 19th of this month was my completed year of being sober..it's a liberation that I thought I would never see. Regarding dopamine hits I would far rather have a longer lasting Endorphins making me feel like I'm 'growing and evolving ' then being addicted to seeing how many shares I have or like on a image..when you think about it in years to come it will seem rather arbitrary and without real substance. As Artists we need people, an audience for our works, they inspire us and make us see different perspectives. But the way we connect seems a tad superficial. To answer your question your are not strange but an inquisitive, intelligent self examining human being that likes happiness and problem solving. I wish you every success :) great video and insight
Good for you on the being sober front.That's tough to do! It's a project that I want to face next. I wouldn't say that I have a problem with it, but I do feel much better when sober, after the first 2-3 weeks into it. It's almost like the thought of drinking is more fun than the drinking itself. Still a very hard thing to do.
Like you said, the long lasting part of completing a long term goal or hard task is such a better payoff. Also, it makes you trust yourself and gain confidence in the ability to complete any task. Glad you enjoyed the video! Keep creating & keep evolving:)
If the drinking is hindering your goals and taking over more then it should, decisions (whether you like them or not) have to be made..this was my case. But for most people it's not and it's a perfect chance to catch up with friends and relax. You hit the nail on the head, indeed, completing a long term goal will give you great encouragement and will set the gold standard for 'I some how done the insurmountable, if I can do that, I can surely do this!!' mentality. I very much appreciate your time reading my comment and more so for replying. You have great content to your vids and have a very honest delivery to both your advice and corrector. All the best and look forward to future vids :)
I am with ya!
You point out some things in this one that are somehow not so obvious in the land of 'digital heroin'.
The time spent can be truly immense for some !
As a new subscriber I am pretty stoked to peruse and share these awesome creations while I learn for life.
As an artist how then do you find inspiration from others if you don't use a social media app? Do you look at other photography posts? How would someone find you and your content without social media? Do you consider CZcams social media?
Great question. I like them all. Will address these in a Q&A style video I'm going to do soon:) Thanks Randy.
Just catching on to Dave's content. It's more relevant now in 2022 than ever.
Good to have you here. See what you think of this one: czcams.com/video/kI2UQP3HYVk/video.html
@@DaveMorrow Watched that one as well. Could not agree more. Just be careful who you are hosting your private page with. Amazon AWS has cancelled websites because they didn't like the content.
Totally agree. I decided also to slow down posting things on SM and just like you dedicating some more time to do what I like more.. I may still post some stuff but not like every day like before. I'm still getting shout at "WHY DID YOU STOP" I live on Aruba a very small island where everybody is addicted to SM.. But you'r right, I still keep thinking about what am I going to post while walking in the woods, that's the fix or addiction.. I'll do my best. You opened my eyes more... Thanks & appreciate it.
You're welcome Des! Whatever works for you! It's all about finding that thing. Which can be hard:)
It's great to have this affirmation after I have decided to do the same. A good life is made by good choices, and you are living proof.
I think a lot of people are starting to go that route. The more we talk and share the experience the better:) Enjoy the day!
I recently quit Facebook, Twitter and instagram. It has been amazing. Such a clearer world.
Yep! Glad to hear it:)
As a natural introvert, I don't feel totally comfortable being on all SM channels so have never been on FB and many of the other SM channel. I have limited myself to using twitter but not for the purposes of self promotion. Been signed up to your website for fair bit and believe your content is by far one of the most informative sources out there and find myself referring to it on a regular basis as I find your style of teaching to be compatible with my style of learning and enjoy the learning experience greatly.
I think one thing SM can be guilty of is creating false impressions as to how easy success can be achieved. Success comes from hard work, perseverance and from pushing yourself to develop as an individual. Delighted to hear your own experiences in terms of SM Dave as your YT channel and website clearly demonstrates you're channeling your energy in the right direction based on the content you are producing and also the images.
Wonderful advice, and without being condescending. Thanks for spreading the word about considering leaving social media platforms!
