Our first year as a business has been a mix of joy and disappointment. The customers who bought from us are dear to our hearts. The end consumer has become more assertive, knowing what they want and asking for more personalized postcards. Contemporary technology allows us to respond to this very quickly. However, what initially seemed like a straightforward request from an end customer turned into an unpleasant experience for us. The man in question began questioning everything and engaged in destructive criticism.
It started with the remark that there is no section on our website where people can leave reviews. Forma Muta means variable, quiet form; we enjoy staying in the background and quietly working for our customers. We do not impose requirements on our customers; they should not feel obliged to share their experiences with us so that we can showcase fantastic reviews. Our customers should be able to maintain their identity and order completely voluntarily without the fuss of a digital handshake or approving thumbs-up. We thought we had informed the customer about our values and objectives, but we received a response after a while.
Temu and Wish offer postcards at bargain prices and without shipping costs; you are scammers with the commercial insight of a donkey. The tone had now shifted, and while we could react emotionally or give it up, letting go is not in our character. From previous work experiences in the IT sector, I learned from former managers, for whom I am still immensely grateful for their wisdom, that it's better to let the hot bowl of soup cool down before responding. Competing with suppliers like Temu and Wish is not part of our business plan; these are monster players who offer everything at prices that raise eyebrows for every small business. If consumers prefer to order from a foreign supplier, that is their right, but engaging in a fight seems like carrying buckets of water to the sea.
Then it came: we received a proposal to follow a coaching program with him; he would set everything up for us online for a small fee of several thousand euros. We politely declined, but the man did make us think. This year, we will also need to transform; some action points include giving more insight into our lives. We tend to take a protective role to safeguard our creativity, but we will approach this differently. Vlogging is now on our list, we will be coming directly into your office or living room. We will also profile ourselves on various freelance channels to secure more assignments in photography, graphic design, copywriting, and even coaching (commercial framework).
Technology and the digital age have caused a seismic shift in photography. Everyone has a smartphone, takes photos, and considers themselves a photographer. We’ve experienced this firsthand, getting elbowed here and there as we try to take a picture while curious tourists armed with smartphones feel compelled to capture every moment, fearing they might miss out. Patience has become a rare virtue for such people. Simply waiting is no longer an option; they believe they’ll lose the crucial moment.
Sometimes, life needs to be kept interesting. We’ve invented a new sport: we set up with cameras and tripods pointed at a meaningless subject, pretending to take a photo while animatedly discussing it. Within minutes, a group of people crowd in, jostling to capture the same “important” scene with their smartphones. The absurdity in their expressions speaks volumes.
We have no issue with social media enthusiasts. After all, they’re constantly chasing content to break into “celebrity culture.” But their relentless focus on celebrities and their private lives, aspiring to belong to that world, often strikes us as shallow. Their attention drifts away from true beauty. They sometimes go to extremes to maximize reach, even risking fatal outcomes. The addiction to a constant flow of new content and likes becomes all-consuming. While we appreciate their use of Instagram filters, the results are often laughable, distorted photos that reduce faces to something out of a wax museum.
A new technology is emerging: artificial intelligence (AI) in photography. It’s being marketed to enhance, edit, or even generate images. AI promises to save time, boost creativity, and improve quality. Whether we like it or not, it’s the future. However, the current results are as lackluster as those of smartphone photographers, authenticity and character are completely stripped away, leaving an unnaturally polished facade. We love waiting for minutes during the golden hours to capture the perfect moment. It gives us satisfaction and a zen-like feeling as if the world pauses and we become one with the subject. Lines, structures, forms, colors, depth, and composition are crucial in photography, and inherent to every true photographer. They’ll always reappear in our work. So, while we’re not afraid of AI, we’ll embrace and rebel against it.
The market is oversaturated with photos, and the value of images has gone through the drain. Selling one photo might earn you enough to buy a loaf of bread. And let’s be honest, no one is waiting for us, given that we don’t have the accolades of Anton Corbijn, Carl De Keyzer, Stephan Vanfleteren, Ren Hang, or Nobuyoshi Araki… Still, we persist in documenting everything and curating collections. It’s not only about that one perfect shot but about creating a series of images that, together, tell a story, with each photo contributing to a greater narrative within the same theme.
Our first idea came from capturing landscapes and cityscapes. Initially, we saw hanging laundry as a disruptive element in our photos. Who hangs out their laundry in winter or on rainy days? But over time, that disruptive element became our subject. After a year, we’ve developed an eye for it. These days, we don’t need to travel far to find inspiration. Here in Tuscany, it’s part of everyday life. The creative ways to use every square meter to hang their laundry are fascinating.
How will we finance this book? That remains an open question. Should we approach publishers or seek sponsorship from companies interested in offering it as an exclusive corporate gift? Crowdfunding is trendy, but doesn’t appeal to us, we’re not great at asking for handouts. Still, we’re determined to publish this book, not to stroke our egos but to connect with the printing industry.
Printing companies have seen their landscape transformed. The time when every village had a printing house is slowly becoming a thing of the past. The sector offers new technologies and products that allow greater flexibility in scaling capacity; the value of print is certainly not dead.
Are we the last of the Mohicans who still value printed works? We don’t think so. In today’s ready-made solutions and instant gratification, digital content bombards us daily with quick, disposable visuals. Now, more than ever, there’s a need for a calming book that lets you escape, dream, and savor a well-deserved moment of peace.
2025, here we come!
