For artists who are considering Bluesky right now and are on the fence ... As many have pointed out, it's NOT an Instagram replacement. It's much more like Twitter. But here's where it has a leg up...
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Thanks Andy. Always appreciate your insights & perspective. I really hope we can get an instagram “replacement” soon (but way better). I’m on Bluesky & enjoy the spacious freedom and support I feel here. Don’t know how to use it properly yet. Your encouragement was the final voice to get me here.
Very good points! For me, as an artist working with images of bodies, it’s really important that I’m treated with respect and understanding, unlike on META where I’m constantly shadowbanned and canceled for no good reason.
Bluesky is not a walled garden — We can share links to our work elsewhere on the open web and they'll get seen. We can curate our feeds so we can see the people we follow. This shouldn't be revolutionary in 2025 but as far as contemporary social media goes it is. Think about that!
This may be obvious stuff but it feels like we have gotten into an abusive relationship with Meta and Musk. Do you know what I mean? We should be able to follow the people we want to and ACTUALLY SEE their work when they post. Algorithms shouldn't control that stuff. We should.
That’s the main reason I left - 95% of my feed was content being pushed at me … people I didn’t follow…. Groups I didn’t join… ads I didn’t want. All the while the friends, events, and groups I did want were no where to be seen. Better to start fresh.
Artists and writers really need to be able to share links to their work elsewhere on the Internet. Blogs, websites, articles, and newsletters are how the independent web thrives. It was that way in the beginning and it should be that way again.
I will probably write more about this at some point. I'm just thinking out loud today. I would love to hear your thoughts. Please let me know what you think. And share this thread if it resonates. Thanks!
Related to this, I wrote a post a few years ago about Instagram, artists, and censorship. Some of you might appreciate it. Please share if it resonates.
My work doesn't translate well into videos which I have little interest in producing. I too will be treading lightly with IG from now on. And I wish you luck.
But I might end up closing my second Instagram account which I set up specifically for my artistic nudes. I have not gathered very many followers so no loss there is that one gets closed. It's challenging for me because I like making still images.
I recently had 4 Instagram accounts, I closed two because it was too hard to manage them all. The other two including my Facebook page I will keep for now.
It makes no sense to me. The Community Guidelines rules state that no nudity is allowed and they mean that. Like your friend's comic strip, it's their garage and if they don't like something in they can throw it out.
Later I resubmitted the photo with a black oblong circle over the breasts down to the crotch. That too was removed, finally, on a third attempt I made a black oblong circle that went from the model's ankle up to her neck and that was finally allowed to stay up.
In one case I sent the model the exact same artistic nude picture, and my photo was removed while the photo she posted was allowed to stay up. In another situation, one of my photos was removed even though I had censored the breasts and crotch area with black dots.
As you pointed out in your article many of us on Instagram or Facebook have received notification that we had violated the “Community Guidelines.” I have had my share of removed photos, sometimes it makes no sense.
Andy, good thinking out loud thoughts. I have been on Facebook and Instagram for years, but sometimes, it feels like I'm spinning my wheels. I post, but my work gets little or no traction. So far, on BlueSky, it looks good; I will keep trying it for a while. I look forward to their photo app.
Hope springs eternal. I'm on the beta and I think you are too. So far it hasn't really taken off for me as a habit, but that's because it's not easy for me to find people to follow. I presume they will change that pretty soon. I'm looking forward to the public launch!
You can do all of that on Foto. You guys really should just get the beta and email Michael about helping out financially if you’re impatient for a non-monopoly stream without ads that allows users to exit onto your sites. It exists. It’s a thing. Support them.
Time for this complaint has past. Obviously they do not care that photographers have been hurt by their changes. Those that have insisted on staying neutral up until now, welcome to the party where have you all been?
Thanks Andy. I’m cautiously optimistic. Feeling like “social” media is so problematic creating a complicated sense of community. Here’s hoping for the best in these challenging times…
Bluesky will be getting a photo app soon, it's already been announced – called Flashes, so if you're looking for an Instagram alternative, perhaps that'll be it.
Bluesky is also less swipeable then IG, making everything you choose to look at more intentional, which also poses more opportunities for interaction. The overall experience has been more peaceful over here on multiple levels. I enjoy that a lot.
If you check out @pinksky.app , Andy, it re-orders your Bluesky images into an Instagram style interface; you can also post and see only Pinksky posts in case you want to treat it as a separate app.
Thanks, Glendon. I was looking at Pinksky the other day. It's a fun concept and I'll be curious to see how it shapes up. I think everybody is waiting for @flashesapp.bsky.social. Appreciated your thread!
So far a much nicer experience than Instagram. I agree with what you said about returning to blogging, newsletters. Making content for IG for most of us is pointless and not to mention how problematic meta is as a platform
It is more “Twitter” than “Instagram” but sharing is still great and developed, so far, to be so much better than Twitter. It’s great. Why do we need an Instagram replacement? I don’t see the benefits. I thought VERO might fit in there, it seems stagnant. I’m no expert though, obviously.
I’m wondering if we need a dedicated photo/video sharing app at all. I don’t care for it anymore. There are so many ads, and you never know who is going to see your work or whose you will see. Maybe if it was more similar to the early days. Maybe. It doesn’t feel social to me anymore.
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I don't care how much engagement a post is getting. If I followed someone, show me. If I didn't, don't add it to my home feed randomly.
There's loads on Meta + my feed is fantastic (which I don't want to be on), but not here.
Hope it's going to improve but don't think photographers are motivated politically so won't move here.
I've just started to go through that list.
It's very helpful :)
https://pixelfed.social/i/web/profile/783553000052616372