Threading the Needle
This originally appeared as part of my weekly Prime Lenses Newsletter. You can sign up for a weekly update here.
Threads is having a real photography moment. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance we’ve been talking recently on Threads. In the first year they’ve attracted 175m users to the platform and a lot of those seem to be photographers which makes sense because it has spun out of Instagram. They also seem to be making good on their promise to connect with the wider fediverse. As a nerd, I love this.
More than the tech though, I like it when a social network is new, Mastodon had a moment like this just over a year ago too. As a user it’s refreshing to start from scratch, to find your people, get some feedback on images and the odd dopamine hit from a like or two. It’s also nice to be surprised by the quality of some of the images I’m seeing on there. This feed is a real treat to scroll through.
It’s a reminder of the joy that can be a social media experience that seems to be free of some of the terrible trolling that we’ve seen on other platforms. Your mileage may vary, but I’ve found it to be a really supportive community of geeky camera and tech folks all sharing ideas and chatting back and forth and I’m into it. It also has me really wanting to pick up a Boox Palma :D
The world needs good spaces and from my perspective this is one … for now. And that was what got me thinking. I should really enjoy this because who knows what happens when they start to more heavily monetise as they inevitably will have to. So what I’m saying to you is that this summer is probably going to be a period we look back on rather than the norm forever so try to enjoy it, find some folks to connect with and make the most of it because as Instagram becomes Tik Tok and this becomes the new Instagram the only thing we can say with any certainty is that it won’t always be this way.
What’s more important? Boots or camera?
This video by Van Neistat is great. A real insight into a world of incredible craft in footwear that I knew nothing about.
