Okay, I don’t *hate* it… but I do have a strong dislike for what I feel it is creating.
Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with local photographer Lisa Mueller and my friends over at WBIR to discuss how smart phones and technology are changing the landscape of photography today (you see what I did there?). Regular readers of my blog know that I’m passionate about both technology and photography… so you might be surprised to hear that I’m not always excited about breeding the two. In the segment below I have a mini-rant about how I feel that Instagram promotes an idea that the effects you apply to a photo actually make the photo; whereas in my opinion the photo should stand on its own. All photos from the 70s aren’t inherently cool just because they’re old… are they?
Does this make me a photography snob? Well… maybe. Truth be told though, I’m no stranger to “effects”. Black and white conversions could be considered applying an effect as could HDR photography (or even worse… a black and white HDR!). Certainly selective colorization would be considered an effect (one that I’ve personally caught some grief over). The difference is that I loved the image before messing with it; I loved it. That’s the key here… that you love the pictures you’re taking; effects or no effects, instagram or no instagram. Don’t worry what other people think of your images, just make images that are pleasing to you (even though I may hate them 😉 )! I would just encourage you to spend as much time (or more) thinking about your composition and lighting as you do which effect you are going to apply to the image after you capture it.
As always, I’d love your feedback!
–Dan Thompson
P.S. There seems to be a little confusion as to what I’m “hating on”… and that is obviously my fault because I wrote it. Instagram as a service is fine and serves a purpose. I just don’t personally care for all the “gussied up” pictures that seem to be the norm there. We can still be friends though if you like them. 🙂
I totally agree!
Settle down techie guy, LOL Instagram is what it is.. a fun AP for your phone and a quick quirky picture for FUN…. People surely don’t think these are professional quality photos, if they do, then professionals are doing something wrong. Love my Instagram for ONLY fun quick social media sharing, my real photography is with a Canon :~}
First, I’d like to thank you for posting your thoughts on this subject, Dan. It takes guts to put your thoughts and opinions out there for the world to read (and see), and I commend you for that. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to comment on this blog post and share the thoughts I had while I watched you and Lisa Meuller live on WBIR.
You wrote, “Instagram promotes an idea that the effects you apply to a photo actually make the photo; whereas in my opinion the photo should stand on its own.”
If you’re speaking from a professional or aspiring photographer’s perspective and addressing other professional or aspiring photographers, then your point might have some validity, but I don’t think Instagram is an app that is in any way geared toward the professional or even the aspiring hobbyist photographer. In fact, I think Instagram is specifically geared to the amateur, snapshot photographer, who likes to share his/her personal snapshots on social networking sites – someone who has no care (or need to care) about making great photos or learning the rules of composition and lighting. They simply want to share something they saw and took a second to grab with their cell phone camera.
The ability to give it a little flair is just a bonus of the app, not an attempt or even a belief that the photo is somehow “great” because it looks like a 80’s polaroid that’s been in an album for nearly 30 years. I don’t think it even crosses the mind of the people that use Instagram. I think it’s a “neat thing to do,” and that’s why people are doing it.
As a professional photographer and graphic artist, I do like Instagram for one reason: It tells me that people do like creative post-processing – even from a crummy app, and that means something to me. It means that our hard work as photographers and artists to push the limits of what photography is and can be over the last 5-10 years of this modern digital age is not only being recognized and enjoyed, it’s being emulated.
A while back, I wrote out some of my thoughts on the art of photography. It wasn’t intended for the professional photographer or even my clients per se. It was a sorting of my personal thoughts on the art. I’d like to share part of that with you.
“I am not a purist. I don’t believe that an image has to be finished straight out of the camera. I don’t believe that film is the only true photographic medium. I don’t believe that a digitally retouched or rendered image is somehow less than a photograph, and I don’t believe that there is any one specific way to make a photographic image. I believe that a photographic image is finished when the photographer says it’s finished, regardless of whether finished is straight from the camera or after hours and hours of digital work. I believe the finished image is more important than the method used to finish it, and I believe that the art of photography is not bound by traditional methods, because it is, in fact, an art and should be treated as such.”
These words still ring as true and as personal to me as the day I wrote them.
Now, I agree with you when you write, “Don’t worry what other people think of your images, just make images that are pleasing to you.” It’s an imperative part of loving photography. Further, I encourage you to not only make images that are pleasing to you, but also make images that make you angry, frustrated, devastated that you missed the moment, and even sad – images that stretch your imagination to the point that even you go, “Huh? What the hell was I thinking?” Push yourself to make all kinds of images, including the ones that please you – and you will truly find what you love to shoot.
And finally, you write, “I would just encourage you to spend as much time (or more) thinking about your composition and lighting as you do which effect you are going to apply to the image after you capture it.”
If I had any advice for the modern photographer, it would be this. I encourage you to spend an equal amount of time thinking about the technical aspects of photography (composition, lighting, shutter speed, aperture, etc.) AND the artistic aspects of photography (posing, creative post-processing, presentation, etc.). In dealing with both head on and equally, you will truly find yourself and your art as a photographer.
