The Paradox of Instagram
Jan 17, 2017
Michael Clark
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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Without a doubt, Instagram is one of the most exciting social media platforms anywhere. It is now ranked the number two most active social media platform (by number of users), just behind Facebook, with over 600 million participants. As a photographer, who has been slowing building a following on Instagram over the last three years, I have a love-hate relationship with the app. “Hate” might be a bit of a strong word choice in that last statement but you get the point. Trust me, I spend way too much time on Instagram. They have me hooked. On the one hand, it is inspiring to see an incredible number of amazing images on my Instagram feed each day. I tend to follow a lot of my fellow pro photographers, who post some top-notch images. In addition, there are a large number of amateur photographers creating incredible work, and in some cases their images are better than a lot of pro photographers.
Instagram is a hot topic among pro photographers. When I get together with my peers, it is the rare meeting where Instagram is not mentioned or discussed. For some pro photographers, mostly those with large numbers of followers, Instagram has been a huge boon to their career. For other pro photographers, it has been a burden, a source of frustration, or just another form of marketing. Before Instagram, there was the feeling that the pecking order in photography was based on a meritocracy. By this I mean that those who held the purse strings, and who also knew a lot about photography and what constituted excellent photography, chose the best photographer for each assignment. Instagram has flipped that script to some degree because it often rewards images that are good but not those that rise to a whole other level of excellence, which is why it is intensely debated and discussed among working pro photographers.
I will parse my words here carefully as many might take issue with that last statement and I don’t want to sound like a whining voice, moaning about my lack of followers. I know among pro photographers, who are a pretty discerning bunch, that quite a few of us have realized this fact. That fact being that our best images rarely get as many likes as our B-grade images, which are some times tailored just for Instagram. My best images, those that are the best I have ever created in 20 years of working as a full time pro, always seem to get less likes than an average image with some fancy lighting or a landscape reflection in a lake.
As an example, below are two of my images that were posted to my account @michaelclarkphoto. The left image is a cool image of a windsurfer, which was shot from a helicopter. It is a decent image, and an interesting perspective, but by no means is it out of this world incredible. On the right is one of the best images I have ever produced. It is an image that draws you in and forces you to look hard, and the lighting in this image took years to develop. Yet, the far superior ice climbing image got less than half the number of likes as the windsurfing image. This is but one example, but I have seen this over and over, not just on my own account but on other major Instagram accounts that I post to including @natgetravel, which has over 14 million followers. On other accounts, I have regularly seen my best images get 1/5th the number of likes as some of my more pedestrian images have. I have also seen world famous photographers post “once-in-a-lifetime” images that barely get a yawn, but the next image posted of a Lilly pond gets more than twice as many likes. That begs the question, “What is going on here?”
The answer, I believe, is that the masses are not necessarily as educated about photography as industry insiders are. I’m pretty sure that isn’t really a shocking statement to anyone. I would hope that photo editors, ad agency art buyers and professional photographers who have spent years and years in the industry critiquing, editing and pursuing top-notch imagery would have greater experience judging imagery than the average consumer.
In many ways, this emphasis on entertaining the masses with an-image-a-day is in some ways promoting mediocrity in the photography industry. I know that is a huge statement. Let me explain. Instagram is driving a lot of advertising these days–much more than the average consumer probably has any idea about. I have lost assignments and sponsors because my social media stats weren’t big enough–i.e. I didn’t have enough followers. That is totally fine. I get it. If a company wants to spread the word far and wide then they need to go with someone who has the megaphone and can do just what they want–or help to increase the spread of that companies advertisements beyond the companies’ followers. These days, there are quite a few photographers (and non-photographers) on Instagram with significantly larger followings than the companies they are promoting. [Kudos to those photographers!] Amazingly, some of the best photographers to ever pick up a camera have a ridiculously small number of followers.
