Shifter: www.shifter.media

[@rsimko]

I like your views. I am relatively new to your channel but after a few videos, I watched I feel there is a common ground. Very refreshing. Thank you.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Welcome.

[@johndwilliams]

Just recently discovered your channel and it's like a breath of fresh air in all the 'noise' out there. This episode especially caught my attention as I'm hesitating about spending time and money on a site. I'm trying to break away from the social media drug and this may be the shove that I need. I'm 65 and have only got serious about photography in the last couple of years. I take the occasional landscape shot but am more interested in the unusual types of photography like street and documentary. I just can't get past the idea that I have to be able to sell prints on my site! It would be nice, but need to look wider. Think it's part of being older. You're more aware that time is getting shorter! Keep up the good work.

[@CRJines]

I've had mine for almost 10 years now. Best investment is your own website. Social media accounts can come and go, but the website is a great home base. Personally, I highly recommend paying for your own hosting and using a platform like WordPress. This gives you the greatest amount of control over your web property

[@andrefelixstudio2833]

As a photographer/Web Developer I agree with Chuck, Your site will only go off line till you take it offline or an issue with your hosting. Be in control, I have never had any work from FaceBook , I took my self off there years ago it (FaceBook) was a wast of time and money.

[@frederic_viennot]

thank you so much always for the huge inspirations ;)))

[@erichhamann5297]

How refreshing. Absolutely love your honesty and humor.

[@phillipP8848]

It is always a pleasure to listen to one of your rants. It is also a rarity to get a response, whitch I noticed that you always do. Many thanks for that.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Oh ya. I'm here. If I didn't respond I wouldn't do YT.

[@phillipP8848]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 yes, there use't to be a time people would actually sit down and talk, in depth, without distractions, but that is a topic for another day. Thanks for the reply and keep doing the thing you do so well. Phillip.

[@martinberry1540]

Totally agree, social media has alot to answer for, trying to develop website. Will certainly look at yours tonight.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Use mine as a "what if" scenario. A site needs nurturing.

[@martinberry1540]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 Yep, its a good balance and variety, as you say, direct people to website not social media. Find your videos very genuine and informative, keep it up

[@humanelements2]

This was a great listen, thanks for sharing your ideas with us. I've also had a dream website sitting in the ether for years now that doesn't mesh with the current digital space. Like you, I've also been feeling trapped between the gift and curse of social media. I have enough followers who love my content and I know would support me monetarily (a teensy bit). Yet I absolutely hate what social media is doing to the digital and artistic space and have been letting my years of networking wither because I'm conflicted over it. As a documentary photographer, I've found that social media algorithms attract the lowest common denominator to my work. I either get emoji responses or rants because someone's just been triggered by what they've seen and only wants to consume images that validate them. And then there's the dopamine hit from anonymous like counts. Worse, I'm essentially giving away my life's work for free so social media companies can keep people addicted to their platforms. The only way forward for me seems to find something completely off the beaten path - and critically, includes me as a person rather than highly tailored content like gear review phoblographers. So kudos to you for continuing to take the path of most resistance. That keeps me coming here to feel inspired that maaaybe I'm not just doing it all wrong and should shelve my vision. And I hope your site gets up and running again so I can check out your approach in detail.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Earl, having lived off the beaten path for the last six years I can say with absolute certainty it is a far more rewarding life. These companies are horrible and are responsible for much of the destruction we see around us. But if that isn't enough, the premise for photographers is PHONY. It's just all so fake. Begging for following.Its embarrassing.

[@humanelements2]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 Agreed - we've all been hoodwinked into this game. I'm going to keep trusting that if I continue to create and make things I like, my audience will sort itself out. Keep on keeping on, Dan!

[@ellenstoune8937]

The wink cracked me up. I adore your website! When I run across an interesting person (like you - don't let that go to your head! *wink* LOL), I look for their website because I want to see what else they are doing. I love about pages. The first time I went to your website, I was thrilled. There was so much to see and learn. Many of those long form interviews have been going with me for walks and I'll often fire one up to listen to while I'm beading. I do lots of things - photography, art, jewelry, etc. and I've never had a website because I never wanted to choose just one thing. When I see websites like yours, I am reminded that I don't have to. I can share all my interests. Thanks for another great video.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

My wife makes jewelry! She never listens to anything I do unless she has no other option. Glad you like the site.

