We are becoming desensitized to great photography and our creative autonomy is being pried away by invisible algorithms

At some point during the past decade, the information age entered what I can only think to refer to as a sub-epoch: the age of information overload. Instagram, Netflix, Reddit, BBC, Twitch, there is so much content and there are so many content creators, I couldn’t possibly give them all my time. But worse than that, my attention is being pulled in so many directions, I give these talented content creators barely any time at all.

Exquisite photographs and bewitching cinematography, once destined for the hallowed pages of national publications or a moment in front of millions on the silver screen, are now rammed into the content meat grinder, spat out of the same pipe outlet and forced along the social media conveyor. A dopamine burger for the masses.

Oh look, a photograph of a great white, mid-breach, moments before its jaws latch onto a hapless fur seal (swipe), a jaw-dropping autumnal image of the Dolomites at first light (swipe) a video of a dog that appears to say “hello love” every time it growls at its owner (I gotta watch that again!).

The digital creative has become bound to the algorithm. A veritable Oliver Twist, bowl aloft, craving just one more like, one more fire emoji and one more share. The problem with this algorithm-driven existence is that it slowly syphons away creative autonomy, which in turn, perpetuates content fatigue.

What do I mean by this? Well, many content creators set out with the relatively innocent goal of introducing their work to the world. But after a while, they begin to notice patterns; certain genres, edits, or subjects gain more traction than others. Perhaps the best example of this right now is the rise and rise of portrait-orientation imagery. Vertical content has become so favored by online algorithms that many creators have stopped posting landscape-orientation imagery altogether.

So that’s creative autonomy out of the window, but how does that feed into content fatigue? Well, content fatigue already exists. We’re bombarded by so many phone notifications, news bulletins, social media stories, and streaming releases that consuming content has long become a quagmire in which to traverse. But as more and more content creators join the queue and ask: "Please, sir, I want some more," more and more of the same algorithm-pleasing content appears online.

I’ve been scouring through some photo books lately, poring over images created by some of the most legendary names in photography, and it occurred to me, some of them might not even get off the ground in today’s creative climate. They weren’t bound by an algorithm or troubled by overconsumption. They could simply make the art that they wanted to make and say the things that they wanted to say.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I can completely understand why content creators ‘chase’ the algorithm – I myself have started to prioritise vertical-orientation imagery. So please don’t take this as a slight against such photographers. My point is that, on the other hand, there are plenty of creatives who are still fighting the good fight and doing their thing in spite of the algorithm. So, the next time you come across a creative who’s sticking to their guns, give them a like and a follow. Maybe it’s time to wrestle our creative autonomy back.

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