Get rid of the junk...
- Adrian Wirz
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Sometimes it's time to clear out old clutter and make room for new things. I did that two years ago with my entire household and when I moved. Yes, I know, a real problem for the environmentalists here. Some of it was still usable...
But anyway, you fly to Greenland to photograph polar bears, too. I moved two years ago, and it was a decision I've never regretted. With the move and my subsequent retirement, things started to change. I remembered standing by the Sternenfeld football field in Birsfelden on April 18, 1977, and recalling how many football matches I'd played on that beautiful pitch. But I was there that morning for a different reason. My three-year apprenticeship was due to begin in half an hour. Looking back, I have to say, "For he knew not what he did..." But that's another story. Why does this seem so important to me? It really isn't, but this morning I saw an obituary in the local newspaper where the woman had that exact birthdate at the top. For this woman, it was all over at 48. It was a bit strange at the beginning of retirement. Suddenly you receive money and don't have to do anything for it anymore. No annual review, but also no more pay raises. Still, you can earn money on the side, so I could theoretically earn an extra 8,000 Swiss francs a month with photography. Sounds good, right? Those days, however, have been over for a few years now. I think any photographer who makes a living from it could tell you a tale of woe. But I don't want to complain, quite the opposite! I recently deactivated my Facebook and Instagram accounts. Not deleted them, though. For several years now, social media hasn't been what it used to be: a showcase for your work and therefore the best advertising. Yes, I owe a significant portion of my income to Facebook. That was back when you automatically had a large reach and everything hadn't been overphotographed or overdone. Although I always chuckle a bit at the latter two terms, which are so frequently used on social media. It applies to me too, and to the photo spots I've discovered and popularized. Here's a new photo from a spot I love to visit again and again, one that hasn't been overdone yet.
That reminds me of a funny story. Recently, a photographer from Zurich sent me a photo by B. Werner of the fog wave at Bölchen and asked if I knew the spot, and if so, where it was. I told him where it was and expected at least a thank you, but nothing came of it. Only after I pointed it out did he finally decide to thank me. Well... that's how it is these days... unfortunately. Just a little something to lighten the mood...
GIF....I think you understand.
But back to Facebook and Instagram. For about two years now, I've only posted a few photos, a bit more on Facebook because panoramas look better there, but mainly because the reach has dropped drastically. This effect was particularly noticeable on Instagram recently. It led to many people hiding their likes, which I can understand: what does it look like when you have 26,000 followers (bought or bot) on Instagram and only get 80 likes for a photo? Okay, I'll refrain from another smiley GIF. I'm talking about honestly acquired followers, meaning without buying anything or using bots (which a lot of people used, especially in the beginning). I even used one briefly about seven years ago. But that's why I don't have to hide anything, because I couldn't care less whether I get 20 likes or 1,000. It doesn't affect my self-esteem at all. But I'd say 80% of those who hide their likes have something to hide or belong in the losers category. But it clearly demonstrates once again what photography is used for by many. The dreamy eyes many have at the beginning, when they first see a wave of mist, often give way to a tired and lackluster look after the initial excitement fades. Especially if you set your expectations too high. It's no use clinging to an experienced photographer either. No one is going to reveal the tricks of how to photograph the perfect wave for free these days. Unless, of course, they're in love with you. Then they'll lay the whole of Switzerland at your feet. I've seen it all before. A GIF could go here again... But back to me... or has this been about me the whole time? Since my early youth, I've been accused of being a narcissist. But isn't every photographer more or less one? Isn't it practically necessary to be at least a little bit of a narcissist if you want to be successful? As the saying goes: success must be earned, pity is free. Narcissism isn't inherently bad. It's perfectly healthy to go through life with self-confidence. The desire to shine is a need that almost everyone experiences. A touch of narcissism resides in all of us. And that's a good thing.
I know very few photographers who don't show signs of narcissism, but they're also pretty unsuccessful. I could list the biggest narcissists in the scene, but I think we'll leave that aside. Just to clarify: I have absolutely nothing against narcissists; real narcissists are usually successful. No, I don't like this idealized image of photographers that some people portray. But back to social media. Because there's less and less reach there, or rather, if you want more, you have to pull out your credit card. "Do I want this?" Is this really that important to me? You guessed it: NO. I started focusing on my own website 15 years ago. Back then, an incredible number of community websites linked to my first photography website: belchen-schweiz. Perhaps some of you still remember it. This brought me incredibly high click-through rates. I invested an incredible amount of time in my websites, but it was worth it! On my next website, this one, I had incredible success in the first few years. There were days when around a hundred visitors were on the site simultaneously. Alongside this, I also managed the Lightexplorers website for two years. We achieved unprecedented highs in our Google rankings there. We owed this to two links from Switzerland Tourism to two of our photography workshops. Apart from me, no one was really interested in the potential and earning opportunities at the time; in fact, I was really disappointed that the other members weren't particularly interested in this potential. That's why I soon started offering online workshops. There's also a detailed blog post about that. The online Workshops will fall victim to censorship. And today? Even Google isn't what it used to be. Only a few visitors to my website anymore. It's a bit different with blog posts, so I still write one every now and then. But the big party with personal photo websites is definitely over. AI is destroying photography. Anyone who still wants to earn some income or be successful should look into it... adapt or die! A few days ago, I decided to downsize my site as well. Neither I nor Google have any need for it anymore. Google is indexing fewer and fewer of my pages, and if another page gets removed from the index, am I supposed to make 80 corrections and request that it be re-indexed? Huh? No, definitely not! Sure, I'm laughing all the way to the bank; my money comes in every month. I have no interest in AI. Optimizing a website for hours? Nope. Today, I invest my time in other things, but photography will always be a passion, and I will continue to pursue it with dedication. By car, moped, or bicycle... yes, maybe even on foot again. In March First stop: Norway. In case anyone was wondering where my Instagram or Facebook accounts are, as mentioned above: temporarily deactivated. I've also uninstalled WhatsApp for now. Yes, after 30 years with the same phone number, I even changed it. It only took 5 minutes today and the new number is working. So, if you were looking for me, I'm here and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. A big thank you to all my website subscribers. If you're not one of them yet, you can sign up at the very bottom. It's free and your inbox won't be flooded. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone! See you soon!
