Twitter must be my favorite social media network as it is the only one that I have stayed on longer than two years. I left Myspace in 2008 at two years and I left Facebook in 2010 at two years (the personal profile...I still have a photography fan page). I've met some interesting people, promoted my work, found new ways to share my visual and written art, won free things (yeah boyee!) and found new portals for learning that has definitely improved my photography and hopefully will continue to help me improve my photography.
But my Twitter experience hasn't been solely photographic. I've had passionate conversations with everyone from undergraduates to those in retirement on issues and interests that affect lives daily, from my own life to those of people on the other side of the globe. I've learned a great deal about people and their experiences through the filters of race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, culture, sexual orientation, class, education level, careers, hobbies and experiences. I've had my eyes opened on a variety of topics and have also opened others' eyes on a variety of topics. This intellectual exchange can be positive or heated, and is exciting all the same, either way. Though these conversation do not center on the notion that f/8 @ 1/60 = f/11 @ 1/30 or the latest Photoshop action, these conversations are just as valid to my experience as a photographer and a human being as ones that center around what I mentioned in the first paragraph.
The second paragraph seems to be a source of trouble though, and not with those I have these interesting conversations with via Twitter. No, it seems to be a source of trouble with some (not all) of my photography peers. Some are angry that I do not only tweet the latest tutorial, only retweet the most popular photographers and rockstars in the industry, or have conversations that they feel are non-photographic. Some have unfollowed for this reason (totally fine, this is what I'd want them to do), but some take a different (unwanted) approach, attacking me via tweets, choosing not to respond to me publicly (as to not be seen talking to me) and will only respond via DM or curating my tweets, judging what I "should" or should not tweet. Seriously. However, this is my position on the matter, something that I tweeted a few days ago:
"It would be insanity for me to photograph people and culture but never discuss people and culture. I think it would be hypocrisy, actually."
Also, my Twitter bio contains more than just the word photography:
"Portraiture, lifestyle & cultural documentary Photographer. Thinker. Writer. Author. Psychology Nerd. Bibliophile. Traveler. Adventurer by choice and by fate."
If I photograph women, I am also going to talk about women. Beautiful portraiture is something to share and cherish, but women are more than portraits. If I photograph men and women, I am going to talk about gender constructs, dating, marriage, gender bias, relationships and more. Men and women are more than portraits. If I photograph social unrest, I am going to talk about social unrest, including prejudices and biases that people face, psychological studies surrounding it, and interpretations of culture that impact my photographic work. If I photograph women of colour, beautifully, I am also going to talk about women of colour, especially in a world where people want to convince Black women that they are ugly, using lies and faulty science with a complete disregard for the scientific method. If I photograph cuisine, I am also going to talk about what I had for lunch and how I photographed it if I did. If I travel domestically and internationally, and photograph, I am also going to talk about the beauty of cultural differences as well as the difficulties that people face in embracing those differences and the perceptions of others.
To be clear, I am not misguided and think that conversations or admiration/awareness of causes is the same as advocacy and activism. The three differ and I thoroughly explained how they do on my psychology blog. (I'm not an armchair slactivist that thinks that Twitter liberated Egypt, not the people in the trenches, for example). However, I will not embrace something visually as an artist and then cower when it's time to elaborate on on that topic. What's the point of photographing someone homeless for an article if I don't donate to help them or refuse to discuss pervasive homelessness in America? Just to get a cool black & white photograph to post to a blog? What's the point of photographing women beautifully if I am not going to ever discuss pervasive issues of self-esteem and rigid beauty myths that impact women so much so that when some come to a portraiture session, they are so scared and don't believe that they are beautiful?
The bottom line is I am going to tweet what I want and how I want, period. And though the amount of photographers who follow me declines, my overall follow number continues to climb because people are interested in both my work and things that I share. I am interested in conversations from everything to what camera is cool to how people can learn more about important issues, share that information, expand their minds and work to make a difference. This is how I communicate. It's not how any photographers who don't want to associate with me have to communicate.
I even had a photographer who consistently posts some of the most bitter industry posts, insulting everyone from photographer Jack Hollingsworth (a total lovebug so not sure how anyone could not like him) to Chase Jarvis (easy target as he is incredibly accomplished and famous) tell me that my tweets are angry and maybe I need new friends. So, I should replace the amazing powerful women in my life, with other women because that would then alleviate the need for me to talk about cultural issues both positive and negative? Social unrest would disappear? Meanwhile, he can continue to insult photography peers by name or location references so specific that who the photographer is cannot be denied. How incredibly simple-minded and shallow is it to assume that if I do not like social injustice or some cultural issue that bothers the very kind of people who hire me as a photographer, I must not have good friends or acquaintances, as if the two correlate? His insulting photographers out of generational warfare (in some cases) and (perhaps) jealousy is not the same as me discussing why a scientist felt the need to publish a lie about beauty, attacking a large part of the United States (Black women) AND my largest clientele base at that. Black women age 25-34 are my largest group of fans on Facebook, most actively talk to me on Twitter and are my largest clientele base, yet I should not discuss a study that the world saw and blatantly insults us because it is too "angry" for a photographer who insults photography peers by name, consistently? Seriously?
It's perfectly acceptable to not like me or my tweets and conversations. It's acceptable not to like my photographic work. It's not acceptable to curate my tweets, sneak around and will only respond to me via DM, not publicly or try to tell me what to tweet or do. And though I never thought it would come to this, I will easily unfollow and block photographers who approach me with the latter behavior. I'm on Twitter to connect with humans. Not specifically photographers. Not to be an unpaid marketer of camera products and software. Not to be CNN and only tweet links, use scheduled/automatic tweeting or avoid conversations all together. However, it is ok if a photographer is using Twitter for these reasons. They just aren't my reasons. Everyone is entitled to use Twitter how they choose to. I am a body, not a brand. I am a person, not a personality. I am a soul not a social media hub. Being authentic is being who you are, not pretending to be who you are and calling it authentic. (Luckily, there are still many photographers I happily chat with daily, and even more non-photographers that I chat with daily, so my Twitter experience is still amazing!) If at anytime you follow anyone that you don't like or don't like what they say, unfollow. They are not entitled to your attention. That includes me. I have no expectations or entitlements when it comes to having a social media audience. Two quotes below sums up how I feel about the matter. One is from the greatest woman writer in the last century, Toni Morrison, and the other is from a rapper named Rocko.
"Personal success devoid of meaningfulness, free of a steady commitment to social justice, is more than a barren life, it's a trivial one." ~ Toni Morrison
"Umma do me, you just do you." ~ Rocko
(I used the bunny thumbnail image since some people seem to think I should stay brown and cute, yet caged and only tweet and do what they suggest. Hehe.)
5 Comments:
passing the offering plate.....
Haha Heather. I knew you would understand.
Excellent post. I'm always astounded that anyone would have the gall to tell someone else what to do with their own social media account - who do they think they are?
Thanks so much for the comment! You'd be surprised at what people have the "gall" to do.
Well put. Thanks for clearing up the bunny thing as well. I was stumped for a minute but decided to move on. I tweet a bit of everything on my accounts, even the one I designated for photo work. [Side note: Wow @ Def Leppard's "Photograph" just coming on the radio] But I'd hope that no one would dare to tell me what and what not to put out there. As you said, unfollowing is always an option.
Post a Comment
Comments/constructive criticism appreciated: