/words.
Shooting With an iPhone Vs a Full-Frame Camera
Ayup! In recent years, I've gone all in on two very different types of photography; the flexible convenience of an iPhone, and the not-so-flexible experience of a full-frame camera with a fixed prime.
Interestingly, most of my best performing work on Unsplash was all shot on a mobile telephone. Proof that the end user really isn't fussed about the gear you're using. That said, the images I'm most happy with were produced on my camera.
I love both approaches, and I guess neither is right or wrong these days. As I've experimented with both a tiny sensor and its larger counterpart, a few observations have bubbled to the surface.
The physical dimensions of a full-frame sensor date back to the early 1900s when 35mm film emerged as a universal standard for filmmaking and, later, as 135 film for stills photography. In traditional movie-making, film travels vertically through the camera, providing a variety of different image formats.
Pixel peeping
Ultimately, the most significant difference here is quality and performance, but not in an immediately obvious way. The iPhone is extremely capable when it comes to capturing tack sharp images. This is further enhanced with the clean lines and geometric forms of most of my architecture shots.
The tones and richness lack a little depth, but nothing that can't be improved in post. Editing, however, is where the pixel peepers among us will start to uncover nightmarish visions. As you zoom further and further in, it gets pretty messy, to say the least. No surprise here, we've got good old AI to thank for that.
Your phone is often making creative or even artistic decisions about the memories you're capturing. Users may have no idea it's happening – and on some phones, AI is doing a lot more than tweaking parameters.
Of course, nobody else is zooming in to your photos to witness the slop infested savagery. It's still there, either way, though. How happy and acceptant of this you are as a photographer will determine your choice of gear.
Conversely, inspecting a full-frame image is a much more satisfying experience. I can zoom, crop, then zoom some more and still pick out the tiny, intricate details.
Camera wins
My current camera, a Sony a7C II, is helping to develop and advance my photography work. No doubt about that. Paired with a 50mm prime lens, it's the (nearly always) perfect accompaniment for architecture details and geometric compositions.
Sharper images
Infinitely better handling of tones
More features on Unsplash
Flexibility to add further lenses
Full-frame, yet compact
The classic adage that the best camera is the one you have with you is a very accurate one. Smartphones are incredibly convenient and the results improve year after year. However, upon closer inspection, a full frame camera easily dominates a phone in terms of image quality.
iPhone wins
My mobile/iPhone photography spree lasted from November 2022 to August 2025. It was only ever meant to be a six-month experiment, but I almost considered making it a forever thing.
Convenience (it's always with me)
3 lenses to chose from
Images perform well on Unsplash
No missed opportunities
Easier workflow (images sync with laptop)
Once we start zooming in and cropping in closer on an iPhone photo, its quality starts degrading quickly. This means that if you were needing to print a really large photo or if you wanted to blow up an image, you’d run into quality issues.
Going forward
A plasticky artificial look has no place in photography, which is where I feel mobile images might be heading. I mean, we're already there if you look close enough. I'll happily use my iPhone for the occasional shot when needed, but it won't be my main camera any more.
The a7C II is serving me extremely well. Good job, as I'm not in a position to upgrade anytime soon. Personally, switching to full-frame was absolutely the right decision. It's opened up new opportunities as my work improves. Making the final ten in the Architecture & Interiors category of the Unsplash Awards 2025, being one example.
I'm unsure if the folks there take you a little more seriously when you submit work that was captured with a camera rather than a mobile. Maybe it's simply that the images are of a higher quality, but I'm definitely seeing more features recently.
Overall, both my iPhone and camera capture incredible images. Only the latter will satisfy my slightly obsessive attention to detail, though.
Zero Subscriptions
Ayup! It's been a long time coming (thanks to Adobe), but I'm finally subscription free. When I realised I was paying out around £140 per month on things I'd never own, it was time to switch mindsets.
The rollercoaster ride of self-employment had previously offered a taster of zero subscriptions. 2024 and the start of 2025 were eerily quiet, to the point of inducing an extreme financial overhaul. All non-essentials were eliminated from my personal and business outgoings.
As soon as things were back on track, however, the odd subscription here and there quickly mounted up. Amazon Prime? Yeah, why not. Apple Music, TV and Arcade bundled into one convenient monthly payment? Sign me up! Then there's the worst offender of them all, Creative Cloud.
The proliferation of subscription offerings can burden consumers with multiple monthly fees and the complexity of managing numerous accounts. The variety of subscriptions can make it challenging to keep track of expenses and fully utilize the services or products. This can lead users to question the value they are getting from their subscriptions and potentially even cause disengagement.
Wait a minute...
Realisation 1 - £140 x 12 = £1,680. Hmmmm? That's a decent chunk of change each year. Surely this could go towards something a lot more productive or fun than renting software or media.
Realisation 2 - None of the subscription services I signed up for actually make life any better. In fact, they often extrude enjoyment and deteriorate concentration. Listening to music being one example.
The global subscription market is set to reach £91.99 billion by 2033. Businesses want us to rely on the convenience. Ultimately, they're conditioning consumers to reframe their eternal payments as necessary and non-negotiable, rather than a nice-to-have.
Companies can’t assume that they will secure a guaranteed revenue stream just by charging customers monthly. In fact, they can just as easily lose great customers in the process.
Subscription fatigue
Subscription fatigue is a thing. We all know this. We've probably all felt it at one stage or another. It seems pretty obvious, but if it's affecting you, there's one quick and easy solution. Cancel or drastically minimise your ongoing services. You'll be surprised how little you need them when you start to break free.
Research indicates that despite an appetite for content, tools, and goods, a significant portion of consumers don't want to subscribe to any more services. They feel as though they already have enough—or perhaps even too many— subscription services under their belt.
Workarounds
Here are a few of my workarounds. There should be no compromise on your quality of life. We're not about to start sitting in a quiet room with nothing to watch or listen to. Although, that's also quite nice, sometimes.
As mentioned above, these changes can actually lead to a more rewarding experience. Less mindless, half-arsed consumption, more mindful, meaningful purchases.
Music - Swapping streaming for CDs and digital downloads was one of the best things I've ever done.
TV & Film - DVDs (films and box sets) keep me entertained most of the time. I also watch some of the ad-supported streaming channels and intend on taking the occasional month of Netflix/Apple TV, etc. when a film or series that I want to watch is released. The new Peaky Blinders film being a prime example.
Creative Cloud - Fully swapped for Affinity. Couldn't be happier.
Heated Car Seats - Sorry, what? That requires a subscription? No thanks. What else have you got? Shout out to my Škoda Citigo!
Amazon - We don't need same day or next day delivery, really. If there's something I can buy locally instead, I'll do that. If not, I'm happy to wait a few extra days.
iCloud Storage - This is a sneaky one, as the entry point is only .99p a month. I initially thought I'd keep this subscription, but quickly realised I don't need it. The free 5 GB is more than enough for my own personal needs.
Banking - I bank with Monzo and absolutely love them and their app. I was suckered in to their premium banking with the offer of a free Greggs sausage roll each week. Of course, said sausage rolls were actually costing me £17 per month.
WordPress Themes & Plugins - I'll only buy WordPress products that offer a one-time payment now.
According to research, four-fifths (79%) of people are signed up to at least one subscription service, which works out to be around 42.4 million UK adults. However, another study found that nearly half of subscribers (45%) had cancelled a subscription due to price increases.
Freeeeeeeeeedom!
Wohoooo! The decision to live subscription free has brought about many changes. It's been a long but exciting journey to reach this point. As I ticked off my cancellations, finally ending with Creative Cloud, a feeling of independence and self-determination arose.
Not in a going without sense, but, rather, the vast awareness of a preferable way of living. We're sold convenience, but due to a number of factors (including the elusive enshitification of everything), it seems like pure madness to rent everything forever.
Life is better on the other side of never-ending membership fees. Alternative solutions are often more ethical, as well as cheaper in the long term. Is the bubble about to burst? Probably not, but while we still have the choice, making slower, conscious and calmer decisions is my preferred path.
Disclaimer: doesn't include a few bits I need for my business such as emails, hosting and mileage tracking.
Reshooting The Same Locations & Compositions
Ayup! Yesterday, while on a photography adventure in London, I did little other than revisit past/known locations. The same buildings, the same compositions, the same treasure-filled areas. This was mainly down to time restraints, but I do this in one way or another in every city I visit.
Instead of coming back with similar images each time, though, something undeniably magical happens. New angles, better weather, different gear, improved skills and fresh eyes all contribute towards an enhanced perspective.
Photography is a game of determination and consistency. The more you get to know a location, the more opportunities that will present themselves. Motivation is a well-known barrier for many folks. Often this is due to lack of interest in heading out to somewhere you've already been. A note to my future self; just go again.
The earth is a constantly changing and dynamic entity, that means you’ll almost certainly get a different image if you go to the exact same spot and photograph it again. There are even projects that show the same location photographed every day, with the intent of showing subtle changes. You don’t need to go every day, of course, but you might take a shot of the location in the snow, and one in the sun.
Fresh new opportunities
A million things can alter in one single spot from one week to the next. As photographers, it's our duty to investigate and capture these changes. While it may seem counterintuitive to visit the same place in consecutive weeks or months, it's rarely a waste of time.
Having made a start on editing yesterday's photos, some of them are what I'd consider my best work so far. Despite there not being anything new to see, I'd refined the vision of how I wanted to capture certain scenes. Ultimately, this directed the flow and direction of the day.
A couple of the photos are extremely similar compositions to my iPhone shots captured a few years back. These were both images I was super happy with, but I knew they could be better. Fast-forward to the present day with a different camera, lens and focal length, and progress is most definitely evident.
In addition to being more perceptive of the stories around you, revisiting the same location is a great way to learn more about the steps that help to build a story.
Plan, shoot, edit, repeat
Of course, in an ideal world, us photographers would love nothing more than continually ticking off the destination bucket list. In the real world, however, we sometimes have to make do with what we've got.
If this means revisiting cities, parks or mountains that are easy to get to, then we have a golden opportunity. In fact, it's an opportunity with one distinct advantage. You know the area. The best spots and compositions are already on your radar. There's possibility.
Put yourself in the playing field, then put yourself there again. It might not always work out, but you'd be surprised how many times it does.
Waiting for exceptional light is the obvious benefit of revisiting the same location, but more importantly it sets you up for accelerated growth. The fastest way to grow as a photographer is to learn from your personal failures through a retrospective: identify the issue, hypothesize changes that would have prevented the issue, and test those changes under similar circumstances.
Human-to-Human Marketing Vs AI-Generated Slop
Ayup! Unpopular opinion alert; AI-generated garbage has no place in marketing. Yet, as I write this, it's already become the quick and dirty standard for so many businesses. Yikes!
Why, if your branding has nothing to do with cartoons, are you using the same generic visuals as everyone else? They a) look shit, and b) aren't doing your credibility any favours whatsoever. The same notion applies with written content, such as blog articles and website copy.
Honestly, what's going on here? It's like a mass brainwashing. The only conclusion I've been able to reach is that we should never have been granted access to generative AI. It's harming business websites, SEO, reputations and authority on an unprecedented scale.
87% of marketers are confident in the accuracy of AI content. But the confidence is misplaced. More than half (51%) of AI-generated content has "significant issues of some form," and a whopping 91% has at least "some issues." In the best cases, these errors can erode brand trust and marketing effectiveness.
Humans buy from humans
Successful companies are built on trust. One of the strongest selling points a business can leverage right now is being real and authentic. Step up, human-to-human marketing; a remedy to the chaos and carnage that AI slop is inflicting on campaigns across the globe.
H2H (human-to-human) harnesses personalisation and conversation. It's an approach that genuinely takes an interest in your clients or customers. How this is played out will vary drastically depending on the size and nature of your business. One thing that unites and solidifies this approach, however, is that ChatGPT can't do it for you.
I'm using H2H as an alternative example here, but really, just base your current activities on any successful marketing plan from 10 years (or more) ago. Nothing has changed, other than not using AI-generated images and copy will now give you a distinct competitive advantage.
Relationship marketing, often referred to as human-to-human (H2H) marketing, is a marketing strategy that emphasises the importance of building strong, lasting relationships with clients. It goes beyond transactional interactions, focusing on personalised communication, trust-building, and creating value at every touchpoint, contributing to fostering long-term brand engagement.
AI = Diminishing Trust
Countless businesses here in the UK have all of a sudden started to specialize in their sector. Really, of course, they mean specialise, but haven't proofread the complete nonsense that AI churned out.
Bad copy, terrible images and a barrage of bullshit is an alarmingly shoddy strategy. I know I wouldn't trust or buy from a company who think using cheap, mindless content to market their business is anywhere near acceptable.
Ultimately, this is the core issue we're facing here. Self-inflicted damage and negligence results in severe distrust. I've not got any data to back this up yet, but I'd also put money on the fact that generative AI provides anywhere from zero to infinitely negative ROI figures. Even if you're using it for free, a business can quickly and easily lose profit as a result.
No matter how well-oiled a machine your marketing is, if it’s not standing out, then your ROI is toast. Efficiency at scale doesn’t cut through noise. For that, you need to lean into what makes your brand unique.
That’s where real human creativity comes in.
Is it just me?
Am I going mad? Sometimes it seems like I'm the only business owner on the planet seeing this. Thankfully, as the cracks have started to appear, the conversation is gaining traction. In fact, an entire new niche has opened up for companies needing a solution to fix the damage and devastation that AI has inflicted on their business.
The WP Builds Podcast does an incredible job of telling both sides of the story. Here are a couple of recent episodes that provide valuable insights for any business owner/manager or marketing team.
It's a WordPress podcast, but the relevance remains the same, no matter which platform you use. Episode 459 particularly echoes my opinion on AI in marketing, with trust being a key talking point.
As we navigate the complexities of an AI-powered world, embracing human-to-human marketing strategies becomes increasingly vital to agencies looking to not just stay afloat but thrive.
Why risk your entire business?
AI was supposed to help us be more productive. Instead, it's had the complete opposite effect. This is primarily evident in the business world. If we don't embrace it, we'll fall behind (apparently). Well, if that's the way to continue reaching and connecting with clients, I'll take it.
Granted, navigating a business through testing times is becoming increasingly tricky. Maybe marketing budgets are tighter than they've ever been, or you're struggling to cut through the noise to reach your target audience. Either way, AI is not the answer. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's severely impacting the longevity of millions of businesses.
I read a really great phrase recently that said something along the lines of 'why would I bother to read something someone couldn't be bothered to write' and that is such a powerful statement and one that aligns absolutely with my views.
Slow it down
One unique, carefully considered blog post that took several hours will outperform 50 pointless articles written by AI. Furthermore, it's setting you up for long-term success, rather than search engines viewing your site as a garbage cluster.
An easy leg-up over your competitors, right now, is to simply do things properly. You know, the way that takes a little more time and effort. Success, momentum and trust are all built over years of continual tweaks and improvements.
Human-to-human connection secures ongoing results. For that, us business owners, managers and marketing teams need to remember what our audiences resonate with; calm, consistent, personalised and unique interactions that make them feel something.
Sorry, ChatGPT, it's not really working out. We're going to have to let you go...
Why Google Still Plays a Crucial Role for Business
Ayup! It's evident there's a rising tendency to quit using big tech. This is primarily down to a combination of privacy, enshitification and the desire for less reliance on US-based products and services.
The shift is well and truly underway, with Europe heading up the revolution. One of the most exciting announcements recently was from Denmark's Digital Ministry. Their phased transition from Windows and Microsoft Office to Linux and LibreOffice caused quite the fanfare.
A handful of companies monopolise the web, with unprecedented access to our data. But there are many more ethical – and often distinctively European – alternatives.
Most of the folks over on Mastodon are of the same opinion. There's a lot of discussion on alternative software and tools. Now I love seeking out different ways of working when I need to. I even find it exciting, but here's the thing; I can't quit Google because my business relies on it.
Google: The Brutal Truth
As a local business owner, it would be self-employment suicide to abandon Google. That's the cold, hard truth. It's not ideal, I get that, but I'm not overly mad about it either.
This May, I'll have been self-employed for 12 years. In all of that time, I've had one consistently fruitful source of new clients; Google.
They send at least 95% of total traffic to the Leaflet Lion website.
They show our Google Business Profile to people searching for our services in their area.
We're often cited in their AI overviews.
Despite the odd quiet spell, all of the above bring three positive benefits;
I've never had to make a single sales call.
I've never had to attend a single networking event.
I don't have to rely on social media.
As a highly awkward and socially incapable being, not a day goes by when I'm not grateful for number one and two. Yes, plenty of business owners enjoy networking, but for me, whenever any more than one other person is involved, my brain turns to mushy peas. Mmmmm chippy tea!
But you don't need to use Google to be on Google
A valid argument, until you bring the local business element into the mix. My Google Business Profile is equally important as our website. It's often the first point of contact when a potential client is searching for the services we offer. And yep, you guessed it, you can't manage your GBP without a Google account.
Setting up your Google Business Profile is one of the simplest and most effective ways of setting your business up to be found online. More and more search queries are becoming geographically specific and Google’s algorithms have been developed to consider user intent.
Secondly, I'm not planning on switching our emails from Google Workspace anytime soon. I tried to escape once before. It was a complete disaster. Uptime and deliverability are two areas I can't compromise on when it comes to business emails.
What about ChatGPT and other search engines?
I'm conscious that relying on one source of traffic is a terrible game plan. As I rolled out our SEO strategy, I spent quite a bit of time focussing on Bing. This was supposed to a) diversify traffic sources and b) feed into ChatGPT. It didn't work.
Quite interesting, based on the hype and drama that AI search riled up. Now that it's settled down a tad, nothing has really changed. Small trickles of traffic from other search engines and ChatGPT in contrast to an ongoing tsunami from Google. Here are the top five search engine referrals for Leaflet Lion over the last 28 days;
Google - 155
Bing - 4
ChatGPT - 4
Brave - 2
Startpage - 1
Better the devil you know
In monetary terms, do you know how much I've paid Google for 12 years worth of new clients? Absolutely nothing (other than our Workspace charges, which aren't directly related to client acquisition).
Of course, they invaded my privacy, collected my data and tracked my account. But...and only from a business perspective, I'd say that's a fair deal. I see it as a business transaction. Nothing more, nothing less.
I'm fully open to ideas and suggestions, but ditching big tech just doesn't seem like a viable option for local business owners. While Google continues to provide a healthy source of enquiries, I'll be sticking around. Will this scenario still be the case in another 12 years time? I hope not, but I'm looking forward to circling back with an update...
Regaining Control Over The Algorithm
Ayup! This one's a response to an article recently posted on Creative Boom; Is social media over for creatives? Or have we just woken up to what it is? It made me feel a little bit sad. Platforms that were once thriving, social and enjoyable have mostly become desolate and hostile.
We're all fully aware of the decline in value that mainstream social media brings. At the same time, however, many creative folks simply accept that this is how it is. We show up, post, engage, network, repeat.
Often, a sense of dread and unease leads to obsessive, relentless behaviour. It's hard out there. Freelancers and business owners rarely know where their next invoice payment is coming from. I know this feeling all too well, but social media is certainly not the answer.
This raises the question; if nobody's getting any work from social media any more, why succumb to the algorithm?
Because visibility of our posts is so unpredictable, we have to scream louder in order to be heard. We have to game the algorithm. Be more “authentic”, be more “vulnerable”. We have to care more about the algorithm than the people we are trying to reach.
Algorithm Intolerant
Social media is in dire need of a factory reset. While that's never going to happen, the platforms you use are entirely under your control. Reframing the entire purpose helps welcome the need for change.
What is the point, really? At the very core, social media is about connecting with like-minded people. Although we've been conditioned by greedy corporations to take on the algorithm, it doesn't have to be this way. Step up, the Fediverse.
Platforms like Mastodon (Twitter alternative) and Pixelfed (Instagram alternative) do away with reach limiting algorithms. There are no ads, and your timeline is in chronological order. They're not designed to keep you hooked, nor are they in any way about making money from you.
The Fediverse has alternative options to everything from Facebook to YouTube. Some are more polished than others, but all are algorithm free. Mastodon is usually the best starting point. Both the desktop version and mobile apps are as good, if not superior to any of the mainstream services. That said, the Android app is much more enjoyable to use than the iPhone version.
Algorithm fatigue describes the phenomenon where users experience mental and emotional exhaustion in prolonged interaction with algorithms.
Key differences
Despite most Fediverse apps replicating the mainstream alternatives, there are some pretty significant differences. You might be glad to know that things are a lot calmer. Here's a concise overview of what to expect.
1. The people are nicer
The Fediverse primarily attracts an amazing group of people. They're super-friendly and welcoming. In my years on Mastodon, I've not witnessed a single toxic post, comment or user.
2. There may be fewer people you know in real life
One thing to consider is that there might not be as many people you know in real life on the Fediverse. For some, this is a bonus, for others, it might be seen as a negative. Either way, it's quick and easy to get to know folks who are into what you're into.
3. It's not the place for sales or marketing
Generally speaking, sales and marketing posts on the Fediverse go down like a lead balloon. It's really not the place for that, nor should it be. If you're an artist or photographer, however, mentioning and linking to your print shop every now and again seems to be more than welcome.
4. You won't see many brands or businesses
Big brands don't tend to hang out on Mastodon or Pixelfed. Again, this could definitely be considered an advantage. There's no shortage of media outlets, blogs, studios, freelancers and business owners, but don't expect to bump into Coca-Cola, Apple or Fujifilm.
5. It can be more technical (but doesn't have to be)
The Fediverse has a reputation for being slightly technical. It can be, but there are also easy options for simpletons like me. Signing up to Mastodon is as straightforward as registering an account on a server of your choice.
The Join Mastodon page will guide you through the process.
Many consumers now actively resist recommendations, disengage from platforms, or mute their digital environments to escape algorithmic overload. Consumers crave autonomy, creativity, and genuine human connection in an increasingly homogenised world.
All roads lead to your website
Lastly, when I posted the Creative Boom article on Mastodon, a couple of folks mentioned the value of a personal website. As a creative, however you use social media, it should always lead back to something you have full control over.
I feel there is a growing shift back to personal websites where you have control and which can’t be brought by fascist billionaires.
While I have every faith in the Fediverse, no social platform is invincible. Change is both perpetual and inevitable. Sometimes it's for the better, sometimes it's for the worse.
No matter what happens out there, your own website, blog or newsletter provides a long-term, stable home for your work. Self-hosted WordPress is my personal recommendation.
Algorithm fatigue/overload? Take action
Ultimately, this post boils down to one thing; realising that social media is completely pointless when it comes to finding work. If your results on social platforms don't justify the time and effort, you're not the only one. That ship sailed a long time ago.
Instead, we can revert back to using these online spaces as they were originally intended; to mingle, socialise and interact with like-minded hooman beans. And yeah, we don't need an algorithm for that.
Mastodon and Pixelfed provide a calmer, saner social media experience. No ads. No algorithm. Chronological feeds. What's not to love? If detaching yourself from the corporate, mainstream chaos is on your to-do list this year, I'll hopefully see you over on the Fediverse.
Affinity (v3/by Canva) Review & Final Thoughts
Ayup! I've been using the new Affinity app for close to four months now. I've already written about my first impressions, now it's time to delve a little deeper with a full review. What I've been using it for, comparisons to Adobe, and how I've been finding it. Additionally, there's a possible concern to address.
Affinity's updated offering was released on the 30th October 2025. It's the first official version under the new Canva ownership. Understandably, this acquisition ruffled a few feathers, to say the least. That said, only good things have happened so far as a result.
In case you missed any of the significant changes, here's what's new:
It's now free (with the option to unlock extra tools with a Canva subscription).
All three of the previous apps (Photo, Designer & Publisher) are now bundled into one.
This is a brand-new product that gives you advanced photo editing, graphic design, and page layout tools under one roof. It includes highly requested features such as Image Trace, ePub support, mesh gradients, hatch fills, live glitch filter, as well as custom capabilities that allow you to rearrange panels and combine tools to build your own unique studios.
Farewell Adobe, Hello Affinity
If you've seen any of my recent posts on Affinity, you'll know that it's completely replaced my need for a Creative Cloud subscription. I'm achieving the same results in the same amount of time, but I've got an extra £797.88 in my bank account each year.
Obviously, this a massive (holiday shaped) bonus, but let's strip out the costs for a moment. I've been pondering over this recently. If it came to it, and both Affinity and Creative Cloud cost the same amount (don't go getting any ideas, Canva), I'd actually choose Affinity.
This is for a number of reasons, but primarily, the software is just so much more enjoyable to use. It's faster, more intuitive (once you've unlearned the Adobe way) and effortless to skip between studios.
Although everything is now in one app, you have the option at the top to select what used to be Photo, Designer and Publisher. They're now known as studios, and referred to as pixel, vector and layout.
Affinity vs Adobe is one of the year’s biggest design industry shifts. Adobe has remained the professional standard for over a decade, the default toolkit for agencies, studios, and internal brand teams. But Affinity’s recent evolution into a unified, fluid design environment has introduced a viable alternative that designers are now taking seriously.
What has Affinity replaced?
The first thing to consider is what Affinity can actually replace from the Creative Cloud apps. There are so many Adobe tools now, it's never going to compete in terms of sheer diversity. Nor should it.
Instead, Affinity offers an alternative solution that covers everything you'd normally work on in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Simple. Other than dabbling with Dimension, these are the three apps I primarily used.
If you're also using Lightroom, you'll need to find a suitable replacement. I went from Apple Photos to Photomator to nothing at all. As an alternative, I have a simple location-based filing system and edit exclusively in Affinity. A slower, more meticulous approach with infinitely more control.
What I'm using Affinity for
Photo editing
Designing print materials
Setting up print files
Logo and branding work
Creating or editing vectors
PDF/page layout and design
Digital art / painting
The learning curve
Numerous things in Affinity work slightly differently to how you might be used to with Adobe. It takes a little getting used to, but once you persevere, it becomes 100% intuitive.
For example, I set up plenty of commercial print files for Leaflet Lion clients. In Illustrator or InDesign, the PDF would import with the bleed area visible. In Affinity, it just shows you what will be on the page when printed. It turns out there's a page box option in the top menu. Change this to bleed box, et voilà.
Anything you can't figure out is only a quick online search away. If you're using the app pretty regularly, you'll easily have found your way around in a week or two.
The right amount of AI
Most creatives considering ditching Adobe are doing so because of two things; their ridiculously priced subscription model and/or the relentless bombardment of AI. Affinity, on the other hand, has struck the perfect balance. In fact, you can use it without any AI whatsoever if you wish.
That's what I'm talking about! Even under the new Canva ownership, Affinity realise and address the concern designers, photographers and artists have with AI. Additionally, none of your work is used to train generative models. Massive tick!
Your content in Affinity is not used to train AI-powered features. Nor is it used to help AI features learn and improve in other ways, such as model evaluation or quality assurance. In Affinity, your content is stored locally on your device and we don’t have access to it. However, for any content you upload or export to Canva, you’re in control. You can review and update your preferences any time in your Canva settings.
With the free version, you have the option to install something called segmentation under settings, then machine learning models. This basically powers your object selection tool. Incredibly useful, and I have no issues using AI in this way.
For everything else, you need a Canva Pro subscription. This is currently £13 per month or £100 for the year. I tested out the additional tools that this unlocks. I have to say, pretty darn impressive. If you use or need anything like background removal, upscaling or generative expand, it's well worth a look. Personally, I cancelled my subscription in the end, as I wasn't really using any of the above.
The good
Alrighty! On to a quick fire round of the good, the bad and the ugly. First up, the bits that bring a smile to my day, starting with speed and productivity.
As mentioned further up, the Affinity app is lightning fast. It's only when you start using it that you realise how slow and clunky the Adobe alternatives are. Furthermore, having all three apps in one still blows my mind. It's so quick and easy to pretty much use everything all at the same time.
The export options are also infinitely better than with Photoshop or Illustrator. WebP files specifically were always a nightmare if you wanted to export at a certain size for the web. With Affinity, you simply select WebP, adjust your settings and choose your required size.
For my own use and requirements, it nestles into my workflow effortlessly. The transition from Adobe has mostly been smooth sailing, other than a couple of small niggles. Which leads nicely onto...
The bad
Three things; firstly, quite a lot of PSD mockups don't open correctly. This seems to happen most frequently with any curved elements, such as flyers or folded leaflets. The alignment of the artwork to the paper is often mismatched. Where it should be curved ends up being a straight line. This can be adjusted with the mesh warp tool, but it's really not that easy.
Secondly, while you're editing a photo, you're presented with a reduced quality version. I assume this is to keep things nippy, but I've never seen this in any other editing software. It's no dealbreaker, and I can still edit the file as I otherwise would, but it does seem really rather odd.
Lastly, the vignette isn't great. You can use it as a filter or via the develop module. They both somehow look a bit awkward/unnatural. You can change the blend mode when using it as a filter, but this doesn't really help. If you compare it with Photomator, Pixelmator Pro or Lightroom, there's a noticeable difference.
The ugly
Now let's address that concern I mentioned. Canva will likely become a publicly traded company in the next year or two. I'm keeping an open mind, but really, this changes everything. How will they handle the additional pressure to perpetually increase their turnover and revenue?
I'm more than happy to pay for this software, as I did with v.2. What I don't particularly want is to be forced into a never-ending subscription. Canva have gone on record saying they can offer Affinity for free due to their successful business model. Hopefully, I'm not being naive here, but as a company, I actually think they've got a strong culture and set of values.
Today, Canva is a rapidly growing company with over 28 million paying customers and $3.5 billion in annualized revenue. That sustainable foundation enables us to keep investing in both our free Canva experience and the next generation of creative tools, including offering Affinity completely free.
Affinity review - Conclusion
Boom! Thanks for sticking around until the end. This was a long one. You've probably guessed by now, but I absolutely love the new Affinity app. They didn't even pay me to say that (shame on them!).
From its perfectly timed drop to almost four months of daily use, what we're dealing with here, is a creative powerhouse. Very exciting times. Adobe hasn't really had any genuinely viable competition until now. The times they are a changin'. No longer do we designers, photographers and artists need to seek out sub-par alternatives. Affinity does it all, and then some.
The savings are an added bonus, but that's not what this is about. When the free software is actually better than the paid software, it's pretty much a no-brainer.
Is this the new industry standard? Well, not officially (yet), but I'm over here running a commercial print business, designing artwork for clients and editing all of my photos with Affinity instead of Adobe. It does everything the industry standard software does, minus the horrific subscription model and enforced AI. I'm calling that a winner.
Introducing RSS
Ayup! I recently stumbled upon a brand new technology called RSS. When I say brand new, I mean almost 27 years old. And when I say recently stumbled upon, I mean I never really got the point.
This all changed in line with spending more time on Mastodon. It's one of the few places where it's frequently mentioned and talked about it. The folks here LOVE an RSS feed. They got me thinking; there must be something to this.
Generally speaking, the good people of the Fediverse have got their shit together when it comes to the internet. They favour calm, sane and logical ways of operating and consuming online.
No surprise, it turns out they were completely right about RSS. I've got to say, it's pretty darn exciting. I feel somewhat ignorant for not embracing it until now. This realisation is further magnified when you consider its mammoth potential with blogging.
If you’ve ever subscribed to a blog, listened to a podcast, or shared your thoughts online, chances are you’ve benefitted from Dave’s pioneering work. He’s the developer behind influential technologies like RSS, and a long-time advocate for open, user-owned, publishing platforms.
WP Tavern - Jukebox Podcast #186 – Dave Winer on Decentralisation, WordPress and Open Publishing
Subscribe Via RSS
This blog wasn't ever supposed to have an option to subscribe. My quiet corner of the internet was always intended to be a place for uninterrupted reflection. As soon as you add comments, likes and subscriptions into the mix, all of this changes.
With RSS, however, people simply receive each article in their feed reader of choice. There's no available data to show how many subscribers I have. This removes any pressure to build an audience. If you see the numbers stagnating or declining, this can be a little disheartening. Anyway, based on feedback, I know I've got at least two RSS subscribers so far. Hell Yeah! I'm about to hit the big time!
To make subscribing a little easier, I've now added an RSS link in the footer.
We’re back in the very same situation that led to the rise of RSS in the first place. The web is once again chaotic and confusing. We can’t “just google it” any more, unless we want to spend half an hour wading through badly written SEO spam to find what we want.
NetNewsWire
From a consumer perspective, I've set myself up on NetNewsWire. This is a free and open-source RSS reader for Mac, iPhone and iPad. It's a REALLY nice way to stay up-to-date with news, blogs and websites. Furthermore, it's 100% distraction free. I'm not seeing any of the ads or CTA's that you might otherwise see when reading on the website itself.
It’s like podcasts — but for reading. This line from their website certainly resonated.
NetNewsWire shows you articles from your favorite blogs and news sites and keeps track of what you’ve read. It’s fast, stable, and accessible.
If you’ve been going from site to site in your browser looking for new articles to read — or counting on the rage-bait algorithms of corporate social media — let NetNewsWire bring you the news you actually want.
It’s easy and fun. And it puts you, not billionaires, in control of your news.
Feeds & WordPress
Even if a website doesn't have a subscribe with RSS button, most feeds are pretty easy to find. Usually, you just add /feed onto the end of the domain. For example, domainname.com/feed
Copy and paste this into your reader of choice, job's a good'n! If it's not correct, the reader won't find anything. This article from Zapier has some useful info on the different variations across different platforms.
For any WordPress users or websites, the /feed option is all you need (I think this can sometimes vary depending on the theme). If you're a site owner and want to include an RSS icon, this is super easy. It can be found in the Social Icons block. Alternatively, there's a dedicated RSS block that displays entries from your feed.
A WordPress RSS feed is an XML-based file that allows users to access your site’s content automatically. The feed includes recent posts, custom post types, pages, and other content types, providing an easy way for users to keep up with updates without manually visiting the site. By using a WordPress RSS feed, you are effectively syndicating your content and enhancing distribution.
RSS relevance in 2026
Although this is pretty old tech now, it seems more relevant than ever in the current climate. This is primarily down to control over consumption.
We all know how intensely the mainstream news channels love to catastrophize everything. Yes, there are horrendous things going on in the world, but there are infinitely more nice things that we rarely get to hear about. It's up to us to find the right balance.
A well curated RSS feed delivers all of the good stuff. It's a refreshing change of pace, scenery and outlook. Furthermore, it's 100% tailored to your exact passions and interests in a distraction-free environment.
A (Final) Final Farewell to Adobe
Ayup! While watching last year's Adobe Max conference, I knew there and then that I didn't want anything to do with Creative Cloud any more. Their AI obsessed vision of the future isn't for me. Nope! I think it's fair to say that plenty of creatives feel the same way.
By complete coincidence (teehee), at the exact same time, Affinity released the new version of their app. Having previously used V.2 of Photo, Designer and Publisher, I downloaded their updated offering and got to work testing it out.
To cut a long and waffly section short, it easily replaced Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. What's more, it's only when you start using different software that you realise how slow and clunky the Adobe apps are.
Without a second thought, I deleted anything related to Creative Cloud from my Mac. Not an easy task, let me tell you, but hurrah! Except then, I remembered that I still had to keep paying Adobe for software I wasn't using. Their annual subscriptions and corporate greed are one of the reasons I'll never use them again.
Many users and industry professionals have voiced frustration with Adobe, citing issues related to pricing, software accessibility, customer service, and the company’s overall business practices. While Adobe’s products are often regarded as the gold standard, the company’s direction has left a growing number of loyal users feeling alienated and frustrated.
Keep paying, or pay to cancel
What a lovely predicament (for Adobe shareholders). For its customers, however, it completely screws them over. The monthly cost for a full Creative Cloud package is now eye-wateringly high. WTAF?
Creative Cloud Pro - £66.49 per month (£797.88 per year)
Creative Cloud Standard - £51.98 per month (£623.76 per year)
Cancellation fees are completely unreasonable too. If you try and cancel before the end of your one year term, a hefty 50% of your remaining contract obligation will be taken from your account.
Most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Consumers express widespread dissatisfaction with the company's subscription model, citing concerns about pricing and unexpected charges. People also report difficulties with the cancellation process, often encountering substantial fees. The payment system is another source of frustration, with reviewers detailing unauthorised charges and billing issues.
Get out of jail free card
If you find yourself in a similar situation as I did, there are a couple of options available. These worked for me at the time, but I wouldn't be surprised if they remove them going forward.
3 months free - Usually, when you go to cancel, they offer up a bribe to get you to stay. One of mine was three months free. Happy days. This, at least, would bring the final cancellation fee down.
For the ultimate hack, go to manage plan then change your plan. This lets you start an annual subscription all over again. Great, but we don't want that. Fear not! Each plan has a 14 day cancellation period in which you get a full refund. Simply cancel straight away, get your money back, and you're no longer in a contract.
While GIMP and Krita offer a solid free option, many pointed to Affinity's suite of products as the most natural alternative to Adobe.
Out with Adobe, in with Affinity
So yeah, I'm finally free, and it feels gooooooood! The past few months have given me a good chance to really get to know the new Affinity app. I wrote about my initial impressions back in November last year. The article posed the question, will Affinity replace Adobe? It's a resounding yes.
I'll be following this up with a more in-depth overview in the coming weeks. A few folks have asked how I'm getting on with Affinity. Spoiler alert; I love it
As for Adobe, I'm just glad to be the hell out of there. It will be interesting to see how far they can keep pushing this. They're clearly under pressure to bring in more turnover and revenue. Paired with their AI everything approach that nobody asked for (or wants), I can't see their reign holding out for much longer.
The Slow And Meticulous Edit
Ayup! In recent months, I've been leaning towards editing fewer photos. Not through time restraints, nor lack of content, or even dwindling motivation. Yes, I've been doing this on purpose. Why? For the pure embrace of a slow and meticulous process.
I'd much rather have one image that I'm ridiculously excited about than ten that are just ok. Spending more time in post allows for a period of transformation. A photo is a photo, until you make it your photo.
Slowing down, really gives creativity time to work its magic in your mind. Frequent pauses allows time to discover your project and where you want to take it next. Sometimes possibilities need time for you to find them.
A Brutal Cull
This technique starts with the most brutal selection process. AKA, the cull. There's nothing more off-putting than a gazillion images sitting in a folder. Following each photography trip or outing, I normally whittle my saved files down to around 25% of everything that was initially captured. These aren't all keepers, far from it. However, they do show some sort of potential.
From there, I start to individually pick out any photos that either a) I know I want to edit, or b) I want to explore further. Here's a quick breakdown/example of the numbers:
100 shots taken
Around 25 selected
Between 2 and 8 final images
I don't personally save the other 75 photos. Instead, I'd rather focus entirely on the selected folder. For each location, I have a simple file management system set up:
Selected
Affinity Files
Finals
Think of yourself as a sculptor. You start with a giant block of marble (your massive folder of RAW files) and you chip away at it, revealing the beautiful statue hidden inside.
That’s culling.
It’s the process of sifting through all your photos and picking out the absolute keepers. The blurry shots, the ones where someone’s blinking, the 50 near-identical photos of the same pose – they all get lovingly (or ruthlessly) tossed aside, leaving you with only the best of the best.
Slower = Calmer
I recently wrote about introducing Photomator to my editing workflow. This isn't really working out. With this meticulous approach, I've nearly always been jumping straight into Affinity.
This would be comparable to editing in Photoshop rather than Lightroom. There's no right or wrong way, only the way that works best for the individual photographer. For me, Affinity provides a deeper level of control and precision, as well as an abundance of additional tools.
One example is the pen tool. I use this all the time to create shapes over parts of a photo. Sometimes, I also use it to replace the sky instead of using a mask. Ultimately, I can spend a lot more time dialling in the exact look that I want to achieve. More attention to detail, less flying through the edit ASAP.
I take it slowly, saving as I go, often completing the edit over multiple days. When the end result is something you're proud of that's taken hours, this gives the image much more meaning and value. The entire process is as relaxing as it is fun. It's mindful, calming, and pretty darn rewarding.
Slow Creativity is the idea of taking a more relaxed and deliberate approach to the creative process, allowing ideas to simmer and develop over time rather than rushing to produce something quickly. Just as slow living encourages mindfulness and being present in the moment, slow creativity emphasises the importance of allowing your creative ideas to unfold at their own pace.
Good for the soul
When it comes to selecting and editing photos, focussing on quality over quantity is the route to deeper work. Spending an hour editing twenty photos will have a vastly inferior outcome to spending an hour editing one photo. Slow it down. Enjoy the process.
Your photography, soul and mental health will all benefit in equal measures. Creativity is a gentle practice. It's not meant to be rushed. An unhurried and even deliberately prolonged edit allows for reflection and breathing space. We need it. Our work needs it. The world needs it.
A Year of Listening Differently: Mindful Music
Ayup! Around a year ago, I purchased an external CD/DVD drive for my MacBook. It cost somewhere around £17 and has completely changed how I listen to music. Now, instead of streaming through Apple Music, I buy and import CDs or digital downloads to Apple Music. It still works in exactly the same way as iTunes did back in the day. Wohoooo!
The initial appeal and convenience of streaming had long passed. I'd also been conscious that my listening habits (and enjoyment) were in rapid decline. Infinite choice just doesn't work for me. Instead of immersing myself in an album, my inquisitive brain would forever be hunting down something else to listen to. It's the musical equivalent of mindless scrolling on social media. No thank you!
So next up, I needed to own some music. This is where the real fun began. Although they're starting to get more expensive as demand increases, second hand CDs are an unbelievable bargain. Most charity shops sell them for between 50p and a few pounds. Over on eBay, you can also normally find most older albums for three or four pounds.
CDs are also pretty easy to convert into high-fidelity digital music files–much, much easier than vinyl. You get the best of both the physical and digital music worlds. Plus, it's often cheaper than purchasing digital downloads. You can find a second-hand CD, rip the tracks from it, and you've got a cost-effective way to enlarge your music library.
