Saying Buh-Bye to Facebook

Why this “new“ community and why away from Facebook

A Personal Note from

DFP Founder

Ash Raddatz

Did you know we (DFP) are saying buh-bye to Facebook?

As we put the finishing touches on our new DFP home, I thought it would be fair… interesting… in the spirit of transparency… (I do not know which word fits best because they are all applicable) to let you know WHY we are taking things in a bit of a different direction for DFP. I will get to the HOW later but first, the why is most important because it is what’s driving this change and the fire in my belly to make it happen (along with support from Ana Guisado and Mark Looney of course). One thing is for sure, we will remain your foul-mouthed friends who love documentary photography! And we are STILL doing this thing, as in, DFP STILL exists but we want DFP to exist in a different way. Because I need to exist in a different way, just like I feel many of you are probably hoping to exist in a different way as well (especially if your past couple of years have looked anything like mine).  

2022 and 2023 were the hardest years of my life. Looking back, I think I spent a lot of it in a daze, my legs metaphorically tired from treading water and trying to keep my nose and mouth just above the surface to breathe. Summed up, it was f*cked up. And I hope I do not have to go through the hell that was 2022 and 2023 ever again.

Don’t get me wrong, there were good moments. Soft moments. And sacred moments. But there seemed to be so many scary moments, heartbreaking moments, traumatizing moments that really make it difficult to remember what the hell even went on in between the hard stuff.  

Things happened over those two years that had me questioning everything I previously knew about myself while also questioning all of the new things I was learning about myself.  I realized recently I have been changed in ways I could have never imagined. This realization, it’s a neutral feeling in a lot of ways. Kind of like, “Oh, that’s interesting.” And in other ways, I feel lucky to have come out on the other side of it all. I feel lucky to have an urge to connect with myself, my environment, and people on a different level.

During that time, I really closed myself off to any new friendships or connections, or any true community. Not purposely. No, not at all. I was just in a weird survival mode, doing the little I could in order to get by. Almost robotic in a way.  

But, one thing that stood out to me during that time… the few connections I did have were so important. Almost like a lifeline saying “You’re still here!! You’re still a part of something outside of this crazy shit you’re going through. I see you”.

A few of those connections were within DFP, which solidified how much I love this community and the people in it. And how, once I could see the sun through the clouds, I realized I wanted to find a way to strengthen the community and for it to be a really nice and consistent place to land, even if you are going through knee-deep shit in your life. To be rooted in community, art, creativity, and self while being held and witnessed. And to lean in together. That’s what I want and need! Oh, and for it to be really freaking fun!  

So, that’s how this whole “new and improved DFP” idea started. Part of it is selfish on my part. But part of it is like, other people want this too, right? A place to feel wholly yourself, to evolve and reflect, and connect, and and and… no matter what is happening in your life. To REALLY feel a part of something while just being you at the same time.  

With that, all of the discussions started happening. Ana Guisado (DFP’s co-founder) and Mark Looney (our new Community Builder & Concierge) and I have been in hours of meetings, co-working, rebranding, planning, building, making shit happen. It has been intense and oh so exciting and a lot of figuring out the best way to make this all happen.

One thing we knew right away was that we needed to get off Facebook. It is too distracting, it is information overwhelm with everyone shouting for your attention, it can be full of negativity and it’s a time suck. Not to mention, the new changes they are putting in place leave much to be desired.  

We can’t help but recognize the way it pushes and pulls us in every direction, making us feel a plethora of emotion (excited, happy, angry, disappointed, and helpless) all in the span of 10 minutes. And we can’t help but wonder what that push and pull, and information overload is doing to our creativity, focus, and ability to build deeper connections not only with each other but also within ourselves.

In order to protect our mind, our peace and emotions, we are giving Facebook the middle finger, and moving our community elsewhere.  

Over the past 6 months, we’ve been building a community platform off of Facebook and you’ll be able to access it via web or app. This is one of the biggest changes you will see, and we think you will like it a lot. (More info on how to get on it coming this week).

We are also going to be hosting numerous Zoom meet-ups throughout the month so we can connect, work together, support each other, etc. Along with community photo projects, challenges, creativity, and self-reflection prompts, and more, we are rolling out a new website with a simplified directory for Pros.

But, that’ all getting into the HOW and I wanted to stick to the WHY. But, I just wanted to share a brief overview of some of what’s to come and a few of the exciting things you can look forward to.  

I am so grateful for each of you who have been on this journey with us, and who continue to be. We are excited to have you join us in this new chapter and can’t wait to give you all of the nitty-gritty details in the next couple of days and weeks.

Feel free to reach out and say hi or share your thoughts. Let me know how your life has been, your photography, your business. Anything you would like to share, I love to hear from you! 

Otherwise, stay tuned…  

X, Ash

PS. Thank you for letting me share these things with you! Being vulnerable is always a bit nerve wracking but, I look forward to connecting in new ways that at times require vulnerability (and a bit of profanity)