[@ellenstoune8937]

Really?! How cool!! What type of jewelry does she like to make? Is she a fellow beader?

[@lynnfraser5099]

Thank you for another virtual kick up the backside! I've got a website and was blogging but have let it slide woefully - must remedy that. I think I got a little despondent that for the amount of effort that went into producing the blogs (they're usually quite long and uploading stuff on our dismal internet connection takes a lifetime) only a very small number of people were reading them. But you're right, it's somewhere to display/curate your work, thoughts, whatever in the way that you want to rather than being constrained by someone else's 'vision', and a place to direct people to. And I like long form - I've been listening to more podcasts recently and I like them to be at least an hour long!

[@stevenml5748]

Thank you.

[@Pyliip]

Great video Daniel, I fully agree on the importance of long form and how an email list is a very powerful tool. Facebook/Instagram seem to have very much put in place a pay for play system in which most of your followers actually don't see your posts unless you pay to promote them as opposed to virtually every subscriber receiving your newsletter in their email box. On top of that, the erosion of followers (people not using the platform after some time and thus becoming so called "ghost followers") is much more important on social media compared to email subscriber and it's much easier to get analytics on the latter. Kind regards from Switzerland

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

My mom's family is from Switzerland, from way back. Yes, social is like a great beast feeding off the users who seem to be more than fine with being consumed, digested and spit out. I blame, at least here, our education system.

[@my_everyday_carry]

Just subscribed to the website ... hoping to receive the newsletter

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

You might be waiting a while. I really do need to do a test but so slammed all the time.

[@TheRoss0411]

Fantastic video. I am just beginning into freelance web development in hopes of leaving my day development job in a year or so. It's very nice to hear someone that really understands how a website should be used instead of as an addition to social media. Also, I have just built a site for my own photography site as well as starting a blog, however, I had forgotten about email sign-ups that is something I will need to add, thank you :)

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

I think a newsletter is key. Give people something they aren't getting anywhere else.

[@TheRoss0411]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 I'll do my best, thank you

[@rickharsh7005]

Enjoy your content. I have a website now, needs work but it is a work in progress. I am slowly adding to it, just need to get off my arse so to speak and work on it.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Just remember. Simple, honest, funny is helpful.

[@Ricardo-SW]

Ooh, ooh, ooh- he's back!

[@darrenscaysbrook6038]

Golden info. Thanks.

[@terencemorrissey4413]

Excellent video, thank you for making it. If you are trying to promote a book from a long term documentary project and had 50 images in the book, approximately how many images would feature on the website to give a snapshot of the book?

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Very few. Two or three. But take your time and present them in a way that speaks to more than the images. Process, background, history.

[@samhartfieldlewis5247]

This is good, I do put photos on Instagram because I like showing people stuff i think or notice. But lately have been thinking about a website too kind of archive it and put photos into styles. Nice one good hear stuff like this

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Do both, see how you feel. The site will force you to think in longer terms. The email newsletter is key and make it different.

[@vproven]

Love your vlogs, Great content. Okay that’s out of the way. Now what is with the jacket? Lol! 😏 👍👍👍

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Beyond Modus. With AG23 patch like all the cool kids! Bamboo, charcoal inside so it don't stink when Uncle Danno gets sweaty. It will be glued to me until spring. I'm a cold weather wuss...

[@Selenasking]

Fuji is great but I can't afford it. (did have a tiny digital camera though, lol). Actually, I owned a 35mm film Fujica St701 (and 801 later but that was stolen) I loved that camera (St701) in photo school in Atlanta during 1972 to '74. along with the cheap but capable Yashica D or Yashica Mat. (6x6). Film still lives but I'd rather have a better digital.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Fuji is inexpensive in comparison. Get something used, small and simple.

[@debbiehartmann1467]

I love your videos also, they always make me think! Just a side note: I also went to your website and I could not get anything to load. I kept getting an error notice.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Can you try again? We just ran some tests and it was working....not sure what is happening.

[@debbiehartmann1467]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 I tried again today and no error messages at all and everything loaded quickly. I checked on my desktop, laptop and phone. Now I can explore your awesome website!

[@125f8]

Daniel, have you thought about just putting the audio only online from the videos?

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Not really. I do a podcast that is audio only.

[@peterkaltoft8032]

Love the glasses

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Goodr. Got them at an event. They are the most comfortable glasses I've ever had but NOT prescription. I need contacts again....