Building a music collection again
When you quit streaming, you revoke instant access to almost every album that exists. Good! This is the first stage in reclaiming a deeper listening experience. All of a sudden, you've got to pick and choose what you buy. A little more thought goes into the process.
Granted, when an album is only 50p in a charity shop, you can go wild. Some even have three for a pound deals. Spend a tenner, come home with thirty albums. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you'll likely realise that you need to start looking further afield.
All charity shops stock a very similar collection of CDs. You'll quickly figure out that while Robbie Williams will be in every single shop, Fleetwood Mac would be considered an extremely rare find. Normally, for anything on your list that you can't find, eBay, Bandcamp or HMV are all solid options.
At-home digital music libraries offer a more permanent alternative to music streaming services. Once you have one set up, there are no additional fees to pay or ongoing monthly subscription, nor is there the chance that songs you love might simply disappear as licensing agreements change.
In a year, I've been able to build up a collection of well over a hundred albums. Mostly second hand CDs, new CDs as an occasional treat and plenty of Bandcamp downloads. They're all imported as ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) and played wirelessly through my Sonos system.
Additionally, I sync the whole library to my iPhone (cable connection to laptop needed). I only have a small amount of memory (256 GB), so I was unsure how this would work out. As it turns out, even without compressing the files, it doesn't take up too much storage.
Mindful music (with artwork)
If you follow me on Mastodon or Bluesky, you probably already know that I love my album artwork. It's all part of the overall experience. Stick an album on and admire the cover and booklet from the CD, just like we used to.
Visual accompaniments aside, switching back to collecting, rather than streaming, has rekindled my love for music. It was always my thing, but slowly deteriorated as a result of subscription services that seek to alter our listening habits. I'm not OK with that.
Ownership. It's a simple swap, and doesn't even need to cost any more than your monthly Spotify or Apple Music fee. Try and buy at least some new music, but just do whatever works for you and your budget.
No matter what you spend, owned music holds more value than rented music. It deserves more attention, therefore, leading to a much more immersive and mindful listening experience. Love it!
Unremarkable Scenes: Beauty in the Ordinary
Ayup! Have you noticed? Some of the best photographers capture the most unremarkable scenes. Ordinary and easily missable, yet somehow presented in a remarkable, artistic way. This post follows on from last year's most read article, The Art of Noticing: Mindful Photography.
During the process of really noticing, a photographer's creative vision is, in itself, is a superpower. With the right eye, outrageously mundane subjects become esteemed compositions.
Learning to understand that what might seem mundane to you because you see it regularly is likely quite unique to an outsider. As you start to look at subjects in your local area with that mindset, the opportunities will begin to present themselves.
From unremarkable to remarkable
In a recent interview for Black + White Photography Magazine, street photographer, Phil Penman had some interesting thoughts on noticing.
He said that In Tokyo, people comment on my pictures and say, 'it's funny because you see a lot of Tokyo that we don't see, but it's right in front of us'. He then goes on to explain that; I'm looking for the gritty things, the characters; I'm not looking for the tourist shots - that's exactly what I don't want.
Furthermore, most of the early photography masters captured nothing but everyday scenes. Just regular, familiar goings on, that, at first glance, wouldn't even be considered an interesting photo. However, the mindful and inquisitive photographer would notice something. Something worth documenting and, in most cases, presenting.
I’ve long been drawn to the kind of uncommon beauty that most people pass by as they make their way through life. But whether I’m taking a walk in my neighbourhood or embarking on a photography adventure to exotic locations around the world, I’m always on the look out for uncommon beauty.
Uncommon beauty can be found in people, places or simple objects that most people pass by as they make their way through life. By keeping your eye out for uncommon beauty you’ll discover the power of light to transfer the otherwise unnoticed or unappreciated into the sublime.
Seek out the ordinary
When it comes to street, architecture or still life photography, unremarkable scenes often deliver some of the most powerful imagery.
I'm unsure if we need to under think it instead of overthinking it, or simply overthink it even more, but seeking out the mundane will usually add a whole new level of intrigue to your photos.
It's something I aim to focus on a lot more this year. If you're reading this, maybe you are too? Ordinary doesn't have to be boring. In fact, it's often quite the opposite. Additionally, what may seem irrelevant or uninteresting to you, may be truly fascinating to someone on the other side of the planet. You never know.
Be mindful and alert.
Notice the scene.
Shoot the unremarkable.
Present it in a remarkable way.
Mastodon for Photographers
Ayup! For the first post of 2026, I'm sharing a few thoughts and insights on Mastodon for photographers. How to get the most out of your account, while finding your place and nestling into a community.
Mastodon is by far my favourite social media platform right now. If you're looking to switch things up, step away from mainstream channels, or simply see what the Fediverse has to offer, this one's for you.
Switching to the Fediverse is a leap, but it’s one I believe is worth it. It may require a little extra curiosity at the start, but the payoff—creative freedom, ethical engagement, and a real sense of community—makes all the difference. If you’re ready to rediscover the joy of online sharing (and leave algorithmic stress behind), give Mastodon or Pixelfed a try.
What is Mastodon and the Fediverse?
If you're new to either Mastodon or the Fediverse, you're in for a real treat. As photographers, we've come to expect (and even accept) reach limiting algorithms, ads, our data being sold and our every movement tracked. None of this happens on the Fediverse.
In short, the Fediverse is a decentralised network of servers that all communicate with each other. Everything is connected by a protocol known as ActivityPub. If this all sounds a little complicated, don't let it put you off. You can delve as far as you like into that side of things, or not at all.
Instant global communication is too important to belong to one company. Each Mastodon server is a completely independent entity, able to interoperate with others to form one global social network.
What we're really here to talk about, of course, is Mastodon. Think Twitter in terms of the layout and format, but without all of the bullshit. It's a multipurpose platform, designed for sharing text only posts, links, images, audio, video and pols.
Mastodon is free and open-source software (FOSS). There's no algorithm, no ads, and your feed is in chronological order. Additionally, it can be as busy or as quiet as you want it to be. You have full control over what shows up.
You know best what you want to see on your home feed. No algorithms or ads to waste your time. Follow anyone across any Mastodon server from a single account and receive their posts in chronological order, and make your corner of the internet a little more like you.
It's different here
Things are undoubtedly different on Mastodon, and the Fediverse in general. Usually different in a good way, sometimes different in a way that takes a little getting used to. Either way, folks here enjoy a calmer, saner and much more relaxed social network.
The people are lovely. They're kind, helpful and a world apart from the increasingly hostile and toxic environments that you might find on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Fediverse platforms such as Mastodon aren't engineered to keep you addicted. For this reason, the pace can sometimes be slower. This, however, in my humble opinion, in only ever a good thing.
Why Mastodon for photography?
One thing I'm coming to realise, as a photographer, is that it's important to pick and choose your social platforms wisely. It's easy to end up with more accounts than you have time to manage. Furthermore, when it comes to the Fediverse, you may also want to look at Pixelfed.
While Mastodon will give you as similar format to Twitter, Pixelfed aims to deliver more of an Instagram experience. Both are popular with photographers, but with Pixelfed being designed purely for photography, you'll find a bigger community there.
That said, it all depends on your preferred format. I've tried both, and much prefer Mastodon, as you can post more than just images. Either way, as both platforms are part of the Fediverse, you can follow Pixelfed accounts from Mastodon, and vice versa.
This means that if you do go with Mastodon, you can still tap into the huge community of photographers over on Pixelfed. This is mainly achieved via hashtags. For example, if you tag your post with #blackandwhite, anyone following that particular hashtag on either Mastodon or Pixelfed will see your post in their feed.
On Mastodon, I follow the Pixelfed account of @dansup – its creator and developer. Whenever he posts a new photo on his Pixelfed account, the photo shows up in my Mastodon feed. And the comments sync between platforms (Mastodon and Pixelfed).
Setting up Mastodon
Accounts, servers and instances in the Fediverse can be as technical or non-technical as you want them to be. To be honest, the rabbit hole goes pretty deep. You can run your own server/instance, but that's way above my pay grade.
Thankfully, for the less technically minded among us, you can quickly and easily set up an account with an existing provider.
The Join Mastodon page has a handy list of suggested servers that often cater for specific interests or regions. There are plenty of options tailored towards photography or art, and you can always move your account at a later date if needed.
Mastodon tips for photographers
If you've decided to set up an account on Mastodon, or want to show some love to an existing account, engagement is everything. Interacting with other photographers in the form of likes, comments and reposts (boosts/quote boosts) is crucial.
Engagement
Generally speaking, accounts that see little to no engagement are a reflection of their own interaction levels. Nothing new here. Social media isn't ever just about you as a photographer. The more you engage with other folks, the more engagement you'll get on your own photos. Simple.
Try to look past engaging for the sake of engaging. There's a whole world of inspiration on Mastodon. Make the most of it. Follow the photographers you admire, support their work, and make sure they know you're a fan. They will always appreciate it, plus giving praise is as rewarding as receiving it.
Tailor your feed
Next up, tailor your feed to suite your personal requirements. Some folks will be easier overwhelmed than others. Thankfully, Mastodon gives you full control over the busyness of your feed. This is another massive bonus, as certain platforms can quickly become too much for some people.
Your feed is made of two ingredients. Accounts that you follow, and hashtags that you follow. Nothing more, nothing less. Some hashtags such as #photography are incredibly popular and will fill your timeline up in an instant. Experiment with a few options to find the right balance.
Hashtags
Unlike most mainstream platforms these days, hashtags are still extremely important on Mastodon and the Fediverse. It's how folks discover content and accounts based on their interests.
With this in mind, always include a few hashtags when you post a photo. Between three and five is usually the sweet spot. The ones I mainly use are:
#blackandwhite
#monochrome
#architecture
#photography
#location (Liverpool, Birmingham, etc.)
Less is more
You might be glad to know that chasing follows on Mastodon won't really get you anywhere. Instead, focus on quality over quantity. Of the three social media platforms I'm active on, I have the lowest number of followers on Mastodon. But guess where I have the most interaction?
Refreshing, to say the least. Grow a smaller, yet more meaningful community.
Provide value
Lastly, if you're looking to offer a little more value, start sharing your knowledge and helping folks out. This is something that Mastodon in general does very well. The people here are friendly, generous and always happy to share their insights.
A prime example, and someone who I've mentioned in a few posts now, is photographer Ewen Bell. This guy knows how to do Mastodon. Give him a follow, and you'll see what I mean. Super generous when it comes to sharing tips and info. You always see him engaging with other photographers and providing valuable pointers.
