Photography offers more than the process of making images. For many, including me, it’s the visual narrative for the stories of our lives. It’s a catalyst to exploring existence and understanding why anything is the way it is. I’ve been thinking a lot lately how I can strengthen the connection I have to the craft.

Consuming photography

Some may find that intro hyperbole. It’s early on a Monday morning and I’m only one sip into my morning coffee. I’m vulnerable. But, the words I say are true; the depths of our relationship with photography are limitless.

I’m currently developing how I consume photography. I felt I was in a cycle of not truly discovering new work, or understanding a photographer's way of thinking. I decided to step up my game, and I think you should too.

The default consumption of photography is social media. But, are we really consuming or are we just mindlessly passing by?

Think about your standard social media feed. Posts from some people you follow, and those you don’t. Then an abundance of ads and video reels. It’s impossible to truly stop, think and appreciate the world view of another photographer with this system.

A new approach

Tired of this formula, I made the decision to be proactive. In doing this I promised I would commit one or two hours a week truly consuming photography. This meant turning my back on socials and delving into the heart of where you really learn about an artist; photography websites.

During this process I block out all distractions. I set my laptop to “Mindfulness”, shut down Tabs I do not need and begin to get lost in photography. I do a Google search for a specific niche I am in the mood for. For example, “Show me 20 amazing portrait photographers”.

On occasion I’ll also use ChatGPT to discover photographers. I’ve had mixed results here. Although I’ve found some gems, there’s also a lot of dead links and sometimes results that don’t match the prompt I use.

Once the results are in I then navigate to each photographer's website. Here I can go through multiple galleries, read artist statements and learn how their inspiration to make images was born. I can understand their struggles, their pain and their happiness as it reflects in each photography project they share.

Personally, I enjoy doing this process with some beautiful music. Perhaps from Jon Hopkins or Tycho, or one of the chilled Lo-Fi playlists. I do find that music really enhances the experience.

Witness the difference

I’ve been committing to this way of consuming photography for a few weeks now. Already I feel a fresh blaze of fire within me. When you see how much photography means to someone else, it reinforces how much it means to you. Doing this just one hour a week is already more productive than daily mindless scrolling.

My challenge to you is to do the same. Take some time each week to fully consume photography, without distraction and with a commitment to connecting to other photographers.

This can help you get out of a creative rut, inspire you to take risks with your photography, or at the very least, remind you why you love photography so much.

I’m curious, what is currently your main method of consuming photography? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading.

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