The two co-founders (who made Instagram the great platform it is today) have just left (apparently over disagreements with Facebook).
What does that mean for us photographers? Let us start to build our own platforms!
1. Renaissance of photography blogging
If you upload your photos to Instagram or Facebook (Facebook owns Instagram, and thus you can consider Insta-Book as the same thing) — you are already “photo-blogging”.
A blog is simply a web log (weBLOG) of your activities on the internet. In the early days of blogging, it was just like having a public diary on the internet. You shared what you did that day, your reflections of the day, photos you shot, things you experienced, etc. In the early days of blogging (and photo-blogging), it was mostly for yourself– you did it as a way to consolidate memories, to reflect, to highlight the happiest parts of your day, etc.
Then when social media came along, with likes, comments, followers, etc– it started to morph into some strange popularity contest. I still remember in college, your popularity and “worth” was determined by how many “friends” you had on Facebook. Now– our self-worth is quantified via how many followers we have on Instagram.
If you are uploading photos to Insta-Book, you are already photo blogging. So — why not just do it to your own website, blog, or platform?
2. Create your own (open source) blog
WordPress.org (the open source framework) is the best blogging platform. You can blog about your day by writing, uploading videos, audio, photos, whatever.
What are the benefits of blogging via wordpress.org? Simple:
- You own the platform, information, and content– which means you can easily archive, access, backup, download, share, or delete your content.
- You don’t have annoying advertisements all around your photos, audio, video, text, content, etc.
- You are an owner, not a social media slave. If you have a large following on Insta-Book, you are a slave to the platform (digital share-cropper).
3. What does a crack dealer and social media platform have in common?
“Don’t get high off your own supply.”
I don’t think Insta-Book (Instagram + Facebook) is going away anytime soon.
This is the funny thing– all my friends who I know who work at Facebook barely use the product themselves. They use Facebook messenger, but never really check their news feeds. They like to use Instagram, but don’t really post too much.
In hip hop and rap music, there is a concept of “not getting high off your own supply”. This means, if you are a crack dealer, you don’t smoke crack– you just sell it. You make the big bucks, but you don’t use your own product– because obviously, you will become addicted and probably die from it.
So this is what I think social media, Facebook+Instagram is — a crack dealer. And what does crack do to us? Make us insanely addicted and dependent on the substance (for social media– the substance is external social validation, and “crowd-sourcing” our self-esteem). I’m sure if you did an MRI inside the brain of a social media-user and a crack-user, you might get similar brain-signals/hormone-dependencies.
Of course, this analogy isn’t 100% fair. Social media won’t kill you, crack cocaine will. But perhaps too much dependence on social media will kill your soul– your artistic soul, and will kill your self-esteem. If you depend on others to augment your self-esteem via likes, followers, comments, etc– you become a slave to the opinion of others.
The solution? Cultivate your own self-esteem from within yourself. Easiest way to do this is deleting Instagram and Facebook– or just stop using it.
4. Who doesn’t use social media?
This is what I’ve found fascinating–
Look at what successful people DON’T do, or DON’T use.
For example, Elon Musk doesn’t wear a watch (all the pseudo-rich and insecure folks wear expensive watches). Steve Jobs didn’t let his kids use technology or iPads at home. JAY-Z, Kanye West, Dr. Dre (biggest rap moguls) don’t have an Instagram or social media — or use it.
Really really rich people don’t wear fancy brand-named clothes– they prefer their privacy.
Lots of smart tech folks are stopping to use Gmail or Google products. I wonder what they know that the rest of us don’t know?
5. Be an owner
“Until you own yourself you can’t be free. Until you own yourself, you can’t be me.” – JAY-Z
Don’t be a slave, be an owner.
If you use a “free” product, you’re the product. You’re the slave.
Let us become the new owners in this brave new digital world. Let us control our content– by creating our own photo blogs, platforms, and websites. Practical tools:
- Photo blogging platform: wordpress.org
- Website domain hosting: bluehost.com or 1and1.com
- Laptops and files over cloud-based devices.
6. Listen to yourself
This is all my opinion. You own your own opinion.
You can dictate however you live your life, and whatever products you decide to use. But I want you to challenge yourself–
Why do I use social media, and could I thrive MORE by not using it?
ERIC
Photography Entrepreneurship 101
Never stop innovating: “Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship“.
Entrepreneurship Mindset
- What is Your Dream in Life?
