Brenton Parry

Outside the box

Added 2021-03-30 06:58:33 +0000 UTC

Social Media is a blessing and a curse for photographers and creators. A blessing because it is a free and easy way to connect with followers, get feedback and promote our work.

Why is it a curse? Because it promotes sameness. Instagram now has accounts parodying how all "influencers" take the same shot. Think of a traveller standing on a cliff edge facing out over a gorge. The beautiful girlfriend running or walking away but reaching back and holding the hand of the photographer/partner. We've seen all the cliches a million times but success on social media seems to be driven by sticking to those tropes. On TikTok the whole premise is to do the viral dance, use the same audio, learn the same transitions and follow the same rules.

Being visual artists it's hard not to get caught up in those trends. But where is the line between being inspired and following the herd? Take the examples above. The images are the result of 3 minutes worth of google image searching. The Day Of the Dead face paint is very popular, especially with people showcasing face paint/makeup skills. The thing is, it can look VERY amateur if not done well.

The powder shots are all stunning but after a photographer first did it a while ago, it feels like we've all tried it, myself included. I had white powder shots in my first exhibition "Shrouded" and coloured powder a few times since. The magic of powder is you can never quite predict how it's going to move or react to movement and I think that's the fascination.

We are all prone to going with trends but finding the unique approach to those trends is the tricky part.