Photographic reality

It won’t surprise anyone that uses social media, but social media isn’t reality. There are all sorts of ways in which that’s true, but maybe the photos and videos shared are the best example of that. But, it doesn’t have to be.

I recently watched a YouTube video by a photographer who was talking about how people aren’t taking photos for the fun of it like they used to, and how so many people now only share photos to reflect a sort of curated reality, what they want their life to look like to others. Put another way, rather than showing what is, they share what we want they their life to look like.

I thought the photographer’s larger point—that we should all do more creative stuff for the fun of it, that we should take photos of things that speak to us, that we think are beautiful, that make us happy, whatever, rather than just trying to present a curated version of reality. That much I totally agree with.

On the other hand, I find it hard to believe that there are any users of social media who don’t understand that folks—especially “influencers”—share things that present them and their lives in the best possible way, and may never share “real” glimpses of their “real” lives. If I'm correct that people do know that, then does it really matter if some people only share highly curated glimpses of their lives?

Naturally, this made me question myself—not a new thing for me, of course. I sometimes share photos on social media, and regardless of subject, I share the best version of that photo (and I usually take several shots of the same photo to give me options). The photos I share are real, but by no means perfect, though as a former professional in printing and publishing, when I look at photos I’ve shared, I often wish I’d taken the time to touch up the photo.

Selfies are harder for me, but I still don’t try to present “perfection”. Instead, instead I usually try to take a lighthearted approach, or else take a photo with Leo so his cuteness can draw the viewer’s attention. That sort of insecurity is probably the best reason why I could never be an “influencer”.

And yet, I reflected back on my photos and wondered if maybe even my photos were too “perfect”, even though they were never actually perfect. Last Friday, I decided I wanted fried eggs on toast for my brunch, and as I always do, I cracked the eggs into small ramekins so I can easily pour them into the pan (same with poached eggs). Not only is it easier, I can also change plans one or both yolks break. That happened on Friday.

When I cracked the second egg (it’s always the second egg…), the yolk broke. I put that egg into a container for the next day, cracked another egg—and that yolk broke, too. I decided to fry them anyway. The photo up top is the result, and it’s similar to the sort of photo I might’ve share if both eggs had been perfect—but I wouldn’t have shared it precisely because it wasn’t perfect. I instantly realised that, and took the photo, anyway, because no one is perfect 100% of the time, and maybe it really is better to be honest about that.

The next morning I took that egg I’d set aside, added another egg (the yolk of which didn’t break…) and made scrambled eggs because I decided I wanted a scrambled egg sandwich for my brunch, rather than eggs on toast. When I make that I put a little mustard on it and some tomato sauce (aka ketchup). And that led to a problem.

Many years ago, Nigel and I started using a squeeze bottle that we could pour the canned refills into (for so we could fill it with two cans and not have to refill it as often). When I opened the little cap on top, the tomato sauce shot out the top (it was under a bit of pressure for some reason). By accident, I noticed that by accident—which was fortunate!)—that the sauce hit the kitchen ceiling (photo at right; it cleaned off easily). It struck me that it was another bit of reality that most people would never take a photo of, much less share, and that just slotted into my thinking about how reality and what we share online are often very different things.

I’m absolutely not judging people for what they share or don’t share, and since I don’t strive for perfection in the photos I share, I’m unlikely to change much, if anything. As it happens, the VAST majority of the photos I take are of things that interest me, scenes I think are pretty, or maybe things I want to remember later (like where I parked in a large and unfamiliar carpark so I can find my car later). And yet, maybe it wouldn’t hurt for us to pause and consider how “real” the photos we share really are?

In the case of the two photos in this post, they’re no more “real” than other photos I share, but they are ones I wouldn’t necessarily share were I not making a point of sharing harsh reality. Maybe “real enough” really is enough.