- 8 Blogging Productivity Tips
- Why Be Normal?
- How Much Suffering Are You Willing to Endure to Achieve Your Dreams?
Photography Entrepreneurship 101
- Don’t Sit Still!
- Bitcoin for Photographers
- Don’t Be Timid
- Why Start Your Own Photography Blog?
- Fill a Void
- 1,000 True Followers: How to Build Your Own Niche in Photography
- Photography Entrepreneurship 101: Why You Must Start Your Own Email Newsletter
- TURBO CREATION: Why a Maxed-Out MacBook Laptop is the Best Investment You Can Make for Photography Entrepreneurship
Life and Productivity Hacks
- My Ultimate Productivity and Life Hacks
- Life/Productivity Hack: Write (Type on a phone) While Walking on a Dynamic Treadmill
- ERIC KIM Life, Creativity, and Productivity Hacks
How to Make a Living from Your Passion
- Digital Nomad Photographer
- Build Your Own Instagram!
- How to Be More Ambitious
- Do It Your Way
- How to Measure Your Progress as a Photography Entrepreneur + Come Up With New Ideas
- How to Make a Living From Your Passion in Photography
Put a Dent in the Universe.
- Fear Disguised as Reason
- Distraction is the Enemy
- Innovate for the Sake of Innovating!
- Reality is Malleable!
- Stoic Entrepreneurship
- Against Self-Preservation
- The Purpose of Life is to Make New Stuff!
How to Succeed as an Entrepreneur
- You Have No Limits.
- Calculated Risk-Taking
- Invest in Yourself
- The Secret of Happiness: Shoot for the Moon!
- Moonshot Thinking
- Why We Should all Be Photography Entrepreneurs
- Memento Mori Entrepreneurship
- Why it is Better to Beg For Forgiveness than Ask For Permission
- How to Become a Digital Nomad
- Why You Must Own Your Own Platform
- First Principle Thinking for Photography Entrepreneurs
- How I Became a Digital Nomad
- Better to Beg For Forgiveness than Ask For Permission!
- Spurn Pleasing Others!
- Create Your Own Niche
- How to Gain More Exposure For Your Photography
- Intense Focus
- How to Conquer Your Fears as an Entrepreneur
- Define Yourself
- Let Dissatisfaction Drive You Forward!
- It Doesn’t Matter if Someone Else Has Done it Before!
- How to Succeed as a Photography Entrepreneur: Be Extremely Resourceful
- Open Source Business Model in Photography Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship 101: Growth and Innovation Over Self-Preservation
- How to Create Value as a Photography Entrepreneur
- Why Become a Photography Entrepreneur?
- Why You Must Ignore Nay-Sayers to Succeed in Entrepreneurship, Business, and Life
The Modern Photographer: Tips, Strategies, and Tactics to Thrive as a Visual Artist in the Digital Age
Marketing, Branding, Entrepreneurship Principles For Success
MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER is your new philosophical and practical primer to succeed as a modern photographer in today’s digital world.
Business Mental Models

- How to Succeed as a Photography Entrepreneur: Be Extremely Resourceful
- Open Source Business Model in Photography Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship 101: Growth and Innovation Over Self-Preservation
How to Monetize Your Photography
- Photography Entrepreneurship 101: INFLUENCE
- Should I Monetize My Passion for Photography?
- 10 Practical Photography Monetization Strategies: Pricing, Google SEO, & Entrepreneurship
- How to Make Money From Street Photography
Why Become a Photography Entrepreneur?
Take control of your own photographic destiny:
THE MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER
- CREATIVE CAPITALISM
- How to Monetize Your Photography
- 5 Practical Photography Career Tips and Advice
- 10x Thinking
- How to Hustle as a Photographer
- How to Become Your Own Master Marketer
- The ‘T’ Technique of Success
- Go Ahead and Sell Out
- What is Your Unique Voice?
- Why You Must Self-Promote Yourself
- What is Your Unique Angle as a Photographer?
- Photography Content Marketing 101
- Why You Must Become Your Own Publisher
- The Art of Cross-Pollination in Photography
Photography Entrepreneurship Articles
- Why You Shouldn’t Trust Your Pictures to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Flickr
- How to Make Money From Your Photography
- Photography SEO and Blogging: How to Become Number One on Google
- Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
- Now is the Best Time to Be a Photographer
- PRODUCERISM
- What Is The Value of a Picture?
