Listening to Instagram photographers I idolized tell me that going to school for photography/art was a waste of time is probably one of the larger fuckups of my life so far. In no way am I saying that you can’t be a photographer unless you go to school (Thread)

BUT what I am saying is that there is much more to photography than shooting for brands on Instagram, and also that Instagram (white photography culture on Instagram specifically) has thoroughly bastardized the medium and normalized many plenty of unethical practices and ideas.

One example: influencers who brand themselves as photographers and travel to other countries with lower standards of living than their own, solely to take photos for Instagram. No artist statement. No purpose other than bringing the photos back home to rake in the likes on IG.

Another example is white photographers flocking to protests with DSLR’s and Leicas, taking photos just to post to their Instagram accounts. Oftentimes these photos serve no purpose other than likes, and at times they expose the identities of those protesting to law enforcement

This is obviously exploitive, yet at the same time I see tons of other photographers in their comments/mentions praising them. All this could be avoided if we started encouraging growing photographers to learn about ethics, art history, and context.

All this to say - You don’t need an art degree to take pictures for fun, but if you’re serious about it, make an effort to think about why you’re doing what you’re doing, and don’t get all of your inspiration and knowledge solely from Instagram or YouTube.

Maybe find a photographer you like that’s doing good work and is NOT huge on Instagram. Ask them why and how they do what they do. Pick up a book on process. Absolutely go to school if you can afford it. Let’s all try to perpetuate a more healthy, ethical photography culture.