Under the Influence- How to Fake Your Way Into Getting Rich on Instagram

by Trey Ratcliff

  In my continued research, I discovered the dynamic range of light the human retina can detect far surpasses even the best camera sensors. This sent me down a rabbit hole of research, photography, testing, and sharing all my geeky results on my blog. I shared everything, wrote tutorials, uploaded full-resolution photos, embraced Creative Commons, and accidentally figured out how the internet works along the way. I never had a plan to make money from it or anything. I was just obsessed.

  Oh, another quirky thing I will jam into the narrative as it is often a point of interest: I was born blind in one eye, and to this day I only see out of my left eye, a strange medical condition I refer to as “the gift.”

  Growing the Blog to #1 in Travel Photography and Personal Growth

  I started my blog, StuckInCustoms.com, as soon as I began taking photos. I have been sharing at least one photo per day, along with stories and free HDR tutorials, to help everyone enjoy and learn what I was discovering for myself. This steady, energy-intensive, approach of providing interesting and useful content consistently over time helped build my little personal blog into the #1 Travel Photography Blog online, with millions of visitors. Google tracks image views and, on that platform alone, it’s tracked over 140 billion views of my photos, with over 125 million views a day. (Although at least some of those views are from my mom, who remains my biggest fan.)

  Here’s my blog at www.StuckInCustoms.com. One new photo and story, every day! That photo above is when I lived on Antarctica for about a month at the New Zealand base.

  By my late 30s, the blog had become very popular, and I was finally ready to dive full-time into my creative side. This transformation into an artist included studying Zen and practicing yoga and meditation. Boy oh boy, in this book, you’ll see a lot about how the study of mindfulness and consciousness has shaped my approach to social media.

  The study of mindfulness has also allowed me to completely let go of the ego, which has been an amazing revelation that has freed up a tremendous amount of energy and added a nice calmness throughout my day.

  Sprinkling in Social Media

  Anyway, back to the story. When social media got huge several years ago, I jumped on all the platforms, and I am still very active on many of them. It’s hard to remember what we used to do before we all had to check our phones constantly but, prior to 2010, it wasn’t double tap and scroll our way through Instagram.

  At the time of this writing in 2018, I’m currently in the top 1% of the most-followed on Instagram, with about 175K followers. In addition, I have 4.3 million followers on Pinterest, 340K on Facebook, 58K on Flickr, and 80K subs on YouTube, with over 34 million minutes of total video watch time. Anyway, I love all my Internet friends and have come to know a fair bit about social media in the process.

  I also love hosting photo walks around the world where I get to mingle with the fans (I actually call them friends-that-I-haven’t-gotten-to-know-yet). We walk around the city taking photos and I give them tips, tricks, and little golden nuggets of truth along the way. This is the fun crowd that showed up in Melbourne, Australia a few years ago. I’m there in the front wearing a black shirt, the one guy who forgot to look at the camera!

  Psychedelics and Artistic Growth

  I have used, and continue to use, psychedelics and other non-addictive drugs. They have opened my mind, made me more creative, and made me understand more about the tapestry of energy and consciousness of the universe.

  I remember growing up and watching those advertisements on TV with two eggs sizzling in a pan that hauntingly claimed, “This is your brain on drugs.” I never really understood that ad, because I really liked eggs. But I got the point, and it scared me.

  What I realized about five years ago, when I first tried recreational drugs, is that not all drugs are the same. Yes, there are some bad drugs out there, like meth, heroin, and all the addictive opioids. I have never tried any of those, and I don’t recommend them. It seems clear that those cause a net-negative effect not only in people’s lives, but in the lives of people around them.

  I’ll talk about this as if you know nothing about recreational drugs, which I find most people do not. It’s an interesting evolution for us as a society, because many of these drugs, especially the psychedelics, were a part of ritualistic village life for 99% of our ancestors. It’s only the most recent few centuries where we have stopped using them, a product of urbanization and strong religious and government control.

  First, recreational drugs are not addictive. This was a huge revelation to me. Yes, some can become part of a behavior pattern, but that is a lot different than a chemical or psychological addiction. For example, having psychedelics once a month and enjoying the experience is no different than going to the movies once a month. If you like to go to an awesome movie theater to check out of reality, it can’t be said that you’re addicted to movies. And, by the way, a good psilocybin experience can often be 100x better than the best movie. For more information on this, I recommend Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind. I do recommend everyone goes through a session of this with an experienced counselor, as it really can reset your mind while giving you a glimpse of the divine. You’ll put on an eye mask, listen to music, and the counselor will guide you through the experience. It’s impossible to describe, but you will have breakthroughs that you need to have.

  I’ve tried marijuana (weed) about a dozen times. It just doesn’t work for me. I have some friends who really enjoy it, but I don’t do it anymore. It doesn’t seem to agree with my body chemistry. But this is an important thing to learn about drugs: you will develop your own tastes. I learned to develop these tastes and experiment with mind-expanding substances at Burning Man, and this mind expansion has absolutely helped my creativity, my openness, and my connection with the universe.

