EyeEm Greater Than Instagram

Tags

best practice, create, eyeem, Growth, Instagram, marketing, photography, social media

A few months ago, I wrote about why I’m not on Instagram.  Since then, I’ve been looking for an alternative and I’m happy to say that I found it with EyeEm.

EyeEm, like Instagram, is a social media app that allows one to use creative filters, post and tag photos and follow other photographers.  It has a much smaller usage than Instagram (for now) but I think it is a much more photographer friendly app for several reasons.     

EyeEm’s terms of service is much more ‘cut and dry’ than Instagram’s and there is no question about who owns what or what could happen to images once uploaded.

EyeEm gives a photographer the option of selling photos.  This service is called ‘Market’.  By joining Market, a photographer can sell their images while maintaining ownership of the copyright.  The photographer splits the profits 50/50 with EyeEm once an image is sold.  Market also offers support with liscenses and is non-exclusive.  I have not joined Market and have no experience with it so naturally I can’t comment further.  But I find the idea appealing.  As a photographer, I would rather have the option of selling my photos outright, then having them used without my consent or knowledge.

EyeEm offers challenges, called Missions.  These Missions range from everything to submitting your best macro photo to submitting your best street photo.  Winners are awarded anything between EyeEm swag to having their image featured in The Huffington Press or other publications, or being featured prominently on EyeEm.

EyeEm offers tutorials.  These tutorials range from how to shoot in low light situations to how to capture better portraits.  EyeEm also often interviews successful photographers about their technique, gear and best practices.  As a photographer, I’ve found the best way to learn the art of photography is to see what other photographers are doing and hear about their successes and failures.

Social media is about being seen and is a great marketing tool.  But it’s important to be comfortable with your social media platforms, especially when you post photos.   What appeals to me with EyeEm is the dedication they have to photographers.  They want you to learn, not just to be seen.  They challenge you yet support you.  It is this dedication that makes EyeEm, in my opinion, the best photo sharing app.

If you are interested in joining EyeEm or are already on it, be sure to follow me at k3schultz

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Why I’m Not On Instagram

Tags

ASMP, Instagram, photography, social media

Every once in awhile, people will ask me if I’m on Instagram.  When I tell them ‘no’, they understandably look confused.  After all, I’m a photographer and Instagram is a photography app – sounds like we should be BFFs.  But we’re not and I’ll never join, for a couple of reasons.

As a photographer, the protection of my images is very important to me.  Im aware that if someone wants to steal my photos online they probably could, but I don’t want to make it easy for them.  My gallery is supported by Smugmug and all the images are ‘right click’ protected and I feel secure there.  When I post on Social Media, I post lower-res images that are double watermarked.  My logo is usually placed in a lower corner but the entire image also has a subtle fill over it, so if the logo is cropped out the image is still protected.  I’ve been accused of having a heavy hand with my watermarks but in the end, I have to be comfortable with what I post. It’s tricky finding a balance between showing images online and protecting oneself.

At one time, I thought about joining Instagram.  But I read a great article on the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) website that changed my mind.  Simply called ‘The Instagram Papers’, the article makes a compelling argument that Instagram’s Terms of Use or Service is too far-reaching and photographers rights are being abused.  A summery of the Instagram Papers can be viewed here while the complete Instagram Papers can be viewed here.  ASMP, an organization with which I have membership, sent an open letter to Instagram in January 2014 (here) which has yet to be answered.

Since January 2014, Social Media has gotten more prevalent and it seems in my circle of photographer friends, more and more photographers are joining Instagram.  Again, I thought about signing up and reached out to ASMP to see if there was an update in the Terms of Service.  Since the publication of the Instagram Papers, the Terms have not been updated, which is disappointing.  Instagram can still use any photo posted however they wish, including sublicensing or third party usage of the images without permission or compensation to the photographer.  This is totally unacceptable to me.

My primary focus in photography is concert photography, which is a tricky gig.  Use of images and compensation has been hotly debated for years and recently became the forefront of conversation with different artists’ photo release policies, specifically Taylor Swift’s.  But where is the moral outrage against Instragram’s policy, which is much more restrictive than any artists’ policy?  There is none because people tend to equate popularity on social media with success.

Instagram isn’t the right choice for me, but it has been the right choice for many people.  Some photographers have gotten jobs, publicity and sales through Instagram.  But I prefer to have as much control over my images as I possibly can, especially online, which is a difficult enough task as it is. I don’t want to make a deal with the Devil to be popular.  I don’t want to be a hypocrite by demanding payment from a musical act for my concert photos, but then give them away on a popular social media platform. Until Instagram addresses ASMP’s concern about their Terms of Service, I will stay away from it.