- Your Photographic Labor is Not Free
PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS 101
- Chapter 1. How to Make a Photography Blog
- Chapter 2. How to Price Yourself
- Chapter 3. How to Find Your Market
- Chapter 4. Why Teach Workshops?
- Chapter 5. How to Build Trust
- Chapter 6. How to Market Yourself
- Chapter 7: Why Should Someone Attend Your Workshop?
KEYS TO SUCCESS
- Why You Must Be a “Personality” in Order to Succeed
- THRIVE OR DIE.
- Impatience is a Virtue
- Create Your Own Category
- HOW TO DREAM BIG.
- Will Not or Cannot?
- Why Not?
- How to Think BIG
- How to Stay Ahead of the Curve
- How to Invest in Yourself
- The Two Camera Rule
- MEANINGFUL DIFFERENTIATION
- Advice For College Students
- How to Thrive in Uncertain Times
- CANNIBALIZE YOURSELF.
- DO AND GROW RICH
- Does Fear of Punishment Hold You Back?
- HOW TO GET MORE FOLLOWERS
- How to Innovate
- How to Build Your Own Empire
- YOU ARE ENTITLED TO HARD WORK.
- PICK YOURSELF.
- OWN YOUR PLATFORM
- 10 KEYS TO SUCCESS
Table of Contents
Learn how to make a living from your passion:
- Preface. BRAVE NEW WORLD OF PHOTOGRAPHY
- Chapter 1. How to Create Value
- Chapter 2. ZEN CAPITALISM
- Chapter 3. Scarcity
- Chapter 4. How to Brand Yourself
- Chapter 5. How to Build a True Following
- Chapter 6. The Blueprint to Success in Photography
- Chapter 7. HOW TO BE BOLD
- Chapter 8. How to Sell Out
- Chapter 9. GO AGAINST THE GRAIN
- Chapter 10. EXTREME ABUNDANCE
- Chapter 11. Photography Experience Economy
- Chapter 12. Why You Should Make Money for Your Photography
- Chapter 13. How to Become a Famous Photographer
Photography Business 101
How to Make Money with Photography

- How to Charge More Money in Your Photography
- Why You Should Not Pursue Photography as Career
- Can Photography Make You Rich?
- How I Earn $200,000+ a Year From Photography
- How to earn $10,000 a month as a photographer
- Why you must be an expensive photographer
Photography Marketing 101
- Why Have More Followers?
- Why You Should Do Photography Work For Free
- How I Became an Internet Famous Photographer
- Photography Blogging Ideas
- Why You Should Promote Your Own Name
- How to Build a Following
- How to Stand Out as a Photographer.
- HOW TO GO VIRAL AS A PHOTOGRAPHER.
- How to Master Marketing
- How to Sell Yourself

How to Hustle.
- Entrepreneurial Advice to My 18 Year Old Self
- How to Become Insanely Productive.
- 5 Lessons From Hesiod on Hustling
Entrepreneurial Principles
- It is Better to Beg For Forgiveness Than Ask For Permission
- The Free Way to Become Rich
- JUST DO IT.
- 7 Steps: How to Make a Living From Your Passion
- How to Do What You Love for a Living
- How to Create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
- How to Fail Big
- How to Invest in Yourself
- How to Be Bold in Photography and Life
- Mission: Cover Your Rent and Food
- 1,000 True Fans
- The “10x Principle”: The Only Difference Between “Success” and “Failure”
- Make More Value Not Money
- We Live in a Photo Utopia
How to be a Full-time Photographer
- How to Make a Living From Photography
- The 3 Principles of Making Money With Photography
- Advice for Aspiring Full-Time Photographers
- Don’t Go Into Debt For Your Photography
- How to Brand Yourself as a Photographer
- Trust: The Most Important Thing You Need to Succeed as a Photographer
Photography Blogging
- How to become rich from photography blogging
- How to Make a Living with Blogging
- 50 Blogging Tips For Beginners
- How to Start Your Own Photography Blog
- A Photographer’s Guide to SEO, Blogging, and Social Media
How to Teach Photography
- How to Become a Photography Teacher
- How to Teach a Street Photography Class
- Why I Teach Street Photography Workshops
Social Media
- Why I Deleted My Instagram
- The Social Media Blackbook for Photographers
- Why Do You Need More Likes or Followers?
- Instagram is Going to Be the Next Facebook
- Don’t Trust “Free” Photography Social Networks