Instagram Exodus to Vero or Glass or Flickr? Does it even matter? 

I am one of those rare photographer who has stuck it with flickr and havent used instagram ever and no plans to use it.

One Flickr user here. I’d say when they went to the subscription model, that the use of the app slowed a lot. I’m still using it, just because I’ve uploaded all of my better photos in full size edited versions here.

I LOVE FLICKR!!

I think most RU-vidrs don’t really NEED Instagram for sharing photography or marketing. But it’s a very good marketing for those of us who want to reach a larger potential client base. It requires adapting, though, now that it’s more focused on reels. Simply, put together reels of your photography to get it in front of more people. Not ideal by any means, but you gotta do what it takes.

Your video gave me a good laugh as well as info. IG frustrated me to no end. But non photog friends will never pay for a service I fear... So I'm thinking totally controllable blog or website is only way to go

Vero is great, love the quality, and follow who you want, without adverts and toxic crap that I see on insta. So glad i moved over.

Good run through Toby. IG doesn’t seem to want to deal with the bots at all. I spend more time blocking them then I do any photography stuff. I hang in though, hoping they’ll sort it out.

Thanks for the discussion Toby. IG IS Facebook since they bought them, so that pretty much tips one off as to what you're going to get, and it's not good. I used to try to post to IG once a week - haven't really bothered with it anymore in 3-4 years. I've been hearing you and others talk about Vero recently, so I just checked it out - looks nice so maybe I'll try using it...

I agree with the frustrations over IG. I went from checking multiple times daily to checking maybe 1-2x per week. Glass looks neat, but the price tag, as you say, is going to deter many. Vero seems pretty good right now, but it, too, will need to find a (better) way to monetize if it is going to last. If Vero or Glass could survive at around $10/year, I think they might have a chance to move beyond a small niche platform.

thanks for this video, I’m following you on Vero

I just joined Vero last week. So far, I'm gaining a lot more likes per image but few new followers. It's too soon to say yea or nay

I use VERO, but being based in Russia I’d never use it for private content or messaging, just public. For that reason I’d never use the desktop apps either.

Great video Toby! As you know, I've been more than a little frustrated with Instagram this year. Since the bizarre exposure I was getting in January this year (one image got nearly 30,000 Likes and I gained 4000+ Followers in a month) it eventually settled down to my 'usual engagement', that is until July/August, when the engagment plummeted. Looking at the Insights stats, it clearly shows that the number of accounts reached was being limited (presumably by the IG Algorithm). I've found Vero nice and clean but although it's early days, I do wonder how some new accounts on there have 1000+ Followers within the first month (not previously IG Followers) and how some 'relatively poor' images attract such attention! Guess I'll wait and see how it goes. (Loving your Katmai and Greenland work!).

It's ten months since you've made this video. Instagram has gotten worse, and it looks like interest in Vero has bottomed out again. Were you to make this video again, what sites would you now recommend?

I'm loving Vero. ( again )

Having been with Instagram since the start I foresee both it and Facebook going the way of MySpace. I see fewer and fewer people I know, family, friends and colleagues using it, but for the narcissists 😂

Vero looks horrible using the desktop! I don't like using phone apps if I can avoid them since apps can ultimately lead to your information being shared. I'm old school desktop using Linux Live CDs that I remove at the end of each session. Nothing is ever saved permanently except on external drives, which I remove at the end of the session as well..

Why don't I follow you on IG,Tony?I hardly follow any photographer there( I use YT for that purpose). I do it to my close friends only. Anyway, IG is going to be a trash. I can't stand rolls and video commercials going all the way long. Sq.Space looks nice, I may have a go once.

Instragram just keeps banning or blocking my account?? I have left it. Any other alternatives western based?

Over the years I got answers on my Canon EOS 70D, but now I have a question you may be able to answer. How do I capture the menus of the 70D on my PC?

I've been getting more and more fed up with Instagram. Am on Vero but forget to use it

i agree. Also are you still doing photo mesh on wednesday anymore?

What about Flicker!!! wait, what is Flicker anyway!

Nothing is free, how come Vero is still free. Somehow they are making money from your images or data.

What happened to 500px ?

Sharing high level observations on this subject given my short term interaction with VERO and Flickr looking for another Avenue to see others work and share mine amongst the challenges of all options. Not running a business nor focused on the endorphin affect. IG - Engagement/growth is derived by reels only. The audience is broad with majority not a photographer. VERO - Just photographers who are looking for other photographers to follow them. Talking heads driving attention as a means to find an audience with 1 sided interaction (probably true of all options). It looks great however without a broad audience if you are looking to grow your business it snot the right audience. Flickr - Photo presentation is better than the META products and similar to VERO. Audience is photographers. There are many users and groups that have had no activity with no way to filter out. Response to photos is better than the other 3 and I find it much easier to locate users that you want to follow. It’s interesting to see comments like “dead” when there are recent posts with thousands of views. FB - interaction is greater posting to groups). Audience is broad. As it IG they are controlling the content and what gets seen. There might be good photographers out there that aren’t noticed because they are not producing reels or over saturated pics.