Dipping my toes in here and just reading your post ‘Can’t believe it’s been a year’ your comments about you stepping back and finding a balance with your use of social media.
I don’t have Facebook or Instagram, just connect with the people I choose on WhatsApp.
Where do you find the time to write , to read other peoples posts, there are hundreds of them and so many of them are such long reads!
I came on as a songwriter (Simon Hawkins) whose book I have just read for the second time uses this platform for a weekly newsletter ( I discovered this site by accident) and am selecting carefully who I follow.
As you mentioned there is so much negativity out there and life is too short to spend hours reading stuff which can often depress us.
I will continue for the moment to see how things go - thanks Andy for making me think it through !!
A lyric
It’s not just black and white
But shades of colour and light
It’s how you feel
Not what you see
A lyric from a Song
Emotion is never wrong
Just believe
And we can be
SB 2019
I am a songwriter and hope to find some flashes of inspiration here and if I do it will be worth it.
I read somewhere, possibly on SubStack, where the article's author made the case that being "middle-aged" now starts at 35. They were making the case that if you divide the average lifespan into thirds... By that measure, I've long past that stage, LOL.
I met a cool photographer on a boat docked next to Avemar. He's a diver and has focused on sea life images and conservation documentation work for many years. I thought that was cool until I Googled the prices on mirrorless underwater housings. They cost more than my most expensive camera! I know you like to keep your eyes on new photographers, and he isn't on social media, but his website is thelivingsea.com if you want to check him out.
Yes, I agree Andy about sapping energy and of course addiction is exactly what the platforms want. Since starting here I’m enjoying the feel, and with a third publication/newsletter ready to go today it feels like a rhythm developing that will be good for me. I enjoy writing nearly as much as making images, so it’s good to be able to put the two together. At the moment my theme just happens to be ‘notice what you’re noticing’ - and then write about it!
Congratulations on a very successful year one, Andy. I can so relate to your Instagram weariness. Like with you, discovering substack as a place to create, write, and share photos was like a breath of fresh air. And here I am, a month a later. As someone who loves creating a beautiful clutter-free spaces for people to hang out in, I'm inspired by the clarity and beauty of your site. It is both engaging and restful to the eye, and so easy to navigate. Well done and thank you!
Writing, and rewriting (editing) is how we learn and think. There is nothing better. While you and I spend a lot of time writing I wish people would spend a bit more time writing their replies. When you write something, and then edit the thought, research shows it is much better remembered...and better understood. People are too reluctant to write their thoughts out. Substack is full of people writing, thinking, and changing their minds. When I quickly look through Instagram, Twitter or Facebook it a different level of thinking than goes on here in substack. I teach my college and university students to ALWAYS be writing! When people see a photo they like, they need to look up the person's website or gallery. See more than a fleeting single image, and get to know what the meaning of a word is by seeing in the context of other work.
Well done Andy! It's certainly time to walk away when something is taking more than it gives, I've used that line myself a few times when I write about my choice to quit drinking wine/alcohol. Not quite like Instagram, but given the newest research maybe it is!
Thanks for the great round up of articles, I look forward to checking them out.
Dipping my toes in here and just reading your post ‘Can’t believe it’s been a year’ your comments about you stepping back and finding a balance with your use of social media.
I don’t have Facebook or Instagram, just connect with the people I choose on WhatsApp.
Where do you find the time to write , to read other peoples posts, there are hundreds of them and so many of them are such long reads!
I came on as a songwriter (Simon Hawkins) whose book I have just read for the second time uses this platform for a weekly newsletter ( I discovered this site by accident) and am selecting carefully who I follow.
As you mentioned there is so much negativity out there and life is too short to spend hours reading stuff which can often depress us.
I will continue for the moment to see how things go - thanks Andy for making me think it through !!
A lyric
It’s not just black and white
But shades of colour and light
It’s how you feel
Not what you see
A lyric from a Song
Emotion is never wrong
Just believe
And we can be
SB 2019
I am a songwriter and hope to find some flashes of inspiration here and if I do it will be worth it.
Somehow I wasn't following you on IG. And now I am 😊
Hey, thank you, Sarah! If you like IG you may enjoy my Five Photographers features: https://www.flakphoto.news/p/five-photographers-2ae
I read somewhere, possibly on SubStack, where the article's author made the case that being "middle-aged" now starts at 35. They were making the case that if you divide the average lifespan into thirds... By that measure, I've long past that stage, LOL.
I met a cool photographer on a boat docked next to Avemar. He's a diver and has focused on sea life images and conservation documentation work for many years. I thought that was cool until I Googled the prices on mirrorless underwater housings. They cost more than my most expensive camera! I know you like to keep your eyes on new photographers, and he isn't on social media, but his website is thelivingsea.com if you want to check him out.
Ha, well, in that case I'm ten years past middle-aged! Thanks for the tip, Bill. I'll check it out.
Thank you to you Andy! This is a date I look forward to reading every week.
🙏📸
Bravo, Andy!
We write about our memories of food and travel but as time has gone on we’re finding our narratives are more and more photo driven
Yes, I agree Andy about sapping energy and of course addiction is exactly what the platforms want. Since starting here I’m enjoying the feel, and with a third publication/newsletter ready to go today it feels like a rhythm developing that will be good for me. I enjoy writing nearly as much as making images, so it’s good to be able to put the two together. At the moment my theme just happens to be ‘notice what you’re noticing’ - and then write about it!
Congratulations on a great year!
Thank you, Sula!
Here’s to continued development and growth in year 2!
Indeed! Thanks, Brian.
Nice work, Andy! 🎊
Thank you, Kevin!
Congrats, Andy!! 🎉
Thank you!
Congrats Andy!
Thank you, Stefania!
Congratulations on a very successful year one, Andy. I can so relate to your Instagram weariness. Like with you, discovering substack as a place to create, write, and share photos was like a breath of fresh air. And here I am, a month a later. As someone who loves creating a beautiful clutter-free spaces for people to hang out in, I'm inspired by the clarity and beauty of your site. It is both engaging and restful to the eye, and so easy to navigate. Well done and thank you!
Thanks so much, Stephanie. I appreciate these kind words.
Writing, and rewriting (editing) is how we learn and think. There is nothing better. While you and I spend a lot of time writing I wish people would spend a bit more time writing their replies. When you write something, and then edit the thought, research shows it is much better remembered...and better understood. People are too reluctant to write their thoughts out. Substack is full of people writing, thinking, and changing their minds. When I quickly look through Instagram, Twitter or Facebook it a different level of thinking than goes on here in substack. I teach my college and university students to ALWAYS be writing! When people see a photo they like, they need to look up the person's website or gallery. See more than a fleeting single image, and get to know what the meaning of a word is by seeing in the context of other work.
Well done Andy! It's certainly time to walk away when something is taking more than it gives, I've used that line myself a few times when I write about my choice to quit drinking wine/alcohol. Not quite like Instagram, but given the newest research maybe it is!
Thanks for the great round up of articles, I look forward to checking them out.
Bail on social media, dude. Just delete all your accounts. Or start taking fentanyl. They’re both dead ends.