It is already the end of the first month of 2021 and as much as I want to forget 2020, I cannot help but reminisce on some of the little things I liked last year. I know likes on social media shouldn’t be the way to determine worth but I just wanted to share this phenomenon. As of this post, the current likes my favorite edit of 2020 is 789. For reference, my most liked post for 2020 had 8,988 likes. On average, I would get around 1,400 likes per post if I don’t care about following the algorithm rules.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Fleywnlga/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDg50myJK68/
It was April 2020, around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to lock downs, I could not go out to do photoshoots. To replace that lost photography time, I opened up my inbox on Instagram to edit photos from other people around the globe.
One IG user by the name of nc5220 sent me a photo of his Harley Davidson Roaster 1200. I didn’t think much of it as I don’t work with cruiser type of bikes. My Instagram account is very niche mainly catering towards motorcycles, specifically sportbikes so I thought to myself, I should put in a bit more effort in this style of bike so I can maybe open up more doors. I liked the initial lighting and composition of his photo so I decided to look at official Harley Davidson marketing photos to get an idea of what would look good as if Harley Davidson was the client.
I am not particularly good in 3d rendering environments but it is something that I want to get good at as I see it as a valuable skill for compositing in Photoshop. I put a lot of hours into this edit as I was working with a brand I am not used to. Trying to challenge myself to make it look like an official marketing image could look great as a portfolio piece even though it was just for a single person and not the actual brand. (Hey I still got paid for it!)
I posted it on Instagram with excitement but got barely any engagement. It was probably because my followers expected sexy sportbikes from me. I guess it was understandable from a marketing perspective but as a designer I knew I shouldn’t be pigeon holed into a single style (a subject for another time). I continued on the rest of the year with photos and edits but still, I considered this piece my favorite of the year.
I’ve noticed this phenomenon with other artists, sometimes what we value as our best/favorite work does not get the same response to others. Yes, its a sad state of affairs that social media “likes” and “follows” seem to be the metric that determines our self-worth nowadays. It is kinda like this blog/website, I don’t expect a lot of readers but I like the effort I am putting into it. The main takeaway is that if you are happy with the process and learned something to carry on to your next project, that’s all that matters.
If you like this image as a wallpaper, go ahead and download it.
I definitely think this one is one of my favorites too, but I think it’s because I know that hard that is to get the 3D render that you got here. I like a lot the way you simulate the light in this composition.
Thanks! Glad it’s one of your favorites too! 3D is hard as well as lighting but lighting is a basic thing we all learn first in art class but yea, it can be hard to master. Awesome you noticed!
I really liked what you said about the perceived success of a photo or edit based on likes! Fall in love with the process, not the result. The results will come to those who dont base success on popularity. At least thats what I tell myself haha
Thanks for the comment! Yes, more and more now I am starting to care less about Instagram. I’ve been on it for so long that it really affected what mattered. Sure getting the likes felt nice but after the last year or so with Instagram messing with a lot of people’s reach and likes going down, you do think, am I making art/taking photos for likes or because I like doing it. It did wake me up and now and I feel less stressed about it. These social media companies got us hooked but yea, don’t worry, your work won’t be for everyone but you will get an audience if you stay consistent!