I'm creating this Substack as a bare-bones blog for my photography. I've long used Instagram as a place to put my photos in a way that’s easy for me to access. I take photos to document my life and things I find enjoyable. It’s first and foremost for myself. However, because of the way that Instagram is designed, the minute I hit upload it becomes a popularity contest that feels like a rat race. It’s about clout and milking likes and a bunch of stuff that doesn’t matter. Because of the way these platforms are designed to make you feel a personal connection, it feels like a personal slight when your friends don’t like your post, even though it’s more likely the algorithm doing something that prevents your post from even being seen. Instagram in particular has been, for a long time, quite unhealthy for me for these reasons.
So, I’ve decided to change and refocus things in a way that are healthier for me. I’m creating this as a space for me to put my photos in a way that gives more control over the process without being too complicated to manage. This space isn’t about subscribers or likes or comments. I want to give the option to easily subscribe because I know there are people in my life who are interested in looking at my photos. However, Memories of Geographies is primarily for me, even though it also serves as a space for those folks. If you’re one of those people, then welcome.
This blog will be photos and that’s pretty much it. I want it to be as bare-bones and low-stakes as possible. So writing will likely be kept to a minimum and, for the most part, there won’t be much in the way of context.
I hope that you enjoy your time here.