There is actually a pretty clear formula as to which images get the most likes on Instagram. Create images that are nicely composed and exposed, which allow the viewer to escape in that image and you will have a winner. A few examples of those types of images are: place a small figure in a large and compelling landscape, create a unique and stunning landscape image of an exotic location, use dramatic lighting to make an image pop off the feed, put up a hammock in an unusual place with a stunning background, shine a headlamp up into a night sky with a little aurora borealis in the background, and finaly post those images often. Of course, some of these are age old image styles while others are new “Instagram” style images. The reality is the first time you saw an image of a dude standing there under a star lit night sky shining their headlamp straight up into it, you have to admit, that was a pretty stinking cool image. Just like songs on the radio that get stale after being played too many times, everyone copied the original and we are now officially over it–though those images still get a ton of likes.
So, what is the upshot here? I still love checking my Instagram feed and seeing what my friends and my peers are up to. The app is fun and easy to use, which is why it is so appealing. Do I wish my following was bigger than it currently is? Yes, of course. I am working on that. I also realize that the number of followers I have is growing quickly because I am allowed to post on some other much bigger Instagram accounts and because I get shout outs here and there. But no matter how many followers I have, I look to my own experience a a photographer, and to art buyers and photo editors that see thousands of images each year, to help me decipher which are my best images. The upshot is that photographers should not judge their best images by the number of likes they get on Instagram.
I realize this sounds like a giant rant on Instagram. If I had a million followers perhaps I would think differently about Instagram, but I know a few photographers with a million or more followers who are realistic about Instagram and have said similar things as posted here. Don’t get me wrong, Instagram is a great tool for marketing as well as for sharing images and communicating. But, it is my hope that those looking for photographers to promote their brand look at more than just the number of followers.
About the Author
Michael Clark is an internationally published outdoor photographer specializing in adventure sports, travel, and landscape photography. He has risked life and limb on a variety of assignments to bring back stunning images of rock climbers, mountaineers, kayakers, big-wave surfers and mountain bikers in remote locations around the world. If you would like to see more of his work, take a loot at his website, Behance gallery and Vimeo, follow him on Twitter and Instagram and like his Facebook page. This article was also published here and shared with permission.
We love it when our readers get in touch with us to share their stories. This article was contributed to DIYP by a member of our community. If you would like to contribute an article, please contact us here.
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18 responses to “The Paradox of Instagram”
It’s a forgettable experience. I see the benefit. It does lead to inspiration and jobs, but there’s nothing memorable about it. I prefer that people experience my work in more tangible ways.
tl;dr: “The plebs don’t understand my art.”
No ability to upload images from PC, so it basically gets ignored as a waste of effort.
Except for the ability to schedule uploads from your PC.
I think, your comparison is wrong, because these two images have different hashtags and they are different in age. Talking about hashtags: It may sound hard (especially for pro photographers), but the right hashtags are more important than the photo itself, followed by the time of posting.
Only a fraction of the Instagram users are judging photos by composition, lighting etc. First, they have to find your work by some generic hashtags. And those are hashtags like #mothernature #ocean #sealife #nature #lifestyle #adventure #picoftheday #photographer #photography #colorful (!!) etc. I know, that’s completely stupid – but it works.
Then the “like” is just milliseconds and a double tap away. It’s not about composition. It’s not about great lighting. It’s not about perfect photography. It’s just about a feeling and a decision, which hardly takes more than a half second. That’s why Instagram isn’t about your skills in photography at all.
I agree completely with what you wrote in your final paragraph. Instagram for the majority of people is a swipe and double tap experience, they’re not looking at the nuances of the composition, they don’t want to see photos that “…draw you in and force you to look hard…” they want a quick fix, double tap to like, onto the next one.
Not really doing it for me….
I had similar thoughts and suspicions in the past and hence totally agree with your article. Thanks for sharing it.
Also Instagram started to change my own recipe how to frame/compose a picture and had to stop myself not to shoot ‘for Instagram’. Dangerous place.
“There is actually a pretty clear formula as to which images get the most likes on Instagram.”
Usually involves boobs. :)
Hi Michael,
Thank you for writing this article about Instagram.
I do not by any means see myself as a professional photographer. However, I do try to make a living from it, as I resigned from my old job and started full time. So more exposure would definitely benefit me. But somehow I’m reluctant to open up an Instagram account. Or any Social Media account for that. (I did once and decided to close it immediately after realizing that Instagram can do whatever they like with your images)
Everybody and their mother says you should be on Instagram, because that’s where ‘it’ happens. And exactly what is ‘it’ that ‘happens’ ?