  Here’s a photo of Burning Man from above. I’ve been every year for the past eight years. This is a temporary city of about 70,000 artists and creatives that is rebuilt every year in a white sand desert in Nevada.

  I will now talk about two drugs that I think everyone on earth should do. Maybe that’s another book. Also, you should also ask your doctor before you try these. You may have another medication that could disagree, a heart condition, or any variety of things. Don’t be afraid to be 100% honest with your doctor. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and, believe me, your doctor has already seen it all. These two drugs I will talk about are not harmful. They are not addictive. Rather than tell you what they are not, let me tell you what they are.

  First, I think everyone on earth would benefit from doing MDMA (also known as Molly or Ecstasy) once a month. Do it with friends or loved ones. You will be happier than you thought humanly possible, and it will open up new rooms in your brain you can revisit any time. I’ve done this drug many times with doctors who have explained everything to me. It will last 3-6 hours. You’ll feel a universal love for everything and everyone around you while having a massive amount of energy. It’s impossible to make a bad decision on MDMA, as opposed to legalized drugs like alcohol. In fact, you’ll be so happy, you’ll be tempted to do it again after the effect wears off, but this is not recommended. Be smart and only do it a few times a year. What is happening in your body? Chemically, there is a massive dump of serotonin and norepinephrine, two naturally occurring substances that elevate your mood. Serotonin is very important in keeping you in a decent “mood,” so it is important not to completely deplete yourself, otherwise the rest of the week may be a bit dour. It takes about a week or more for that serotonin tank to refill itself. When you try it the first time, think, “Why on earth is this stuff illegal?” It’s actually in phase 3 trials now (so, almost legal), as doctors investigate applications for PTSD and depression.

  The second drug to try is DMT. Alternatively, you can go for the full Ayahuasca ceremony. I won’t talk about that, because it is impossible to talk about. This is a very popular experience shared by some of my most intelligent and successful friends
.

  Amongst everyone I know that also does these drugs, 100% agrees that they are all better, more enjoyable, and safer than alcohol. I know, you’ve probably never heard of this stuff before, right? A bit mind-bending when you realize you’ve been lied to your entire life. @genttrav

  Okay, enough talk about awesome drugs. Let’s talk biz. I’m wearing my socks, so you know that means it’s business time.

  Fine Art Business and Other Business Interests

  My main business at TreyRatcliff.com is selling large-format, limited-edition fine art prints to happy collectors around the world. I had the first HDR photo to hang in the Smithsonian Museum, and the museum also featured a few more of my photos in a 2018 Burning Man exhibit. My fine art business is performing well, and we passed the $1 million revenue mark a few years ago. This expedition has been much more fun and exhilarating than I ever anticipated.

  Here is one of my installations hanging in the home of Sir Michael Hill.

  Beyond the fine art business, I’ve dabbled in myriad other lifestyle business activities related to my photography and travel life. By the way, let me make it very clear that I am full of gratitude and I feel like one of the luckiest people on the planet. I don’t take any of this for granted!

  This was our tour bus passing through Paris. It slept 6 people, had a movie room, and even a bar! Wow we had fun... It was part of an extended campaign where I would lead photo walks and give art talks in 80 cities around the world. We partnered with Ritz-Carlton, Air New Zealand, Flixbus, and Facebook as sponsors. More info at 80stays.treyratcliff.com

  One of my favorite projects was creating a solution to a personal pet peeve. I’ve lugged my camera gear around the globe and struggled to find a way to carry it all that was functional, durable and not too dorky, but nothing like that existed—believe me, I’ve looked everywhere. So, a few years ago, I got together with the smart people at Peak Design in San Francisco, and we partnered to design a number of photographer-friendly bags. Our two campaigns on Kickstarter were hugely successful, making over $13 million. More importantly, our products have made a ton of people happy, since they now have an enjoyable way to cart their photo gear around on adventures.

  I also teamed up with Skylum (formerly Macphun) to build our own photography software, called Aurora HDR. Last year, Aurora HDR won Apple’s “Mac App of the Year,” and to date, the app has reached over 3.5 million downloads and continues to grow.

  I also run photography workshops, organize free photo walks around the world, do inspirational public speaking via my agent at CAA, make video tutorial courses about photography, and create other cool stuff we sell on our online store. I mostly use my Instagram and other platforms as a way to inspire other artists and help spread ideas about creativity around the world in a positive way.

  My Personal Approach to Taking Photos of People and Landscapes

  I didn’t want to make a significant chunk of this book about my photography and my approach to the subject matter. I do, however, believe all photographers, even selfie-photographers, have some emotional baggage they carry, and that weight permeates every photo they take. Studying a selection of an artist’s creations, looking at what they find interesting, and understanding how they see what they are looking at, can reveal a sense of who the artist is.

  I believe the universe is a beautiful and silly place.

  I say this after over ten years of traveling to all seven continents, meeting awesome people from all of them, experiencing countless psychedelics and other drugs, studying anthropology and sociology extensively, and undertaking a deep practice in meditation, as I slowly come to understand consciousness and how we are all connected in the same tapestry.

