The Hierarchy of Photography Publishing

Explaining how to photograph is 99% of what's published about photography and it's 99% distraction.

A step up from explaining how is explaining why. This is the 1% that really makes you reconsider your entire approach to the art. That's where I've been for years. But I'm not proud of that anymore, because there's a step above the why I've been trying to stretch myself to get to.

Leading by example. Doing. That's the top of hierarchy. You create the art and share the story. There's very few people at this level. All of us are creating the art, but how many share the story in a way that intrigues anyone? David Duchemin, Hugh MacLeod, Jorge Quinteros and Eric Kim are rare examples.

The throngs of hobbyists on Tumblr or Instagram who share the art, but not the story, are easily forgotten. It's all about the story.