Why This Photo Means More Than Any Like

I think I speak for mostly every photographer when I say this: Instagram, at least for photos, feels dead. The app now seems dominated by stories and reels, while the traditional home feed barely gets a glance. That’s been a little sad for me, and also a little confusing. Photography is, at its heart, about sharing a moment. You hope someone else will see it and love it too.

This year, I haven’t been out as much as I’d have liked—but perhaps that’s a blessing. On the occasions I have ventured out, I’ve taken photos I really loved, edited them, and then… never posted them. Some I shared in small group chats, but most just sat quietly on my hard drive.

One photo from this year, taken at Weir Gardens in Hereford, stands out. It’s my favourite from that trip—and now, after a hard drive mishap, it’s the only one left.

I’d edited and uploaded it here to start my first blog about the gardens, but months of busyness and then the loss of my files meant that almost every other photo from early 2025 vanished. This one remains, and that makes it extra special.

Yet from this little tragedy comes clarity. It’s made me think carefully about what I want this website to be: a simple, personal space to share my photos.

Social media has become more and more of a faff. My family is on Facebook, friends on Instagram, younger relatives on TikTok, and I have an audience on YouTube. Posting everywhere just to get my photos seen is exhausting, and each platform demands something different.

Going forward, I think I’ll only share my photos here, or as part of my YouTube videos. I also plan to start a monthly newsletter—so anyone who wants to follow along won’t need to log into the website every month to see what’s new.

Thank you for reading my first blog. If you’d like to follow my adventures and see my photos, subscribe to the newsletter and my YouTube channel. I look forward to sharing more soon.

—Dave ☺️