We have a choice
In this post I’ll be sharing my rationale for creating the Temporal Fragments website. Be warned, it contains some of my critical views on social media in general. I am great at parties after all.
Before I get started, let me establish that I try not to take photography too seriously. It’s an activity that I have enjoyed for most of my life, in which my productivity has tended to ebb and flow over the years. As evidence of my limited commitment, I’m not a technical expert, academic, or professional in the field. I don’t call myself a photographer.
I enjoy learning about the process, capturing images, and editing and presenting my favourites, mostly to myself. Naturally I am pleased to be recognized by others when they enjoy my work. A great way to receive validation from others is by posting photos on Instagram. I did that for a few years. One challenge I felt was trying to maintain some continuity in theme, style, or subject, between the images I would share.
Without having a cohesive photographic brand, I always felt my craft wasn’t developed to the point I could take pride in my presence on the platform. That craft, I soon realized, was more about positioning myself on Instagram than presenting images. After a while, having exhausted my patience struggling with how I should use the platform, I decided it was time to go. Other factors played a part too. More on that later.
An outlet for expression was still desired, but what is the work to be showcased? Could photography projects be the answer? Something where a subject is explored and documented. It could be a place, an activity, a person or persons. Perhaps a storytelling approach is needed. Surely that’s preferable to presenting random images that don’t necessarily stand out on their own. When they’re part of a collection, each one contributes to the whole. Feeling it was important to organize collections online, I invested some effort in my galleries and profiles on Flickr and 500px, as I continued to seek a suitable online home.
The images in this post were collected at random from the local neighbourhoods and distant roads I wandered this past summer. They relate to each other mainly by the time period they were captured. All were taken in Ontario, but mostly in Hamilton. The same camera and lens, which I was becoming newly acquainted with, was used throughout. It’s not exactly a project, having little focus. It is a collection of images observed and recorded by the same person at a moment in their life. This is no different than the older film photo collections posted here earlier.
I’m still wishing to take more pictures of people, of those in my life and of strangers. By stating it here perhaps I’ll become closer to overcoming the discomfort and shyness that prevents me. It’s never been difficult for me to meet and talk with new people. Only getting the camera involved is a challenge, even with close friends and family. That said, there are many occasions over the years I have been able to photograph these very subjects.
Photos in this collection were captured with a Canon EOS R and RF 35mm f2.8 lens. The camera is the first mirrorless full frame body that Canon produced. It was launched in 2018. Buying it in 2025, I wanted to use a full frame camera again after a brief departure.
The camera is highly capable for my main activity of shooting still images. The lens, while one of the most affordable in the RF lineup, is nice and bright with a close minimum focus distance. I’m also happy with the 35mm focal length. The bulk and weight of the camera, however, is not ideal for everyday shooting, as I hesitate to carry it with me most of the time.
The preceding paragraphs demonstrate why, for me, the decision to create my own website was best. It allows me to experiment at a distance from the commercial web. This website is essentially a project. I’ll organize my photos, memories, and thoughts right here. With practice I should be able to refine my craft and discover new opportunities for expression and engagement.
Since launching Temporal Fragments in 2025, my social media posting is limited to Pixelfed, a part of the Fediverse like Mastodon, which is decentralized by design, avoiding much of the problems with mainstream platforms. This weekend I went ahead and deleted my remaining photography site accounts, having not used them or realized much benefit for many months and years.
Now I’ll attempt to verbalize the growing distaste I have for the big tech platforms. There’s so much to criticize, so I’m only providing a rough outline. Using the word ‘tech’ to describe the online giants even bothers me. I’ll try to add links to sources that support my position.
The commercial online platforms, especially Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, but most of the others, like so many for-profit innovations in media and elsewhere, are actively eroding human connections and the social fabric. Allowing them to facilitate our interactions has increased the distance between all of us and led to further isolation, even though they promise the opposite. It’s a losing bargain. The benefits of donating our creativity and individuality to the market do not bear out.
It was clear the minimal returns from participating on the platforms are not worth any price. My own awareness of the harms to self and society can seem overly sensitive. To those who don’t share my acute sense of distrust, my concerns are seen as overblown.
The majority of users however, are conscious of the platforms’ problematic nature, and individually are fairly resistant to the most dangerous aspects of online engagement. Personal protection is not enough, unfortunately. The system effect remains, simply by remaining a part.
Orienting ourselves in opposition to destructive market forces has become a critical priority, in my view. Through withdrawing our attention and contributions from the big tech platforms, we can instead develop social ties without the interference of private businesses.
As world events make increasingly clear, the time has come to recognize corporate social media for the hollow promise it offers, and shift our attention to the actual needs of the world we live in. Contrary to private business objectives, we do not require much technology to engage with reality, nature, society, and ourselves.
To adapt a well known motto from the past, I urge everyone to consider the following with regard to any app or platform employing ads, algorithms, bots, and so-called AI:
OPT OUT
LOG OFF
DELETE
