A New Social Media Network for Photographers

credits: Irys

Photographer Alan Schaller announced Irys, a new social media platform built specifically for photographers, and it’s clearly meant to push back against the video-first, algorithm-driven direction of apps like Instagram. Schaller, who’s built an audience of over a million followers on Instagram himself, says it’s gotten harder and harder for still photography to get the spotlight online. “Communities are kind of dwindling,” he says. “People feel like they’re posting into the void.”

According to Schaller, Irys has been in the works for two years and is more than just another app, it’s also a full-on photography agency, with plans to represent photographers, collaborate with galleries, and publish both books and a dedicated magazine. The idea seems to be giving control back to the creators, not the algorithms. “We shouldn’t leave it up for these tech people to decide just what we need,” Schaller says in the launch post.

Irys promises a clean, photo-focused experience with no ads, no data-selling, and massive 50MB uploads so users can share high-quality work as intended. It’s not clear yet how the platform will support itself financially, but the ethos is: photographers first. While the platform isn’t open to everyone yet, you can join the waiting list on the official website.

You can see full details on Irys’s website here