Foto

 

Do I really need another social media presence?

Maybe, maybe not. But about 4 months ago I signed up for a limited beta of a new photo sharing app. Foto is still under development, and so far only available on mobile devices. Their beta program is currently capped out in terms of users. 

After signing up for it I didn’t really do anything with it for months, sort of wasting that slot in their beta program. But recently my thoughts on social media, and photo sharing have crystallized around detangling myself from algorithm-driven social media platforms. 

When I first started getting serious about photography, I was really active on Flickr. The photo on this post was one of my favorites from those days. I learned a ton about photography, and met some really good friends through Flickr. Then I put my cameras aside for about 10 years for various reasons. When I go back to Flickr now, it just doesn’t resonate with me the same way. 

As I’m getting back into photography now, I’m yearning for the same pure photography focused platform that respects photographers and their art. None of the social media platforms I’m currently on fit that bill. With all of them photo sharing is a side gig, not the main focus. Bluesky seems to be best of them, for various reasons. 

After listening to a couple of podcasts by Foto, I’m putting my money where my mouth is. I’ve signed up with a Foto Ambassador subscription. 

What changed my mind?

Listening to this podcast about The Technical Maze of AI-Generated Imagery. This is a topic near and dear to my heart, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness and nuance the developers of Foto bring to the discussion. This is the third podcast I’ve listened to from Foto. I’m not a podcast guy, but I love the transparency of what they’re discussing in these podcasts, and the lack of ads. 

So if you want to see my photography without any added fluff on a social media-type platform, I’m slowly setting myself up on Foto. 

I hope I see you there.