Ultimately, this is what social media is all about. On Mastodon and the Fediverse, it's further enhanced due to the people it attracts.
Just from a photographer’s perspective, as someone who’s looking to share photos with an audience and connecting with people, I can honestly say that Mastodon has exceeded the wildest expectations. The amount of engagement that many of my photo posts are getting on Mastodon is, compared to Twitter, really quite astonishing.
Welcome to the Fediverse
As a photographer, if you're looking to try out Mastodon (or spend some more time there), you might well be pleasantly surprised.
As more and more of us become mentally exhausted with mainstream social media, the Fediverse provides an energising alternative. A slower pace, full control over your feed and not an advert in sight. When you remove the corporate greed and addictive, manipulative patterns from social media, something really rather magical happens.
From a photography perspective, Mastodon is fast becoming the retreat that so many of us need. This is the internet, how it was originally intended to be. I absolutely love it, and think you will too. Hopefully see you over there.
From Lightroom to Apple Photos to Photomator
Ayup! In a recent post, I discussed using Apple Photos as a Lightroom replacement. When I shared it on Mastodon, fellow photographer, Ewen Bell, kindly mentioned that Photomator might be a better option.
This was primarily for those working with RAW files, but as a JPG shooter, I've also found heaps of benefits. As a result, this is now my main editing and file management solution.
Photomator is an editing app that sits somewhere in-between Lightroom and Apple Photos. Additionally, it was purchased by Apple in late 2024. This means we might eventually see some (or all) of its features merged with the Photos app. Fingers crossed, as it seems a bit daft having two separate apps that essentially do the same thing.
Either way, I spent the last couple of weeks editing my images with Photomator rather than Photos. Pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. While Apple Photos covered most of what I needed, it lacked essential tools such as selections, gradients and auto-straighten.
Photomator is an absolute pleasure to use, the sliders are nicely calibrated, with a bias towards realism (compared to certain other editing packages). It’s a breeze to produce tastefully edited images that look very good if you’re minded to pixel peep.
Photomator as a Lightroom alternative
So, here's the thing. Lightroom is Lightroom. There's no denying that it's one of the most popular photo editing apps for good reason. That said, more and more folks have had enough with Adobe. I know I have.
Thankfully, we've finally reached an era where solid, viable alternatives are gaining traction. Affinity has fully replaced Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for both my work and personal projects. Then we have the likes of Darktable, RAW Therapee, Capture One Pro, Luminar Neo and, of course, Photomator as respectable Lightroom alternatives.
If you're already in the Apple ecosystem, Photomator will be one of your best options due to its seamless integration with the Photos app. Again, hopefully it will all blend into one eventually. We'll see.
For my own personal requirements, Photomator covers everything that I previously used in Lightroom. Plus, in comparison to Apple Photos, you've also got additional control and precision, masking, selections, upscaling (super resolution), auto-straighten and a whole lot more.
The best thing to do, if you want to test it out for yourself, is to take out the free trial. I believe it was 7 days, before you have to pay anything. This is plenty of time to figure out if it's the solution you're looking for.
Edits in Photomator are non-destructive, like in Adobe Lightroom. Photomator archives this similarly Lightroom mobile does. First, it creates a copy of the photo over the original version, just like Photo App does when you edit a photo.
Then the edits are applied and saved in a so-called “sidecar” file. This sidecar file is stored in iCloud in a folder called “Photomator”. Thus, these sidecar files are also accessible from an iPad and even from Photomator on the Mac. So you get your edits from iPhone, iPad and your Mac synced, and you can start to edit a photo on one device and continue on another.
Photomator reviews
Reviews for Photomator are generally positive. Overall, folks seem to appreciate the ease of transition from Lightroom. It doesn't suit everyone, of course, but the overall score on the App Store is 4.5 out of 5 based on 452 ratings.
Across the rest of the internet, reviews and tutorials on blogs and websites are also promising. An interesting YouTube tutorial from photographer, Anthony Morganti covers pretty much everything that you can do with Photomator. Anthony's conclusion was that it's a perfectly solid Lightroom alternative, but not something that he was personally planning on using.
Photomator plans & pricing
Ok, let's talk pricing. Keeping in mind that most folks leaving Adobe are kinda sick of subscriptions. With Photomator, you have three options.
Pay Monthly - £7.99
Pay Yearly - £29.99
Buy Outright - £???
Hmmmm? When I set my payment up, there was definitely an option to buy the app outright. I think it was just over £100. Having just checked my options on the App Store, however, it's only showing the monthly and yearly options.
This is hopefully a sign that everything will become merged with Apple Photos, but who knows. For now, at least, you can't really complain with £29.99 per year. A grand total of £2.49 per month. Bargain!
Even for those of us looking to minimise or quit subscription models, this is a vast improvement on Adobe's offering.
The editing stack
Photomator and Affinity are now my go-to choices for everything that I'd previously have edited in Lightroom or Photoshop. While I initially planned on just using Affinity, a photographer still needs a file management system.
With Photomator integrating seamlessly with Apple Photos, the organisation of your images is instantly ticked off. When you get the added bonus of pretty much all of the editing tools that you had in Lightroom, it becomes infinitely more powerful.
When we can edit most images without switching apps, your workflow will only benefit. Happy days! One thing that is lacking, however, is a right click, edit with option. From Apple Photos, you can easily do this when you need to open the file in Affinity.
All in all, though, extremely happy with this set up. Huge thanks once again to Ewen, for pointing me in the right direction here.
Adventures in 50mm
Ayup! For the second half of this year, I've been shooting exclusively with a 50mm lens. When I decided to get back into photography with a camera, rather than a smartphone, I had a crucial decision to make; which lens to go for, when the budget only allows for one.
Back in my Fujifilm days, the 35mm F2 was always my favourite lens. As it turns out, this had already laid a solid set of foundations. The full frame equivalent of the 35mm is between 52 and 53mm, so I kind of knew what to expect. Versatile and multipurpose, but often challenging.
Following a stint of mobile photography, and all of the flexibility that it offers, I picked up a Sony a7C II with a fixed, 50mm F2.5 prime lens. Earlier in the year, I wrote about the self-imposed limitations this set up brings. With that said, the pros have far outweighed the cons.
If you’re learning photography and trying to improve your technique then a 50mm will open up a whole world of creative options that you just can’t achieve with your kit lens.
Benefits and advantages of a 50mm prime lens
A review of this year's photos actually prompted the idea for this blog post. Something that became immediately evident, is that a 50mm lens helps to find order in the chaos. It lends itself perfectly to picking out calm, quiet scenes in an otherwise frantic world.
Generally speaking, a prime lens will usually offer superior image quality and sharpness. The added bonus with 50mm, they always start at an extremely affordable price point. No matter which camera brand you use, there will be something for all budgets.
The Sony 50mm F2.5 in particular, is hands down the most flawless lens I've ever used. Plus, it's absolutely tiny. The marketing spiel mentions edge-to-edge sharpness, which it certainly delivers on. Paired with the a7C II, you get a super-portable, yet extremely powerful full-frame set up.
Personally, I also find a fixed focal length brings additional mindfulness aspects to photography. It almost forces you to concentrate and notice more. Increased awareness of your surroundings is required to start figuring out your framing and compositions.
Lastly, 50mm is considered a classic focal length. It's often recommended as a first prime lens. This is down to a combination of the aforementioned pricing, the versatile use cases, and the lessons it will teach any photographer about composition. Zooming in and out with your feet is something you'll frequently hear or read when learning about 50mm photography.
On a full-frame digital camera, a 50mm lens offers a similar field of vision to our own eyes, meaning you have the ability to shoot what you see. However, when you begin to use fixed focal length lenses (such as a 50mm lens), you might have difficulty fitting every element of the composition into the image. Using a 50mm will require you to think creatively about your composition and will help to improve your composition technique.
50mm & calm
Overall, I've come to seriously appreciate the look I can achieve with a 50mm lens. When the composition and framing is right, there's something quietly calm and peaceful about the images.
When you're forced to choose only one lens, it's always a good opportunity to go all in. Work it, and then work it some more. As we approach the new year, I'm looking forward to plenty more outings and adventures with the 50mm
Granted, this lens comes with its niggling set of limitations and frustrations. As a fixed focal length, it's often a love it or hate it type scenario. Some photographers find it overrated. Fair play. Looking back on what I've captured so far, though, it works extremely well for my particular requirements. Happy days! Here's to a prosperous 2026!
Social Media 2025
Ayup! As we close out the year, I've been reflecting on the increasingly widening gap between the good and the bad of social media. On one hand, we have the Fediverse. Calmer, slower, ad free and no algorithm. On the other hand, we have mainstream social media. Designed to keep you hooked and make money from you, while gradually becoming completely pointless.
One of the first posts here on my personal blog was titled How to Lose All Enthusiasm For Everything Fun. It followed a period of turning all of my social media accounts into a work-related bore fest. This was a result of a wibbly wobbly patch in my business. Thankfully, towards the end of it all, I realised that social media has zero influence on my income.
Freeeeeeedom! Let's get back to the fun times. All things visual, creating, sharing, engaging and learning from other like-minded folks. I'm currently active on Mastodon, Bluesky, LinkedIn and Instagram. The latter, I assumed, would be a good idea when I got back into photography. Oh how wrong I was.
Best to worst
Purely from a photography viewpoint, here's a quick rundown of the platforms I use. Additionally, it's worth noting that I'm not a professional. None of the below musings are in any way related to finding work online.
Although I've started bringing in a small side-income from Unsplash+, I only use social media to share work and keep up-to-date with other photographers and visual artists.
Mastodon
Version used: Desktop - in browser
Hands down, my favourite social media platform this year. The OG of the Fediverse. Calm isn't usually a word you'd associate with social media. But that's exactly what you get over on Mastodon. With a chronological timeline containing zero adverts, you're in full control of your feed.
For those who are easily overwhelmed, you can simply follow a few people and only see their posts. Want a little more activity? Follow a hashtag or two. Prefer a busy feed? Follow any accounts you like the look of and all of the hashtags you're interested in. There really is a solution for all different personality types.
The people are also one of the key ingredients in Mastodon's success. Friendly, welcoming, helpful and generous are just a few words that spring to mind. Folks will go out of their way to help you. It's truly heartwarming.
For photographers, your images will also show up on Pixelfed, the Fediverse version of Instagram. This helps to further increase your reach and engagement. Furthermore, you can follow Pixelfed accounts and see their images in your timeline. You may even want to set up a separate account on Pixelfed. I tried it out for a week or so, but personally prefer the multipurpose format of Mastodon.