Excellent insight Dave. Your "ramblings" really strike a cord with me. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks again for putting these videos out there. I look forward to my Tuesday email :) I am also enjoying your photo editing video series and learning a lot. You brought up some excellent points about social media. While I am not a professional photographer but consider myself more of a hobbyist photographer, I totally agree about the time that I feel I waste daily on social media that could certainly be better spent taking photos or learning new photography techniques.
Your technique to hold the Gopro steady works very well. You obviously are moving, but the forest in the background goes smoothly by. Well done.
Thanks. I have a gimbal head that helps a lot.
.. Leroy Moore you have made a great point there friend ..
Dave, you are correct! I have the usual social media, but I don't post anymore either for the reasons you mention, too time consuming!
Food for thought - thank you! I am particularly interested in what you said about the random splintered thoughts pulling at you and the benefit of blocks of time and artistic effort without interruption. It sounds like quite a gift to give oneself!
Yeah, those blocks of 2+ hours are key. Check out the book Deep Work. Its all about the topic.
that was really motivating for me. good job.
Awesome! Thank you!
I needed to see this video, Dave! I'm not a member of a lot of social media, but am glued to many websites of a political nature because of the chaos the US and the world has plunged into. I've realized that I'm spending way too much time on it, have become very dissatisfied with all the time lost on the internet, and my productivity in photography and art is way down. I've purchased the book from the Amazon link here and will start reading and implementing "Deep Work." Thank you for the links and your wonderful videos, truly inspirational!
That's great:) Thanks for letting me know! Deep work changed my life. Enjoy the book & your new experiment.
Hi Dave,
I just wanted to reiterate how much I love your emails/videos. They are both instructive and inspirational (UK English translation - bloody brilliant). I have learnt so much from you and of course continue to do so. Regarding your social media exit, I absolutely agree with you, I did likewise about a year ago and how topical is all that now. It’s buzzing here in the UK for all the wrong reasons! Mark Z has been summoned to appear before a Government investigation panel.
Anyway I won’t bore you with trivia, I can’t imagine you get time to read all the responses you doubtless get, no worries, please keep going Dave. The sun is shining for once here in the UK so I’ll take the D500 out for a walk and put some of your tips into practice.
Keep up the great work - please.
Very best wishes.
Garry M (UK)
Great advice and food for thought.
I actually saw your work on Google Chrome first. I'm just thankful you're taking on CZcams now :) you'll be able to generate useful revenue here as your subscribers grow.
Hi Brian. Cool! I appreciate that. It's been fun to create video each week. Thank you! I actually don't advertise on CZcams. Not looking to generate income here. Just a place to test my ideas, work on teaching & experiment.
Good stuff . I know what you mean about the streams of thought that hit you when hiking , running , even driving . Keep it up , enjoyed !
Interesting and something similar that I've been pondering myself. There are many reasons for pruning the social media presence, but mainly to enable more/better focus on the things that should be focused on i.e. to lessen things to be side-tracked by. Thanks for sharing, lots of food for thought...
Wise words Dave. Completely relate to this.
That's great, Lee. Thanks:)
I just joined your email list. I have been watching some of your earlier videos which are inspiring and very helpful in my photography journey. I have been learning this craft since 2015 and i get confused by all the information that is available on the internet. What I have seen of your photography videos so far have been easier for me to get my head around, thanks. I also tried social media platforms and have also come to the conclusion that it is too time consuming for little gratification. Looking forward to reading your website and watching future videos. Thanks :-)
Thanks Geoff. The problem is that people create information just to drive constant traffic, instead of creating information to be clear and concise. This is the downside of the internet. The upside is there is alot of good stuff to be found. Glad I could be of some help. Enjoy!
I’ve been on the fence about this very same thing for at least a year, for the very same reasons. I think you may have just pushed me over the edge. Well said my friend, cheers.
Thanks John. Hope it helped:)
Hi Dave! Very interesting technique for bringing the best of every details. Thanks for sharing.
Great video Dave! All the more relevant with the news about Cambridge Analytica and not really knowing what big tech companies are doing with our personal data. I've been struggling with the positives/negatives of social media for years and haven't really figured out how to get past the mental block. Did you find any difficulty in maintaining your personal connections without facebook or did you choose to keep in touch with friends and family via other methods?
