Social Media has taken the world by storm and the arts are no exception. Gone are the days when being a photographer meant being able to put film on the reel in a pitch-black room. Now all you need is a DSLR and some phone apps.

Many people, like myself, still enjoy long nights in the darkroom and mixing chemicals. I'm not going to lie, it's kind of cool to feel like a mad scientist with measuring cups and ratios. With that said, why not take advantage of social media? If it's possible to build a photography career using your iPhone, then modern photographers everywhere should at least give it a shot.

Recently I started trying to build a professional Instagram following with photography and lifestyle posts. It's been slow going, to say the least. There are a few things in particular that have been making me very angry.

1. Following and then unfollowing.

Many users will follow you in the hopes that you will follow them back. They aren't actually following you because they like your content, they are just trying to help themselves. I will get a notification saying I gained 5 followers and then I'll open the app to see that I really have two less than I started with.

This is more of an issue when it comes to more popular accounts, they do a lot of following and unfollowing. If you don't like my content then don't follow me, it really is that simple.

2. Algorithms

I'm sure if you have social media you know all about algorithms. I get that they're always changing, change can be good. I take issue when platforms like YouTube and Instagram make algorithm changes that don't impact major accounts much but make it much harder for smaller creators to gain a following.

All kinds of things go into determining who sees your posts and when they see them. I'm sure I could focus on the algorithms, but by the time I figure out the system, it will just change again.

3. Shadow banning

Instagram has a feature that will hide your posts from people without notifying you. There's more than one reason they might do this, but most commonly it will be if you use the same hashtag too many times. I get that this is preventing certain spam accounts from taking advantage of the system, but one major key to developing a career in social media is consistency.

Everyone who takes their account seriously from a business perspective has a handful of topics and goals for their content. How can you be consistent, use hashtags, and not get shadow banned? You can't.

4. Working with brands

If you've got consistent content and you're starting to build a base of followers, brands will jump on you to promote their product. The issue with this is that many of them aren't legit. They offer ambassador or affiliate programs that give you a discount for you and your followers, but what they never admit is that you are actually their target customer.

Many of these will require you to make a purchase to become part of the program. They don't want to work with you, they want your money. Don't fall for it. If a brand really wants to work with you they will put in even more effort and resources into a collaboration than you do. Make them work for it.

5. Lame comments

Yes, I think the smiley face emoji is cute too, want to comment some words? I don't actually get hate on any of my posts, at least not yet, and for that I'm grateful. Really though guys, at least try to comment something interesting. Also, if you comment something along the lines of "I love your photos please follow me and look at my page," but then you don't follow me or like any of my photos.

Yeah, chances are I won't be looking at your page because it seems like you might not be very genuine online. I know what we see online is very artificial, to begin with, so I don't need to waste time on your half-hearted, very fake compliment.

At the end of the day, I post on Instagram because I love it. That doesn't stop me from getting all bothered by the groveling, twisted algorithms and shady business.

If you're thinking about using social media seriously just make sure to always do your research about the algorithms and be extra careful about working with brands. Don't do it for the fame because it's not going to happen overnight and it can be hard work. Be real, be honest, and do it for yourself.