Mastodon also feels calmer than Bluesky, though that might be from the smaller user base, as well as being less US-centric (given the current state of American politics). Like Bluesky, Mastodon doesn’t have algorithms, so everything’s chronological, plus my posts aren’t hidden or randomly not displayed for “reasons.”
Bluesky
Version used: Desktop - in browser
Next up, let's talk about Bluesky. Another Twitter alternative, which, in terms of the format, I'm a big fan of. These types of platforms are popular for their wide range of uses. From text only posts, to sharing links and of course, posting photos.
Although a decentralised network, it uses its own protocol (AT Protocol) rather than ActivityPub, which the Fediverse uses. The two can be connected, but I'm not overly clued-up on any of that side of things.
Anyhow, this is another space where you won't see a single ad. Bliss. As with Mastodon, you have a chronological timeline, but also a Discover feed for posts related to your interests. At the time of writing this article, there's no option to follow hashtags. Boooooooo!
The photography community on Bluesky is positively thriving. It's really starting to feel like a viable Twitter alternative recently. I'm also noticing more and more brands and organisations popping up. This is always welcome. It's nice to tag places (National Trust, etc.) if you post a photo from one of their locations.
Current and future users are most compelled by the chance to control what shows up in their feed rather than succumb to another algorithm, and enjoy a space unmarred by ads.
Version used: Desktop - in browser
What a load of old bollocks LinkedIn has become in 2025. Yes, it's good for connecting with clients and other photographers, but that's about it. Reframing it as just another social media site would be appropriate from here on in. It's certainly not the place to look for work any more.
The lengthy (and oddly laid out) posts people commonly write are mostly unreadable. You've conjured something up out of nothing for the benefit of nobody. Paired with the follower obsessed folks, it's easy to see why people refer to LinkedIn as a cringe fest.
Then there's the connection requests from people who have zero interest in you, alongside paid ads in your inbox. Oh, and let's not forget the algorithm, which decides who will see your posts. What a chaotic mess. As you can probably tell, LinkedIn hasn't been one of my faves this year. I'll continue to use it in 2026, as I still have some nice connections on there, but I'll be spending less time there, for sure.
The LinkedIn algorithm operates a bit differently than most other social platforms’ — it’s specifically designed to prevent content from going viral.
Version used: Desktop - in browser
Lastly, the platform that every photographer loves to hate, Instagram. I popped back on there earlier this year and already regret it. Not because of the ads, the reach limiting algorithm or the almost unusable desktop interface, but the pure unflexible rigidness of the grid.
Having been off of the platform for so long, I became accustomed to posting images of any shape, size or ratio with zero consequences. All Instagram wants is 4:5 portrait images. Yes, you can post other sizes and even landscape, but it all ends up looking a complete mess on your grid.
I've completely stopped posting on my account for now. I'll give it some time and decide what to do. Most likely, maintain a presence (people occasionally contact me through Instagram) or just completely get rid.
Either way, Instagram is one of the most pointless, soul-destroying social media platforms for photographers. It's busy, loud and, generally speaking, no longer an ideal solution for still images.
I was scrolling through Instagram the other day - as one does - when I realised, after scrolling for several minutes, that I hadn’t seen a single photograph from an actual photographer. Sure, there were a few still images, but they were either from celebrities, or part of news stories. The majority of what I was seeing was reels and ads. It seems Meta really, really wants to turn Instagram into TikTok. Unfortunately, it’s becoming the worst of both worlds.
Conclusion
So there we have it. Part appreciation, part rant (sorry). As social media splits off into two extremely different directions, only one path leads calmly towards sanity. The other, well, let's not go there.
Ultimately, decentralised social media (Mastodon & Bluesky) is where I'll be focussing most of my time and attention gong forward. A slower pace with a chronological feed, and not an advert in sight. You don't get that very often anymore. It's a rare treat, that I think more and more photographers are coming to appreciate.
Apple Photos as an Adobe Lightroom Alternative
Ayup! Since switching from Adobe to Affinity, I've been using Apple Photos as a replacement for Lightroom. Initially, this was purely for file management purposes. As I got to know the app a little more, however, it became apparent that the editing tools are really rather powerful.
Many of my recent images haven't even needed to leave Apple Photos. One of the things I was most pleasantly surprised with, is the variety of options at your disposal. All of your usual editing settings, including:
Exposure
Highlights
Shadows
Brightness
Contrast
Black Point
Saturation
Vibrancy
Black & White
Red Eye Removal
White Balance
Curves
Levels
Definition
Selective Colour
Noise Reduction
Sharpen
Vignette
Crop
Straighten
Vertical Adjustments
Horizontal Adjustments
Flip
Clean up
I mean, when did all of this happen? That's quite the list. As with Lightroom, you also have a set of filters (albeit, only nine) if you want a quick and easy starting point.
Apple provides all the essential editing options in the macOS Photos app. These are the same options you see in most photo-editing apps, and they should easily meet the needs of those who only want to touch up photos, crop them, or apply filters to enhance their appearance.
But it doesn't do this
If you're considering using Apple Photos as a Lightroom replacement, there are a few things you'll be without. Thankfully, if you're ditching Adobe, chances are it's for Affinity (or similar), and you can do all of the below within your Photoshop replacement.
Firstly, masking and selections. Editing specific parts of an image is usually essential, but this isn't something you can currently do in Apple Photos. If they ever add this in the future, it will become of the most viable free alternatives to Lightroom.
Secondly, not something I use, but pointed out by Gavin on Mastodon, lens corrections. If you use this in Lightroom to fix any optical imperfections, you'll need to do so in an app like Affinity.
Lastly, there's no auto straighten in Apple Photos. This is often quite useful in Lightroom, especially for lining up your verticals. At the time of writing this post, this feature isn't present in Affinity, either. Doing it manually is no major hardship.
Apple Photos is a program you might have overlooked in the past, but with steady improvements over the years, it is now a serious contender when it comes to post-processing your pictures.
What Apple Photos does well
Being Apple, the Photos app is clean, well-designed and easy to navigate. Having a robust set of editing tools in the same place as your file management system is a massive win. As mentioned, if I can achieve everything I need to without opening a separate app, then happy days!
All of the settings work as you'd expect them to. Some sub categories also have a main slider that adjusts all of the values within that particular section. For example, move the main Light slider to the left or right, and it will control the brilliance, exposure, highlights, shadows, brightness, contrast and black point individually. Pretty darn clever.
If you're looking for a quick edit without giving it too much thought, the Auto setting is well worth a look. One click, jobs a good'n.
The straightening tools, including horizontal and vertical adjustments are incredibly useful. It would be nice to see a little more precision, as you can move the slider with a visible difference to the image while it still says 0.
Lastly, the Clean up tool is Apple's version of spot removal, and then some. Remove specs, dots, distractions or entire elements. I only use this to remove small aspects from an image, but it always does so flawlessly. It will, however, label your file with a notice along the lines of edited with generative AI.
Apple Photos is a sophisticated software designed for comprehensive photo management, offering users the ability to organise, edit, and share their images seamlessly. It is particularly well-suited for individuals and professionals who require efficient photo organisation and editing capabilities, such as photographers, designers, and social media managers.
Ideal for a JPG workflow - Consider Photomator for RAW
It's worth pointing out that Apple Photos works pretty well for my own circumstances, based on two reasons:
I shoot JPG
90% of the look I want is achieved in-camera
Thankfully, photographer, tour guide and really rather generous fellow, Ewen Bell had some further input and feedback. As it turns out, the Photos app might not be quite as suitable if you shoot RAW.
Really grateful to Ewen, who took the time to explain some of the drawbacks (and better options) over on Mastodon. This follows spending a couple of weeks with a photographer who was using Apple Photos, and not getting on quite so well with it. I've included the entirety of Ewen's comments here, as they're all extremely relevant and useful. Thank you, kind sir!
We repeatedly found the range for sliders to be very limited compared to DxO or C1, meaning you can't lift the shadows very far, or pull back highlights very far. It made it impossible for her to access the dynamic range of her camera. She simply couldn't edit her photos in the same way the rest of us could, which was not a great experience for her ultimately.
The ingesting of RAW files is a big issue for novices. She was pulling in hundreds of gigs worth of images, and then can't find them on her drive because they're concealed inside a tome. That has major issues for backups, and even worse for just pulling out a RAW file to edit elsewhere.
The option to edit a file in something else only ever sent a JPG instead of the RAW to that other app. So that was a huge trap for beginners too.
You have to "export" a RAW file from Photos to your hard drive, which is fine for one or two, but imagine when you decide you might want to open a bunch of files in DxO to try out and now you end up exporting everything as a duplicate and doubling the storage requirement. Urgh.Short version: Please consider PhotoMator instead of Photo. It's a much better tool for the job. Or step over to DxO maybe. But PhotoMator is the next step up for Photo fans.
Update: Since trying out Photomator again, I'm sold. Definitely consider upgrading from Apple Photos for extra precision and editing tools.
Apple Photos & iCloud Pricing
Apple Photos is completely free, but only available if you own an Apple device. If you want your images synced across different devices, you'll need an iCloud storage upgrade. Completely optional, but quite handy.
There's a 0.99 pence / 0.99 cents plan with 50GB of storage and higher priced tiers if you need more space. Personally, I'm moving aways from subscriptions wherever possible, but I will keep this one. I can live with a pound a month for the convenience it brings.
It took some getting used to, but...
Overall, I'm really enjoying the clean design and simplicity that Apple Photos brings to the table. While it's not usually considered professional editing software, it does almost everything that Lightroom does.
Whenever possible, I do all post-processing in Apple Photos, only using Affinity for slightly more complex edits. The file management system is more or less exactly the same as Lightroom. You can set up folders and favourite images that you want to refer back to. This makes navigating your library super quick and easy.
As many photographers are currently seeking out Adobe alternatives, when it comes to file management and basic edits, Apple Photos could well be the perfect solution. If you're already in the ecosystem, it'll blend in seamlessly with your current set up and workflow.
If it's been a while since you took a proper look around the Photos app, it might just surprise you.
Real Images of Real Things in Real Places
Ayup! As 2025 draws to a close, AI has adopted the role of an annoying partygoer who doesn't know when it's time to leave. The internet is awash with slop, social media is a generative mess, and Adobe is going against everything its users actually want. But then what do we know?
Thankfully, the year has also been populated with a rising backlash. Folks have had enough. Creativity is a slow, mindful and relaxing practice. It's as much about the process as it is the outcome. We don't need it to be quicker or easier. It's not supposed to be either of these things.
Last month, I wrote a post on the competitive advantage of not using AI. This resonated with a lot of you when I shared it on Mastodon and Bluesky. A travel writer even replied, stating that he has to sign an agreement to not use any generative AI. This made me happy. Maybe there is hope after all.