I think your advice to quite social media can be correct for some people but dangerous for others.
You were in a position where you had millions of followers across various platforms, and many of them continued to share your work on those platforms after you had quit.
That's exactly how I came to learn about you, your work and website.
Within the last year I've seen many posts linking to your work which guided me to your site and eventually your mailing list.
I think others need to consider carefully where they are regarding a critical mass of followers on social media and if they will have similar results as yours.
I think giving absolute advice to quit social media might not be correct for some and could possibly destroy what they have been working to build, if they're not in a similar favorable social media situation to yours when you quit.
Just my two cents, hopefully it doesn't come across as too critical, because it is refreshing to see the success you had by taking the steps that you took.
Cheers!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences on this matter, Dave, I believe it is one of the most important things of our time, to be honest. It may seem like nothing, but then again so did many other "genius inventions" that proved toxic to human life.
I have two major issues with the whole thing. I think you gave a great answer to the first one, and I think I've personally been realizing the answer to the 2nd issue for a while now:
Firstly, everybody who is trying to make either a full-time income or just a side income from photography is probably terrified that if they gave up their daily social media activities, they would immediately see a crash in whatever form of traffic is actually their potential for earning. In other words, if you give up 9/10 things in the realm of internet content production, surely that 10th thing will be utterly decimated? Apparently not, and that really is music to my ears.
The other conundrum I've had, however, is this: Isn't it a bit hypocritical to talk about quitting social media, when we usually maintain the one vice that is our favorite outlet, such as CZcams in this case? How can I encourage others to quite social media with a straight face, let alone expect them to, when I'm delivering that message to them /via/ one of the social media platforms?
Here's what I've been realizing is the answer, the thing that stops it from being a catch-22: Firstly, it's about passion. If you're passionate about creating short youtube videos that help others improve their craft, or their life in general, then that's what matters. If on the other hand it just feels like work, or time wasted, then that's a problem. Which is why I like your rule about how you shoot and how long you spend on editing. On that note, secondly I would say that I'd go so far as to encourage viewers to NOT consume my own content in a "binge-watching" fashion. The whole message of my content, whether on CZcams or in written form, is to GET OUT THERE, and experience the outdoors. That doesn't mean I don't draw inspiration from a handful of other CZcamsrs who share their own adventures; in fact it helps me get through tough days when I'm stuck at a desk all day, or sick in bed, or whatever.
Everybody has to find their middle-ground. If the "cold turkey" never worked for you with other things, it's not going to work for the ENTIRETY of social media. So maybe start small, and just go cold turkey on one or two things, and see how it goes.
Either way, I hope other photographers are doing something similar- making sure they stay in touch with the outdoors. Getting off the grid is very good for you, whether only for a weekend or for a whole year, or forever...
I agree. We cancelled cable 2 years ago. We still use NETFLIX and HULU. Our original intent was to save some money and our local cable signal is very poor. What I noticed was new levels of happiness and reduced stress. Much of this came from the lack of advertising. I also spend less time in front of the TV. I now complete more projects. The only social media I use is CZcams. I see Facebook as a downfall of our society, but that's just my opinion. Thanks for the video.
Yup! Glad to hear you found the method useful too. Enjoy the day buddy.
Kudos to you. What a well said statement on what we should be focusing on. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for this Dave, I just wonder what role your SM presence played in driving traffic to your website in the first place. Do you think that if you had never been on SM you would have developed such a following on your website?
Great question. I think I would have been much better off than I am now without social media. I'm working much more efficiently now than ever by building website authority and page rank via Google Search. This is a long term strategy that sees a lot more traffic than social media ever could. it will grow exponentially, where social media is not designed in such a way. For example, go into google and type "star photography". I get alot of traffic from that each day, without having to do anything besides the upfront work to write the page. People are there to learn about the topic. I don't have to guess if they want to learn about it or not like in social media. You can also go into google images and type "star photography". My images, which are 5 out of the top 7 or so get a lot more traffic there in a single day than social media would drive to them in a month. I don't have to constantly post to get these results. I have to work smart and understand the science of page rank. It's designed to provide the most relevant information at the top of the search results. It's logic. That's an example of one keyword I rank for, there are many many others and I'm always making new written guides & tutorials. You can search "color theory photography" for another example....
