Last September, I photographed the 2017 Social Media Week Fairfax event for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. Even though this was not the first time I was in this space, it is an impressive meeting area. Concurrently, there was an impressive array of speakers and panelists throughout the event. Hosted by Sarah Fraser, the topics centered around social media and its impact to fulfill marketing missions of organizations. Regardless of what sector you work, social media was making an impact and had many issues to discuss. Speakers included, CEOs, government communications, freelance artists, and other influencers. It was an educational day for me and my small business, and I look forward to the next one!
It has never been easier to share your photos online. I can remember in the first years of the web how magical it was to download photos. Using a web browser was so easy. Comparatively you had to download individual files from a gopher or FTP site. Then open the photos in a separate JPG or GIF viewing program. With the browser, you had an experience that was much easier to view a collection of photos in an album-like setting.
Now, social media networks heavily encourage the sharing of images online. With the price that Facebook paid to acquire Instagram, it is not surprising to see where they see the most participation in their users. With all the social networks, though, there is a tradeoff for photographers. Because all of these networks are free to sign up, participate, and share, the companies need to make revenue somewhere. YOU and your photos are now the currency that these networks use to grow their business. In some small parts, they are taking your photos and using them to get more people to share and participate, and they hope, get them to patronize their advertisers.
To take more control over this natural give and take, I believe all photographers should have their own web space that they are paying for, and maintaining themselves. It has never been easier to reserve your own domain name, and sign up with a web host with all the gigabytes of storage you need for a minimal cost. If you are bothered by these social networks “stealing” your images to use, this is the best way to display your photos online. I post a little on these as a way to drive traffic to my personal website!
Speaking of which, my portfolio website is currently undergoing and exciting revision! I am switching over to a new service for showing off my best images. I will post more when the transition is finished, and I would love to hear what my blog readers think of the changes!
Reading blogs is how I have been getting all of my photography and technology related news. The technology in RSS readers allows me to keep up easily with breaking news, and one of the inspirations I had in writing every day. In reviewing how I have been posting on my blog, I wanted to have a weekly post where I can redistribute some of the news items that have been grabbing my attention.
Many photographers love to talk about gear – what is new, what is coming out soon, and I am no different. The 2014 International Consumer Electronics show just recently wrapped up in Las Vegas. Not only do they show off the latest in computer, home theater, and gaming products, but they also have lots of news for photographers. Fujifilm announced some interesting products that will be coming out this year. If you have been reading my blog, you have seen my post about the Fuji X100s. I have been looking for a small, compact camera that is easy to travel with when doing personal projects. I am still learning more about this camera on every shoot, but have been pleased with the features, build, and the resulting photos. At the CES, Fuji announced that they will be releasing a new all-black version of the camera body. There are no added features with the new release, but it should please street photographers that are looking to be even more inconspicuous as they make candid images.FUJIFILM NZ ?@FujifilmNZJan 12
Fujifilm leads pre-CES buzz with black X100S, XF 56mm f/1.2 R lens & lens roadmap update – Fujifilm stole… http://tmblr.co/ZOPk6t13Ww_0L
FujiFilm X100s in black
Sony Cameras
Sony was also showing off their compact interchangeable camera, the Alpha A7. They have been making a lot of strides in the compact market which they seem to be concentrating on more compared to Nikon and Canon. With their large product lines in consumer electronics, and professional videography, they should become a bigger player in digital still photography if they keep releasing products such as the A7, or the RX1. Both of these contain full frame sensors giving amazing image making power in such compact cameras. I am excited to see what kinds of lenses both Fuji and Sony create for these lines. They will definitely be good replacements or backups for full frame DSLR kits in the near future.Sony Electronics USA ?@SonyElectronicsDec 22