Life experience brings you a lot of things, but I think one of the most important is the ability to truly be different and think outside the box. In contrast, AI excels at identifying patterns and replicating what works. This makes it great for producing familiar, safe work. But breakthrough creative ideas succeed because they break patterns and venture into unknown territory.
Keep it real
As I was updating my website this morning, I wanted to include a brief disclaimer. An indication that none of my work is AI generated. While this is obvious to anyone who knows or follows me, it wasn't immediately clear to a new visitor. Especially with my kaleidoscopic series, which, to the untrained eye, could look a little like AI.
As a result, I came up with a slogan that any photographer in a similar situation is welcome to adopt; Real images of real things in real places. It's simple, to the point, and quickly clears up any confusion regarding the source of your work. Additionally, it's a direct signal that your images retain your unique passion, soul and vision.
In the University of Exeter report, 78% said AI is making creative work feel soulless. Nearly one in three respondents – 30% – believe creative work generated by AI is “not valid compared to human work” and a further 55% think it’s only valid in limited contexts, or valid, but inferior.
Real images
Real things
Real places
Using Unsplash to Grow Your Reach
Ayup! Having contributed to Unsplash for over five years, I'm sharing a few pointers here on how to grow your reach and visibility. As a regular uploader to the platform, my account is currently sitting at 114,478,804 views. Way more than anything you could ever achieve on social media.
Unsplash is primarily a free stock image platform. Additionally, in 2022, they introduced Unsplash+, a premium service that pays photographers for their contributions. Either way, you'll need to be OK with people using your images (however they please) for the following to apply.
Every photographer has their own stance on this. Personally, my photos would only ever sit on a hard drive. You know the drill. Nobody, including myself, is ever going to look at them again. Instead, I'd much rather folks get some use out of them. The occasional payout from Unsplash+ is always welcome, too.
The decision to upload to Unsplash boils down to a simple concept: finding more value in sharing than in withholding. As photographers, we seek platforms that enhance our work's visibility and impact. Unsplash stands out as a beacon for those of us who cherish art, community, and the spirit of giving.
Your First 100 Million Views on Unsplash
Granted, this figure seems a little bold, but once you get into how it all works, you'll be chasing it down in no time. Within your Stats dashboard, you can see both views and downloads. Via the Unsplash API, your work can be dropped into projects without the need for downloading. Therefore, views are normally the best indicator on how well your images are performing.
Find your feet (and niche)
Firstly, get a feel for the images that Unsplash like by viewing the homepage. Here you'll find a hand curated selection of what they consider to be the best of the best from recent uploads.
You might want to experiment with different subjects or styles as you begin contributing. Eventually, you'll figure out what's working and most popular. For example, my architecture work does infinitely better than any nature shots I upload. I still enjoy both, but only tend to upload tree and plant images every now and again.
Hashtags & description
Always include hashtags. Super important! As you upload an image, you have space for both a description and hashtags. The latter does a wonderful job of suggesting popular search terms as you start typing. Generally speaking, aim to only use what it suggests.
The Unsplash blog is a valuable source of tips and info. Their article, How to get your photos found, dives into best practices for tagging your images.
The image description is completely optional. I'd always include something, though, as it may help land you a spot in the monthly round-up. Unsplash feature a small selection of their favourite uploads from the previous month in a blog post. To be in with a chance of gaining even more exposure, simply include a description.
Making sure you tag exactly what’s in the photo, as well as what the image is trying to evoke is an easy way to increase your exposure on Unsplash.
Browse & submit to categories
Once you've got a few images uploaded and figured out how it all works, it's time to delve into category pages. At the time of writing, you have:
As with the homepage, browse the categories that apply to your photography and see what's currently being featured. If you feel any of your images are a good fit, go ahead and submit either a new or current upload. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.
Plenty of images won't be accepted, so set your expectations. As long as you believe they're worthy, submit them anyway. It might even be a while before anything is featured, but keep at it. As soon as you've had one photo accepted, you'll likely find that plenty more will follow.
When it comes to views, the real magic lies in a homepage feature. You can't directly submit to this, but a feature on a category page will increase your chances of landing a prime-time spot.
Keep on top of trends
Unsplash provides you with access to a rather handy set of insights on what's trending across the site. Incredibly useful. While they might not always apply to your chosen subjects, it's well worthwhile keeping an eye on. Every now and again, you'll spot something that you can include in your hashtags. This will instantly increase the visibility and reach of your image.
Find out which keywords have had the highest increase in search frequency over a period of time on Unsplash.
Review best performing photos
Lastly, one of the most powerful data points for growth on Unsplash is your image stats. What are your top performers? Which images are getting you featured? Have any particular photos died a slow and painful death?
Invaluable information. From this, you'll start to figure out a) what's most in-demand and b) what Unsplash are looking to promote. Of course, there needs to be a balance. If the work you enjoy the most isn't doing so well, it's far from being a reason to quit. If, however, increased reach is your ultimate goal, it's vital to remain aware of your best and worst performing photos.
Leverage your reach
Alrighty then. You've grown your reach on Unsplash. Now what? It's highly likely you haven't received a single penny, or been commissioned by anyone who found your work. Yikes! While I don't think most contributors are too fussed about this, there are certain things you can do to help make it all worth your while.
Link to your website from your profile
Include a support via PayPal button
Start contributing to Unsplash+ (paid)
Link to your Instagram account
Enter the yearly awards (paid prize)
Show that you're available for hire
Conclusion
Overall, Unsplash is, in my humble opinion, the best platform to get the most eyes on your photography. It way surpasses any social media channel. In a world of restrictions and reach limiting algorithms, it's refreshingly easy to place your work in front of a huge audience.
Giving your images away isn't for everyone. I get it. But for the hard drive hoarders among us, maybe you'll enjoy seeing how and where other folks are using your work. I know I do.
To fast track your way to 100 million views, try out the following best practices:
Find your feet (and niche)
Use hashtags and image description
Browse and submit to categories
Keep on top of trends
Review best performing photos
The Joy of Writing a Personal Blog
Ayup! This is a blog post about writing blog posts. Blogception, if you will. I've been steadily writing away here on my personal site for quite some time now. There are no rules. I write about whatever I fancy, whenever I like. It's mainly for self-reflection and development, but sometimes other folks are also interested in what I have to say. It's calming, rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable.
These thoughts are a follow-up to a previous post called Writing Online 2.0 - Search Engine (Un)Optimisation. That article explored the idea of writing with complete disregard to search engines. A return to pure, natural and gratifying expression.
Blogging offers a unique platform for individuals to articulate their thoughts and feelings, which can be therapeutic and contribute to better mental health. It provides a safe space for self-reflection and self-expression, allowing bloggers to process their experiences and emotions through writing.
mentalhealthaffairs.blog
A calm & quiet space
Here's the refreshing part. As the online space becomes increasingly noisy and frantic, a personal blog helps to restore the balance. When designed, built and published in a certain way, It becomes your very own quiet corner of the internet. To achieve this, there are a few key principles to include and exclude.
Consider:
A clean, minimalist design
Not including adverts
Not including popups
Not including CTA's
Not including affiliate links
Writing from (and for) your soul
Removing any pressure to write
In removing any pressure and distractions, you'll likely find your motivation to write increases. If, however, you're anything like me, this will come and go. It's equally important to recognise low-motivation. This usually means you've run out of things to say. Perfectly natural, and a good opportunity to gift yourself a week or two off
The beauty of a writing a personal blog is that nobody cares if you don't publish anything for a while. Granted, it's nice when they read and appreciate your posts, but nobody's waiting around twiddling their thumbs in anticipation of your next article. Take the pressure off. Relax.
Writing has long been recognised as a therapeutic tool, and blogging extends this tradition into the digital age. A 2009 study found that expressive writing, such as that often found in personal blogs, can lead to significant improvements in mental well-being, including reductions in stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.
The mental health benefits of a Personal blog
The connection between creativity, expression and mental health is an area that truly fascinates me. Having suffered with extreme social anxiety for most of my adult life, writing and photography have become a powerful alleviation.
The chance to quietly express your thoughts, feelings and emotions does incredibly wonderful things to the brain. It's subtle, yet potent. Additionally, it contributes towards your purpose. This, in turn, fills your thoughts with ideas, subjects and potential titles. A welcome addition, especially when they're replacing less helpful emotions.
Creativity and imagination are important for children to develop because it helps them be resourceful. But these qualities are important in adults, too. Creative outlets not only help to reduce feelings of stress and loneliness but can improve your mood and even affect how your brain works. And they’re fun!
Whether it’s drawing, singing, playing music, writing, baking, dancing or gardening, having a creative outlet can work wonders for your mind.
What to write about
If you're unsure on where to start, consider writing about your passions and interests. Explore creative ideas and techniques from within your sector. You could delve further into the mental health benefits, as I do here. Or, go all-in on your tools or software. The possibilities are endless.
Choosing a blogging platform
If you think writing a personal blog might be something you'd like to try, here are a few popular platforms to consider. Personally, I use and recommend WordPress, but I also recognise that some folks will want a simpler solution. Thankfully, there's something for everyone.
WordPress
WordPress gives you the most control and customisation from all of the options on this list. That said, if you're not already used to how it works, it comes with a steep leaning curve. This site uses the default theme and makes use of the built-in block editor. Both come highly recommended.
Medium
Medium works slightly different to all of the other options here, in that it has a built-in audience. This makes it easier to connect with fellow writers and start building a following. It's easy to set up, but offers zero customisation. Most accounts ultimately end up writing exclusively to get featured by a publication, rather than naturally.
Ghost
Ghost is a pretty exciting publishing platform. It's free and open source, although you need extensive technical knowledge to set it all up. Alternatively, you can pay them directly for an all-in-one hosting/publishing package. Some customisation is available without coding, and it has built-in newsletter and subscription tools, too.
Wix
Wix is ideal if you're looking for something that's quick and easy to set up. They provide all of the blogging tools you'll need, and you'll also have access to some really elegantly designed templates. Each template can be customised to your liking, but without as many options as you'd have with WordPress.
Squarespace
As with Wix, Squarespace is a simple solution that's easy to use and looks good right out of the box. Again, they have plenty of templates to choose from, or you can build something from scratch.
Look forward to writing again
Publishing a personal blog brings joy and fulfilment back to writing. It's freeing, immersive and poignant, while calming and soothing the mind.
You don't need to be all that good at it. I'm proof of that. As long as you possess the desire to express your thoughts, the rest will inevitably fall into place. From a creative perspective, writing also helps free up some much-needed headspace and allows a break from your standard routine or practice. Paired with the abundance of mental health benefits, there's a lot to love about sharing your musings with the world.