005: Reframing Refrakt and social

A few thoughts on Refrakt today, and where I'd like to take it

I’ve been thinking about the future of Refrakt and social for photographers a lot recently and I want to put them down on paper so to speak. I’m only really looking through the lens of photography specifically, and not all the other uses for Instagram and related platforms.

Platforms for photographers today

Refrakt as it stands, is kind of like Instagram-lite. I think that’s okay as a foundation, but it doesn’t solve some of the issues I initially set out to tackle. Refrakt is not trying to be a replacement for Instagram, partly because Instagram is so universal and not just for photographers, but also because its motivations are totally different.

Platforms have to push engagement to keep you checking back in every day because more eyes means more revenue. That’s largely down to one thing—advertising. It’s a good model for businesses to keep platforms running, and even allow some creators to survive. Just look at YouTube and its ad-sharing model. Advertising however comes with a certain cost. You have to employ tactics to keep people coming back, most of which can be negative on your user’s mental health.

Users also end up chasing engagement because social media has become a tool for self-promotion (which I think is fine), and the only way to get eyes on your work is to do what the algorithm wants. Users are unhappy because they’re at the mercy of the platform’s chosen algorithm. The incentives are misaligned. The user needs reach to promote their business, but the platform promotes content that it deems will get the most eyes on the ads that surround it. On Instagram, you end up competing against meme pages and influencers. If your content doesn’t have the qualities the platform desires, or you don’t have the followers, then you’re out of luck.

The flip side of this is that without an audience, it can feel like you’re shouting into a void. The value of the platforms today is the networks themselves. Without a large network, you don’t have any eyes on your work anyway, even without algorithms choosing when your work should be seen.

That’s why I still think there’s value in platforms like Instagram. I just think there’s an alternative for photographers specifically, just maybe not all of them.

The platforms of yesterday

My favourite times on the internet have been on forums between 2006-2012. I used to frequent them based on my interests, for example, I used to spend hours on BMX forums checking out what bikes people were building, new spots etc. Even more time was spent in the photography sections where people were sharing work they had made that week. People would give feedback on lighting like the placement of strobes to make the rider stand out amidst the forest backdrop, or the use of leading lines to highlight the path the rider had taken and where they were going next.

I loved it. It was akin to the engagement you get on social platforms today, but it was more specific and long form. You could learn from others, see behind the scenes of your favourite magazine covers, and ask questions about how people got certain results. It actually felt like a community.

Flickr was another example of this, and it still somewhat exists today. It’s just a shame it feels like the Flickr interface hasn’t changed since then. Even the batch upload feels the same as it did 10 years ago. There’s something about people talking about a shared interest in a dedicated space outside of places like Twitter that feels special.

So where does Refrakt fit?

I think the foundation is there today with Refrakt. There are profiles and feeds, people can leave comments and give props for work. However, I need to be careful not to just try and replicate Instagram without the algorithms. Part of the problem I’ve been facing recently is shouting into the void. Because Refrakt is kind of like Instagram-lite, I think people try it out expecting the same thing, but the network isn’t there yet so the usual social engagement also isn’t there. People feel like no one is seeing their work so they don’t come back.

It’s all valid feedback and something I want to address. Now it’s time for me to focus on these community features that bring back that same feeling I felt 10 years ago. I want people to come back to Refrakt because they get genuine value from being there and being a part of the community.

There are three main pillars I want to build around:

1. Build deeper connections with other photographers

2. Showcase your work and your process

3. Enable learning from others

If Refrakt can get to a point where those three things work in harmony, I can declare it a success. I think it also doesn’t require a huge network to get there which is a good thing in these extremely early stages.

What if there’s value beyond just posting work? Could magazines and existing communities find a place there? Could people organise meetups and workshops? Refrakt then becomes a nice home for what you want to get from a photo community, whether that’s just sharing your accomplishments, teaching, finding work, or meeting others and finding collaborators. That’s what I’m missing from social today.

Getting there will be slow, but I’m hopeful

As you may know, it’s only me building Refrakt. I’m also not working on it full-time as I still need to pick up contracting work to pay the bills. Some Patrons have contributed to cover some costs of running the platform which I’m extremely thankful for, but I’m probably going to need some more help to get where I want to be sooner. If you know anyone who would like to contribute, or if you have some ideas on what would make Refrakt a really good home for photography, then I’d love to know in the comments below! Some of the areas I’m not too great at are more on the marketing side. Things like getting the word out or raising capital would be amazing.

So yeah, this was more of a brief look into where I think Refrakt could go from here, and why I still think other platforms have their place. It’s about working in harmony and making a good home for photography on the internet.

If you want to try out Refrakt, I’ve added an invite code “substack” that you can use to join the beta. I’d love to know what you think.

As always, thank you for reading.
Sam.