A veteran photographer with over 35 years of experience is raising concerns about how emerging photographers are finding inspiration exclusively through social media platforms, warning that this trend may be hindering the development of genuine artistic vision. Simon Burn, who splits his time between Canada and the United Kingdom, argues that many popular photography influencers are actually content creators focused on product promotion rather than true artistic photography.
Burn emphasizes that popularity on social media doesn't necessarily correlate with photographic excellence. "The biggest problem I have with learning photography from social media is that just because a certain influencer is popular doesn't mean they're actually a great photographer," he explains. He notes that many influencers are primarily content creators who have built large followings and receive payment from brands to promote specific hardware and software products to achieve particular visual effects.
The photographer observes a troubling trend of homogenization in contemporary photography, particularly on social media platforms. He points to the prevalence of similar color grading techniques, consistent use of shallow depth of field, repetitive selfie poses, and the concentration of photographers at popular "honeypot" locations. "Scrolling through some social media feeds, so many images look similar," Burn notes, describing this phenomenon as "a large number of uncreative sheep mindlessly following a flock."
Rather than relying on social media for inspiration, Burn advocates for a more traditional approach rooted in art history and classical techniques. His own artistic education began at art school, where extensive study of art history helped develop what he calls "visual literacy." This foundational knowledge, he argues, helps photographers develop personal taste and eventually their own distinctive style or aesthetic preference.
Lighting serves as the cornerstone of Burn's photographic philosophy, a principle he learned through studying master painters from previous centuries. He specifically cites painters from the Dutch Golden Age, including Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer, as well as Renaissance artists like Caravaggio, as exemplary sources for understanding how light creates visual impact and guides the viewer's attention. "Great photography is all about using impactful lighting to help tell a story," Burn states, emphasizing that quality lighting conditions naturally produce compelling color and mood in photographs.
Composition represents the second crucial element in Burn's approach to photography. He draws significant inspiration from the Bauhaus movement, founded in the early 1900s, which emphasized stripping away ornamentation to focus on function over form. This modernist aesthetic, characterized by minimalism, straight lines, geometric shapes, and primary colors, unified art, crafts, and technology. The influence of Bauhaus pioneer László Moholy-Nagy, whom Burn identifies as the first photographer to embrace the medium as an art form rather than merely a documentary tool, continues to shape his approach to finding balance and harmony in everyday scenes.
Among contemporary and classical photographers, Burn identifies several key influences on his portrait work. Yousuf Karsh, Jane Bown, and David Bailey all contributed to his understanding of portraiture, with Bailey's high-contrast approach particularly resonating due to its connection with the creative music and fashion scene of the 1970s and 1980s. Burn expresses limited interest in social media photographers, though he recently discovered Manchester-based Simon Ogden, whose street photography work he considers exceptional despite Ogden's modest following of 1,245 Instagram followers.
Cultural influences from Burn's youth in England during the late 1970s and early 1980s significantly shaped his artistic perspective. This period, characterized by punk music, anti-establishment attitudes, and cultural rebellion, instilled values of innovation, experimentation, and self-expression. The era's "Screw it, let's do it!" mentality, exemplified by entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, encouraged breaking from traditional approaches and embracing failure as part of the creative process. Music photography from bands like The Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Stranglers contributed to the gritty, contrasty edge evident in Burn's black-and-white photography work.
International travel and cultural exposure have also played crucial roles in developing Burn's visual literacy. He credits visits to Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Germany with expanding his understanding of how different cultures approach artistic expression. This diversity of cultural experiences has particularly influenced his appreciation for European art and design principles.
For photographers seeking authentic inspiration, Burn offers several specific recommendations. He advocates visiting galleries and museums where professional curators display high-quality art and photography, studying classical painters to understand composition and lighting principles, and researching design and art movements to learn how pioneers challenged conventional approaches. He also encourages travel to different cultures as a means of discovering new approaches to visual communication.
Book collections by acclaimed photographers represent another valuable resource, with Burn specifically mentioning masters such as Saul Leiter, Martin Parr, Vivian Maier, Elliott Erwitt, and Alex Webb. While he acknowledges that social media can provide ideas and inspiration, he warns that relying exclusively on these easily accessible sources may prevent photographers from developing distinctive approaches that stand out from the crowd.
Burn concludes with a philosophical stance that reflects his punk-influenced background, embracing rebellion against popular trends as a creative principle. Citing punk icon John Lydon's observation that "Sometimes the most positive thing you can be in a boring society is absolutely negative," Burn advocates for maintaining an independent artistic voice rather than following popular trends. This approach, he suggests, leads to more interesting and original photographic work that breaks away from the homogenized content dominating contemporary social media platforms.
