Diminishing Returns
Where did my engagement go?
I started my online presence in 2020. A bit late I know, but that was when I started to really get into photography as an art form. I had a DSLR camera, my old trusty Canon EOS T3 (EOS 1100D), and was becoming enthralled with curating images that reflected my artistic vision. It was a path that I haven’t looked back from even once, and I believe that I’ve improved significantly over the years. So, in May of 2020, David Bailey Images was born. I still have my first ever post up on Instagram, you can check it out if you want. I find value in showing my progression, even though the early images no longer reflect my current artistic vision.
Gear upgrades, follows, and time built my portfolio. Well, really, time built my skills, gear upgrades enabled more ambitious goals, and follows encouraged me to keep going. A quick note on that last point. The point of my photography is not to get followers. At least not for me. I don’t want to confuse people when I add that point, I just enjoy when people see my photos. I don’t really want to call myself a “content creator” as I don’t feel as though the images I create are “content” to be consumed and excreted. I want people to see my art and enjoy it.
Seeing more and more follows as a young photographer was highly encouraging. I had literally never ever posted anything online before, and it was so cool to see so many of my friends, family, and even the odd stranger comment on and “like” my photos. Over the months that slipped into years I saw that faithful number tick up. It was so cool! People told me what kind of images inspired them, and what kind of images they didn’t like so much. I enjoyed the feedback. I don’t know everything about photography, so getting people’s feedback was and is really valuable to me.
Then, something changed. I’m not so sure what happened. But this past January, Instagram changed forever. My page didn’t shrink or vanish, it just stopped. People tell me they don’t see my photos anymore. In fact, I don’t see the posts from people who I follow anymore. From my own anecdotal evidence, about half of the posts on Instagram I see are sponsored. No hate! I love seeing new content. But the cost of the ads is a fading of the people who I follow. I cannot afford to sponsor my art. I wish I could, but it is not an option to me right now.
Ezekiel Dale, one of my good friends and fellow photographer has had a similar experience. He is extremely talented, and produces stunning pieces of art. He is one of the most passionate and dedicated young men that I know. Please check out his work here. Ezekiel, or ‘Zeke’ as we call him, has told me about his experience with diminishing returns. His page is filled with incredible pieces of fine art, but yet his reach, his engagement, his crowd has seemingly diminished. He tells me it is incredibly discouraging, and he feels dejected that much fewer people are viewing and interacting with his art. Anecdotally, he tells me that around 80% of the posts on his feed are sponsored or placed.
Watching my page fade into a whimper is disheartening. There seems to be a great chasm between pages who get engagement in the millions, and people like me. Smaller pages who have worked for years trudging through an online forest of content. Don’t get me wrong. I’m so grateful for everyone who has followed me and actually enjoys my art. There are a few people I follow that have been so incredibly kind and intentional with both their art and the people that they interact with. You guys have been the biggest inspiration for me; I love it when people tell me that my art is worth something, and I love when people share it. I know that isn’t my ultimate goal, but who am I to enjoy art in solitude?
I would be lying if I were to say my diminished reach is not saddening. But what saddens me more is seeing other pages go through this process too. I’ve encountered hundreds of pages who have declined into nothing and go unnoticed. I have stumbled on stunning work being enjoyed by… no one. I fear that one day that my art will be relegated to the subconscious of the internet, to be washed away into a void of dejection.
Social media feels like punishment, a callous reminder that we are competing with each other, whether we like it or not. I think I may have lost the Instagram battle, but it is ok. Maybe this is a sign to retire my social media ventures. I cannot possibly compete there indefinitely, maybe it is time to move onto another platform where my photos can live. I must truly thank every one of my friends, mentors, family, and followers. I absolutely could not have made it this far without all of you. I’d also like to say that my frustration is not with anyone of my supporters, my frustration is with an algorithm that has eradicated my ability to showcase my art on Instagram.
As far as the future of my art, just know I am never stopping ever. Although my reach has diminished, I would say my passion has increased. I am invigorated by the pursuit of fine art, and of course Instagram is not the end-all-be-all of art. I am excited for the future, and I anticipate the joy of photography every day.
Thank you all for reading, and please, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I would really love to hear from you :)
David Bailey
P.S. I’m not going to stop posting on Instagram for those of you afraid I’m going to vanish. But please pop in here every once in a while, I’ll have something really special for you :)