[@diforbes]

Another fine video. Any recommendations for website platforms to use to get started?

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Simple, clean and easy to read. Nothing fancy. I had a site once, early on, that was truly fantastic. Lots of moving parts. It would never work today. I would literally think about creating something so simple it is nearly impossible to break and simple to feed and update. I use WP, which is great and tweakable.

[@LuisGodinez]

IG has made me lazy. I used to blog and while I wasn’t great at it, I felt more attuned to my photographic voice because I would converse with blog. I would try to create a narrative of the photos instead of just posting one photos that would hopefully get over 100 likes.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

You are not alone. I've seen IG ruin a lot of good photographers.

[@MVKrajnak]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 @Luis Godinez...Perhaps work to blog what you IG. If you like it enough to put it on IG, like it enough to blog about it. Do the photo post, but provide more context around it. It's easy to just "throw it up on IG" but if you like it enough to do that, then take 20 or 30 minutes to add to your own URL. Cheers!

[@davidabarak]

I stopped using Instagram and Twitter. What's already there I have to consider lost to thieves... not necessarily that my work's worth stealing...

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Hey David, that's another good point. You can have theft from a site too but perhaps less likely.

[@mrjohnbaseley]

www.shifter.media "Once worked as a fragrance model" - I'm in...

[@masairunning4323]

For what it's worth (pun intended) I really like your site. It's akin to entering a large, rather delapidated stately home with hundreds of rooms - you never quite know what you're going to find behind the door. Being a hypochondriac I even visit the Lyme tab quite regularly. I have a site and, like yours, it has been going about 20 years but it only has seven subscribers to the newsletter (which I too have never sent) and most of the subscribers are my Sister who uses different email addresses to make me feel better. Keep up the good work and I can't wait for your take on the "Trump Royal Drive Past"

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

I truly and absolutely LOVE that description. It reminds me of the Ann Bancroft house in Great Expectations movie with Ethan Hawke. Love, love, love it.

[@andreeasoare1079]

Interesting but I miss For What It’s Worth... :-)

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

I've been sitting on a new one for a long while. It's coming soon.

[@jmsaylor22]

I went to your website and keep getting the dreaded “resource limit is reached” error. ☹️

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

So odd, we just ran tests and it is fine on my end and on Flemming's end....

[@jmsaylor22]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 it took some time but I was finally not getting that error message.

[@CristianGeelen]

Love your website. But you do need to renew your certificate... Otherwise it is not secure and will not go over https. :)

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Ah yes, the scam. Maybe at some point. It still works so until it is left in flaming ruin I'm going to leave it alone...

[@CristianGeelen]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 Haha believe me it is not a scam. IT engineering is what making my photography dream possible. Plus they are not so expensive anymore and when you do it you are done for like two years. :)

[@SundayRacers]

How about your Yoga percentage?

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

That is a critical 5%.

[@owainshaw]

I don't post to my website's blog as much as I would like, but when I do, the comments I receive are real comments from a person who has read what I wrote, looked at the images I shared, thought about them and shared a real reaction or connection with their own experiences. Comments I received on social media (took me too long to realise that I too am not 'in the game' and therefore the idea of it being a necessity was a nonsense) were mostly Fire emojis or some such inane bollocks. Seeing the difference in quality of engagement was one more nail in the coffin of something I never really enjoyed participating in anyway. A website/blog isn't print but it's still infinitely better for displaying my work than Instagram. Even if the person reading the blog is using a mobile phone (distinctly likely) then I still get better control of sequencing and presentation than social media offers, I can show more work and I can introduce as much text as I like, where and when I like.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Well said. And I totally agree. Social is just a default brain space now. I rewatched part of The Great Hack last night. I love films about these topics to know what we know now and STILL find reasons to use these platforms is a truly remarkable moment in our history. I love the balance of print + digital.

[@kevinsolie2208]

My site is pitiful. I need to give it some love.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Take your time, make it enjoyable.

[@paulgero]

Hey Casey Neistat

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

I wish. Except for the LA part.

[@stephencharlton2024]

oh my but your content is amazing .... but oh no "mirrored glasses"....

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Funny you mention those. They are from Goodr. I got them at an event. I have a myriad of glasses, as I"m sure you have seen. All are prescription and cost a bloody fortune. The Goodr frames are not but they are SO comfortable, light and perfect. It made me think about getting contacts again.