My latest miniature photograph led me to think about something that affects many creatives: how much of our work is actually self-expression, and how much is shaped by social media algorithms?
The photograph came first. The Instagram question came afterwards.
The Village
When the Gnarl creep out of the forest at dawn, while only a handful of watchmen are awake, a campaign-book scenario becomes an adventure.
When the Bannwart and his warband are ambushed by a Gnarl host while racing for the safety of their fortified hamlet, that adventure becomes immersive.
Creating that sense of immersion is one of my favourite aspects of tabletop gaming. The miniatures, the terrain, and the stories all work together to transform a simple game into a memorable experience.
To support that immersion, I recently built a palisade measuring 1.20 metres in length, complete with a central gate and a matching road section. Both pieces blend seamlessly with my existing terrain tiles and allow me to create larger, more believable settlements on the tabletop.
If you would like to see more photographs of the terrain itself, you can find them in my SAGA meets The Weald article.
But I don’t build terrain only for gaming.
Whenever I create terrain pieces, I also think about miniature photography. A well-crafted environment allows me to tell stories visually and creates a stronger sense of place for the viewer.
This terrain was built for both purposes: gaming and photography.
And while photographing it, I found myself thinking about image ratios.
The Ratio and Social Media
Social media platforms reward certain formats, styles, and behaviours. Every few months there seems to be new advice on how to “beat the algorithm” and increase reach.
One common recommendation concerns image ratios.
Since most people browse social media on phones held vertically, platforms naturally favour vertical content. As a result, many photographers and artists feel pressured to create work that fits those formats, regardless of whether it serves the image itself.
But is the goal to satisfy an algorithm?
Or is the goal to express yourself?
Personally, I don’t have a preferred image ratio. The right ratio depends entirely on the story I want to tell.
When I photograph a scene, I often experiment with multiple compositions and crops. Sometimes the ratio I originally had in mind works best. Sometimes a completely different format reveals a stronger image.
That was the case with this village photograph.
The composition that best conveyed the atmosphere and scale of the scene happened to be a cinematic 2:1 format.
Here’s a video of a similar setup in 16:9 format.
From a social media perspective, that might not be the optimal choice.
From a storytelling perspective, it was exactly the right choice.
Yet the same terrain can tell a different story in a different format.
The vertical crop draws attention to different elements of the scene and creates a different visual experience. Neither version is objectively better. They simply tell slightly different stories.
Creativity First, Platforms Second
For me, creativity starts with the story I want to tell—not with the format a platform prefers.
Sometimes that story works best in a vertical 4:5 image.
Sometimes it works best in a cinematic 2:1 frame.
Algorithms change. Platform recommendations change. Best practices change.
The story remains.
So when Instagram doesn’t support the format I prefer, I adapt the presentation if necessary. But I don’t let the platform decide what the original work should look like.
My creative decisions belong to the story, not to the algorithm.
How do you approach image ratios in your own creative work? Do you start with the platform in mind, or with the story you want to tell?
Data Section
Fine Art Photography in 28mm scale, 26cm x 13cm, printed on Hahnemühle Museum Etching Fine Art paper, wooden frame, passepartout.
Made with Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome. HD Pentax-DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited at ISO 200, f/22, 5s
Terrain hand crafted by me, miniature 3D printed (design by Reconquer Designs), kitbashed and painted by me.
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