“‘Til you own your own you can’t be free. ‘Til you’re on your own you can’t be me. How we still slaves in 2016?” – JAY Z (I Got the Keys song)

Until you own your platform, you don’t own your photos (or yourself).

Don’t be an insta-slave

If you’re on Instagram and you upload photos only to your Instagram (if you don’t own your own website or blog), you’re not free. You’re not free to share your photos how you would like (no flexility on how your photos are viewed or experienced). You technically don’t ‘own’ the content you upload to Instagram or social media. Furthermore, you cannot “own” the followers you accumulate on social media.

In praise of newsletters

Instead of accumulating followers on social media, start your own newsletter. You can use a simple platform like mailchimp.com, and this means:

You have direct access to your followers and fans.

Even though you have 100,000 followers on Facebook or Instagram, whenever you post something– it will not necessarily ‘organically’ be delivered to your followers. Why? Instagram/Facebook make money through paid advertising (you must pay money to unlock or ‘boost’ your post to more of your followers).

Are you dependent on Instagram, Facebook/social media?

To be ‘independent’ — literally means to NOT DEPEND on others for your life/living.

Nobody likes to be dependent. Certainly you as a photography entrepreneur — you want 100% freedom. 100% freedom to post whatever you want (without having Facebook/Instagram censor you). 100% freedom to display and customize the viewing experience. 100% freedom to have access to your followers.

Until you own your own website/blog, you don’t own yourself as a photographer.

Don’t use “free” services.

The heuristic is this:

If you are using a photography-related service for “free”, you’re not free/independent.

FREEDOM IS THE GOAL!

ERIC