When my friend, Tim, and I made JTnaturescape, we made it for the purpose of sharing nature trails and scenery with others to inspire them to hike with their loved ones and for the preservation of nature. We had a number of people tell us that they enjoyed our photography, so we decided to make an instagram account in order to try and share it with others around the world. During this time period, some lesser-known instagram accounts featured (or asked to feature) one of our pictures and tagged us in it. We were also approached by some more popular accounts such as "Huffingtonpost" and "Wanderlust".
Originally, when these 'big name' accounts contacted us, we were ecstatic. We thought this might be the moment when our photography gains the exposure it needs to follow through with the cause we believed in. However, "Huffingtonpost" essentially asked us to give up all the rights to our picture if we wanted them to use it, and more well-known accounts like "Wanderlust" wanted us to pay money for one of our photos to be featured. I later found this to be the case with a lot of the popular instagram accounts.
When I started to see this pattern, it really got me thinking; why does the hard work and talent one person may have get overshadowed by fortune (money) or connections? In this world, as sad as it may be, sometimes connections and money can make-or-break everything. With the help of connections and money, you can easily gain opportunities and exposure for a steady following. I understand that as the digital age becomes more prominent, companies are creating positions that support a lifestyle of technology. There are some people who have real world jobs, while making money on the side through a famous instagram account, or for some, the instagram account is their full-time job. Therefore, the idea of charging money makes sense for pictures to be featured because everyone has to make a living, but is it right? Is it 'fair' for some people to get 'instagram famous' because they feature pictures from other people that they themselves do not take, while also gaining money? Does everything really have to be about business and what one person can gain from the specific 'transaction'?
When I discuss this idea, I am not devaluing those who have fulfilled the 'American Dream' through their hard work, networking, and passion for their career. I am also not devaluing for instance, photographers, who need to pay for those features in order to get their pictures out there to gain a bigger following. It may just be me feeling prideful and clinging to the old ways, but the way I want my ideas and impact to be spread is the 'right' way; or by earning it. It does not sit right with me feeling like I am buying my way to recognition or exposure. Is this idea of wanting to be recognized for something wrong? Is it something that may ultimately end up holding people back? I wonder these things because the purpose of why JTnaturescape puts its photography out there is not for ourselves and to gain fame, but for others to appreciate nature the way we do. I want to believe that this idea is reason enough for people to share it with others, but maybe there is more to it...