Outstanding perspective! Thanks for sharing you thoughts on this topic!
Amazing topic mate!
I've finally reached the point where I can call myself an old-fart. Damn that hurts, but it's just part of the journey I suppose. I listened to your discussion of quitting social media. Very well put. Thank you. Time to take the dogs out for a walk.
Yep, you just confirmed it for me. Thanks Dave!
You're welcome.
Good stuff, Dave. While I agree with you for the most part, I'm a wildlife photographer who has benefitted from some of the information posted on social media in terms of where the hot spots are for wildlife activity in some of the national parks. The parks are big, so with all those social media "eyes" out there, it can help with finding critters to photograph. Thanks!
Agreed! I use facebook very little just because some of these reasons. I believe FB is contributing to the dumbing of the internet. What is posted today is gone and lost to the world tomorrow. You can not search FB for useful information.
I agree Jim. The indexing / search function is why youtube is such a great place to share knowledge. Social doesn't have that
Just want you to know, I deleted all of my accounts on all social media platforms after I watched this video. I’ve been wanting to delete them for months now, for the exact same reasons you delete yours....I just didn’t have it in me to do it. But last night I finally did it after watching this video. So thank you 💚
That's awesome Ariel. Excited for you. Just make sure to dedicate all that new free time to creating stuff on a website you own. It will pay off:)
Dave Morrow I actually want to be a photographer too (I just bought a camera), so dedicating my time to practicing & working on my website is a great idea. Thank you
Nice. That's great. This page will help you out:) www.davemorrowphotography.com/2013/01/tutorials-photography-post-processing.html Have fun!
Really nice experiment and I also think social media is taking over a lot of uh.. life.. ;-)
Although I'm also using it less and less, you still need somewhat like a base which knows you and also will come back for you. In other words, if you started and you had never used your social media to create this base, you could have had maybe even better photo's, but no one or hardly anyone had ever found them. This makes the way you now did it, I think, a great way to first show people what you do, and now to maintain what you really want and like to do! Thanks for sharing your experience btw! :) Keep up the good work!
Thanks Paul! Here are my thoughts on that from a similar comment below. Great question. I think I would have been much better off than I am now without social media. I'm working much more efficiently now than ever by building website authority and page rank via Google Search. This is a long term strategy that sees a lot more traffic than social media ever could. it will grow exponentially, where social media is not designed in such a way. For example, go into google and type "star photography". I get alot of traffic from that each day, without having to do anything besides the upfront work to write the page. People are there to learn about the topic. I don't have to guess if they want to learn about it or not like in social media. You can also go into google images and type "star photography". My images, which are 5 out of the top 7 or so get a lot more traffic there in a single day than social media would drive to them in a month. I don't have to constantly post to get these results. I have to work smart and understand the science of page rank. It's designed to provide the most relevant information at the top of the search results. It's logic. That's an example of one keyword I rank for, there are many many others and I'm always making new written guides & tutorials. You can search "color theory photography" for another example....
Mja, I think it's a bit of both, but get your point in rather investing your time in content which doesn't get shown only an hour and then it's gone. How long did it take you (and Google) to get a bit up to speed on your website? To be honest.. I only watch your video's here on CZcams (which is kinda like Social Media) and get notified by your mail, because I only use CZcams for listening music or targeted searching for a video about a topic. To be honest. You are one of the few people/companies where I'm subscribed.. :P But.. Well done with your Google Indexication, if that's a word.. Many could learn from this as well! ;)
You have hit the spot of today's disease, and that is a mental disease. It is a big problem also when you see people walking with their heads down looking at their phone even while crossing the street. I AGREE with you 100%. W/out the social media a person feels more alive and in the moment alive. Amen to your last comments, speaking one's mind is the best there is.