Many people believe that post-social media means anti-social media, and in a certain sense that is true. One cannot truly wish for freedom before becoming weary of the cage. I stand in a rather unique position, as I come from social media, and also that I have succeeded at what most would consider the goals of social fame, without social fame. As I write this I have less than six-hundred followers on my main account, Instagram, and less than three-hundred when I had my first editorial feature. I led columns, I led the renaissance of manual focus, I worked with brands, gained sponsorships, working up to the level of partners that I hold now. I succeeded at the game without ever playing it. When I say post-social it should be understood as past-needing-social. This is where todays essay will expand on, as I believe there are a growing number of social media taught creatives who are rapidly approaching the point where social media norms are no longer beneficial. I aim to build them a runway.

I will call these creatives — and for our purposes, photographers — the six-out-of-ten demographic. This is not derogatory, this is a simple way of stating that social media has done a very impactful job of equipping creatives with the fundaments. Argument can be had that the fundamentals are not properly matured, but fundaments nonetheless and this isn’t a sliding scale more like an assessment of overall volume, were technique and critical thinking be mass. This is also not to say that everyone has risen to an ineffable six-out-of-ten level, just that the skills owned are adequate, and disproportionately biased towards mediocrity. We can theorise as to why — and that may clear a path on how to interface correctly with this new audience segment — but is ultimately moot. Whether it is due to homogenisation, or an explicit reward for atypical imagery, the reason pales in comparison to the effects of an entire generation devoid of precedent for upward mobility.

Despite my resistance to quantify why mediocrity dominates, I am invested in interfacing with the social media taught creative. I use the term interface, as I have review, article, essay, manifesto, manuscript, polemic, treatise, monograph and many other forms of argument on the subject. This too is moot, when the social media creative of the six-out-of-ten ilk fails to understand the differences between each, the import of any, and lack comprehension to parse ideas efficiently. As such, if audience reception is the value for which DRobertsPhoto is defined, the brand is an utter failure. As output can attest, the current brand has not been held back by a lack of mass-appeal. In fact, much the opposite— DRobertsPhoto is the counterbalance of an anomalous event. Historically, my brand and my ideals would be considered traditional, yet today I am an iconoclast. I can lament the lack of media literacy, or I can attempt to fix the breach, and solidify the foundations. Photography is my home, and it is my duty to ensure it is in good repair.

Let me ask you this: “Where does one go, when one owns a camera far above their operational capabilities? Where does one go when they already own a significant amount of focal lengths? Where does one go when they know the basics of composition and exposure? Where does one go when the next LUT looks the same as the last ten? Where does one go when they tag and get featured yet the account does not grow? Where does one go when the customer wants more than a product?”

The status quo has a shelf life. The six-out-of-ten creative does not want GenAI, they do not want easier or faster. They do not want more convenient. They want a framework to utilise the aesthetics and equipment that to them, is hard won. What does one do when one has build a race car? Yet we see no driving schools, we see no race tracks. Not for the six-out-of-ten photographer. Not for the photographer with no aims of commercial work, the path is circular — they become an uninformed and inexperienced photographer whose only way forward is as an influencer. As a six-out-of-ten creative, creating anything more than is out of bounds for them, those who learn from them have entered a room with a glass ceiling hiding yet another a glass ceiling. I presume the term escape velocity is commonly understood by those reading this, we must capitalise on the social media creatives escape velocity. I believe that time is nearing for the majority of this segment.