  There are many natural forces in the world. The sun heats the planet. Dogs are happy when their owners come home.

  Humans are drawn to beautiful and interesting things.

  I don’t have many skills, I assure you! But maybe my three greatest skills are:

  Observing and taking photos of beautiful things.

  Figuring people out.

  Asking people to help me overcome my shortcomings.

  I’m also an awesome dad, as #4, but let’s not get into parenting stuff too.

  The universe is, by default, entropic. Humans seek order in the entropy. I see order as “beauty,” but I use this word not in the common definition of physical attractiveness. So much of my day is utter chaos, whether I am holding a camera or not.

  When I experience order (or beauty), I have a moment of conscious presence— whether it be an amazing song, an awesome person, a movie, or some semblance of a transcendent experience—and that’s what I try to capture in and with my photographs. The process of tuning in to find order and beauty, I believe, is a kind of consciousness that produces Art with a capital “A,” and is what separates some photographs from billions of snapshots and indulgent selfies.

  I’m not suggesting that my approach is superior, or that I’m more “woke,” but it certainly is the result of intellectual and philosophical deep dives. This is the framework that I use to analyze what’s going on in social media today.

  I’ve included a sampling of my photos below so you can get to know me a little better. Think of them as an aesthetic bibliography. If you’re on a black and white Kindle, these won’t look that great, so better to pop over to my portfolio at https://StuckInCustoms.SmugMug.com and even better on a laptop rather than a phone so the pictures are big and bold!

  My Philosophy

  I’ll explain my philosophy on life and the universe as it stands today. I continue to add to it as I learn more about myself and the universe. It informs everything I write. This isn’t really a full treatise on my philosophy. Perhaps I’ll write that someday, but I think it’s important you understand the shape of the mind that writes this, so it frames the texture of the words in this book.

  Overall, my philosophy is derived from a combination of ancient Eastern notions, and not in the religious sense at all. There is not a set of “rules” or a template to “follow,” in fact, it is the opposite of that. It is the letting go of all of these constructs, starting with the ego.

  Ego is a fictional construct. Our minds are amazing at creating a story, but the story is simply that: a fictional construct.

  I often give speeches to photographers and creatives and offer this one simple truth: the greatest creative gift you can give yourself is to let yourself go, as this frees up the energy kidnapped by the ego. That energy is then free to create and to stop worrying about:

  What other people think of you

  Yourself

  Anxiety. It is a recursive algorithm, a nascent program that instills a once-vital fear. Anxiety and fear used to be extremely valuable tools in our toolbelt back in the hunter/gatherer days when we struggled to survive and had to look out for a lion in the tall grass. Anxiety is the yin to ego’s yang. They dance and twirl together as if that is reality. None of that exists as soon as you realize the tapestry of energy that is unfolding around you.

  Let me attempt to unpack some key things I have discovered through significant meditation, reading from masters, psychedelic experiences, and introspection.

  You Are Not the Thoughts in Your Head

  You are the silence behind the thoughts. You, the real inner you, can watch the thoughts go by, like clouds in the sky. Think about a time when you were laying on your back. Maybe you were alone and maybe you were next to a close friend, holding their hand. Maybe your hands fold together like two soft puzzle pieces. Finally, you’re looking up at those clouds.

  All the clouds were interesting. You don’t look up at a cloud and say, hey, what an ugly cloud.

  The same goes for the trees you see as you walk in the park. Maybe you see a big tree or a small tree or a misshapen tree. You never think, wow, that tree is shit. What a terrible tree! How dare it enter my visual cortex!

  So why do you do this with your own thoughts? Why are you labeling and ju
dging your thoughts?

  Your thoughts are no different than clouds or trees. Just as you can simply observe clouds and trees, observe your thoughts but loosen your grip on them. You are the soft silence that observes all things.

  I’m only reminding you of something you may already know, or at least may suspect. Your thoughts are clouds and trees. All interesting. There is no need to label them as good or bad.

  This is a very difficult concept for people with a very strong ego to understand. They are convinced they are the thoughts in their head. But if you just allow the door to open just a tiny bit and let a little bit of the light of consciousness to peek through the crack, you’ll see what I’m saying. It’s incredibly liberating once you grab ahold of the concept that you are so much more than your thoughts. In fact, your thoughts are one of the most insignificant things about you.

  Some of My Favorite Photos

  Here is a collection of some of my favorite photos. If you want to see them in full color and at better resolution, just visit the website http://StuckInCustoms.SmugMug.com.

  Some old school photographers will tell you heavy post-processing is impure. I believe using a variety of artistic tools does not diminish the final effect of a photograph and, in fact, the use of artifice in your craft is noble. For instance, this one is a panorama of 130 different photos taken in southern China that I’ve digitally sewn together before applying proprietary High Dynamic Range techniques to achieve a look that captures the mood in the moment. It’s my artistic interpretation of a subjective experience. You could never get this in just one photo in-camera.