Thanks again for your post, and thanks for inviting comment.
Andy Armstrong is a ten-time international award-winning photographer who makes his home in Knoxville, Tennessee. He has received Accolades of Photographic Mastery and Outstanding Photographic Achievement from the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Association (WPPI). In 2011, Andy Armstrong’s print, “He promised he would change” was awarded International Commercial Image of the Year at the WPPI Convention in Las Vegas.
Watch a short YouTube video about Andy’s thoughts on photography here: http://youtu.be/P623xGzI32k
Andy,
Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful comment. Your name actually came up as Lisa and I discussed the topic further in the parking lot after the spot. I wondered how you would feel about Instagram and commented that you preach (and rightly so) that the base image should always be exposed properly before you do anything.
I certainly enjoy the social aspects of Instagram and appreciate the ease of which you can share your “what I’m seeing right now” images with your friends online; I apparently just get a different vibe from its user base.
Dan
I think it’s like most anything, in moderation, it’s ok. But I don’t like it when it’s overdone. I think a lot of pros over do the vignette effect. I hate the HDR “look”. But if it’s done right, both look great.
…..what he said, only nicer, shorter and less condescending 🙂
JenniJ
no awards because I don’t enter competitions
just cameras, love, and smiles
You’re welcome, Dan. Yep – get it as close to right in camera as possible and then go to town in post (or don’t – that’s up to you).
As a confession, I have the Instagram App – I actually signed up as well, and I played with the settings and things, but I don’t think I’ve actually posted a picture with it.
And Jenni, I hope no one reads my comment as rude or condescending, as it was not my intention at all. I apologize.
Count me as someone in your corner on this one Dan …… Maybe my age makes me see things in a more narrow view. A phone is a phone …. the camera feature is just something that is there. Of course I am one of those people having a difficult time wrapping my arms around why a dslr camera also needs to be able to do video!?!?
Excellent response comments Andy!
Dan, Dan, Dan…
I hate disagreeing with you because, for example, I already wrote a really long reply and lost it, so I often hang on every word you speak because I have things to learn. 😉 I bet you hate that darn winky face, too, don’t you??!
First, I’m not a professional photographer. I have a Facebook page, yes, but I’m not naive enough to think that makes me a pro. I accept money for sessions occasionally and I take classes at UT as often as possible. How I wish Tom would hand out a certificate stating my professionalism once I walked out the door of his class!
All that said, in a somewhat decent way, I know my way around my Nikon and I do adore it. I want lots of them and lots of things to go with it. I think what it does is awesome and if I don’t hold it at least every other day I feel like I’ve lost something. I appreciate good pictures and I especially love it when I finally take one.
But… Oh how I do love Instagram. I love it this week when I’m on the beach trying to take pictures and can’t (won’t) bring my camera with me every single time. I love it when that darn 1 year old just won’t stand in the perfect light for me to snap the picture and I can put a filter on it that will magically lighten up the face. I love that my 11 and 15 year old nieces are on there, my 14 year old cousin is on there and they post everyday. They post pictures of their boyfriends and inspirational quotes that let me into their world a little bit even though they live 10 hours away. I do not, however, need all the filters. 99% of the time I use one of the first two and that’s it. I saw what I looked like in 1981 and I’m fine the way I am now.
To be clear… I don’t hate Instagram as a service (full disclosure, I have an account… with one picture posted). I like the social aspect of it and the convenience just how appreciate those things about Facebook and Twitter. The only point I want to make is that “good” photography (or at least photography that moves me) isn’t as much about the border that has been put around the picture, or the texture that has been applied to it… or the effect that makes it look like a half burned out Polaroid… it’s the subject, the composition, the lighting. A blank page with a neat design around the edge and a heavy vignette is still that… a blank page. There has to be some quality “meat” in there to make an image great.
If you think Instagram is only used by people who want to share their food, clothing, boyfriend, girlfriend and cat pics with the vintage filters put over them you need to look deeper and find the good photographers and mobile artists who are using the mobile camera/ipad and choosing to showcase their work there. We all have a choice of how we choose to take a picture, what composition, what light, what subject matter and we do not have to choose to use a filter. It’s our choice. There are many excellent forums and communities on IG where quality work is shown. For instance search Google for The Minimals, We Are Juxt, IPhone Art.com, Mobile Photo Group and Eyeem, The Iphoneographer’s Network. (to name just a few) Excellent photographers and artists who choose to post their work on IG. For instance check out lysfoto.org an online magazine edited by Star Rush featuring mobile photographers’ work. Also on IG.
Sure Instagram is a social network, sure there is a lot of rubbish there but look deeper and there is a lot of good stuff there too.
After all a camera is really just a small hole that lets in light, just because it’s in a mobile phone doesn’t make it any less a camera. The tool is only as good as it’s operator and if you search through the guff you will find some pretty talented operators of the mobile phone camera.
A good photo is a good photo regardless of the medium used or where it’s shown.