Chasing followers, not photographs: how social media is reshaping photography

Photographers today are increasingly expected to be content creators. The traditional view of a photographer was someone who made work, built a portfolio and let that work speak for itself.

But now, especially with social media, there’s a growing expectation to constantly produce content: Reels, behind-the-scenes videos, Instagram posts, TikToks. It’s no longer enough to just make great photographs; in one way or another, being visible online has become part of the job.

Unfortunately, in some aspects, social media followers are as important as your portfolio. I am often sent names of photographers with their follower count next to their name as an indication of their authority in photography.

This is a disconnect, as it might merely show how good a marketer you are while the more established and accomplished photographers are out making work and not Reels. But then the opportunities go to the ones with the followers. So the question arises: are they being hired on photographic quality or their reach?

There’s also a risk that the pressure to maintain engagement can influence the work itself. The need to post frequently, chase clicks or create instantly shareable content can hollow out your craft. The intentional, thoughtful process that builds skill, depth and originality can be replaced by a focus on quantity over quality, and work made for engagement rather than expression.

If the photographers with the largest followings are the ones getting the commissions, gallery attention and commercial jobs, what does that mean for the broader photographic landscape? Will we see a shift in what counts as quality or risk losing time-honed craft in favor of shareable content? These are questions worth asking as the industry navigates the modern digital age.

For photographers themselves, this shift is double-edged. On one hand, creating content and sharing your process can build a direct connection with an audience, open doors to commercial opportunities and give you a platform for your work that didn’t exist a decade ago. On the other hand, it can distract from the act of making images, from the accumulation of skill, vision, and nuance.

Social media can feel like a requirement rather than a choice, pressuring photographers to post for visibility instead of focusing on what they really want to create.

This tension, between making work and marketing it, isn’t easy to resolve. Some photographers embrace it, learning to treat social media as part of the creative process itself. Others push back, focusing on their portfolios and letting the work find its own audience.

Both approaches exist, but it’s clear that the landscape has changed. Visibility counts, now, and how we navigate that as photographers will shape not just individual careers, but the future of the medium.

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For those embracing content creation, check out our guides for the best hybrid cameras and the best vlogging cameras.