If you’re focusing on the number of followers ask yourself this: “are any of these followers interested in buying my work”?
Probably not (many)
Instagram is where most of the teenagers are and they’re not the ones that carry a big wallet to buy your work.
To me, Instagram is one big bubble, that could easily explode within a few years. A bit like Yahoo and Flickr. And Mark Zuckerberg made a whopping 2 billion….in January….Go figure. All because of people sharing their images
Stop focusing on the number of followers. People got so used to seeing incredible images all the time, that it has turned photography into a commodity. Click and like, click and like and move on to the next image. Between all of those great looking images, another great image does not pop out any longer.
That’s also why a site like 500px offers nothing new anymore. It’s just one big gallery of THE most awesome images all put together. That’s why they don’t stand out any longer. In a way it’s even boring and I don’t mean that in a bad way.
It just is.
Personally, I would stick to having a great looking website, where people get to enjoy your images in a more quiet fashion. That’s -in my opinion- where you and your work can really shine. Not on some overcrowded platform, where the next click and like is right around the corner.
And by the way, I really DO like your images and I can tell how much work must have gotten into the image of the ice climber. Kudos!
Instagram is for shallow kids that need attention. The quality sucks. The people suck. The inability to upload from desktop sucks. The emojis and people’s attention spans suck. It’s like the rich kid party in high school.
I find it a pain in the ass and I’m not sure what the point of it is.
Instagram is designed for smartphone photos, and images that look good on a smartphone are thus more successful — the author’s example shows one image that can be parsed quickly on a small screen and the other which has details that would be lost on anything other than a computer screen.
Who says instagram is a community for photographers? It is just a social network mainly based on visual information.
I under use it…….to my shame.
Its great when used right..as it links to all the other social media places (ie Facebook, Twitter etc ) in one hit…so great to use as a PR shout.
However….make sure you have two accounts…one for personal shots like the rest do…and one for you business so you only place on proper PR items,…and not what you’ve just had for diner ;) haha
ON A SMARTPHONE: Left image is a windsurfer on the sea, I can understand the image, I can apreciate the detail, I can like it;
The right image is a blot of dark and light with an orange dot, I cannot understand the image, I cannot apreciate any detail, I cannot like it.
On the right image I would do a HEAVY CROP to make it vertical, the objective being making it so that the climber is 1/8 or even better 1/5 of the image. In this case instead of a blot of white blue I would have the possibility of seeing the ice and instead of an orange dot I would see a climber, I would have the possibility of liking it.
The right image is great on a 10 foot print because you can see and apreciate the detail, on a phone that does not happen, the screen is too small.
That’s my 2 cents.
So you’re saying that you don’t understand Instagram, or marketing. You wouldn’t show a prospective wedding client your adventures photos, would you?
Instagram has helped many photographers that understand how to create content which can be consumed in quick, small bites. If you try to serve up a full meal on there, it will go uneaten. So either learn to adapt, or lose that part of the market.
Also, #hashtags. Always. All 30.
Instagram was okay at the beginning – a fun little photo sharing app .. until some marketers decided that IG could be used to make money.
The original intent of IG is being changed by a lot of people trying to get bigger and bigger numbers so they can “monetize” their IG account by attracting companies who will pay them (money or merchandise). There are lots of ways to get bigger numbers, but just about all of them involve either using an outside service to help you follow people or colluding with others to build your audience or both. It took awhile, but IG is wise to all of the tricks people are using to “game” the system. The more of this that an account does, the quicker and longer it is banned (put on hold) or it’s contents shown to less people … because this is not what IG wants to be about. Because IG does not like it’s users trying to make it into a marketing tool for users, it is fighting back with bans of one kind or another. Instagram wants to be what it was: a fun little phone app for photo sharing.
It is very amusing watching all of the people trying to use it to market themselves or their products – and then complaining that it doesn’t work. It is not supposed to work that way. Social Media is best at social interactions, not marketing. Imagine there was a network dedicated to marketing … would anyone go there unless they were looking for something to buy … nope. And they don’t go to the popular social media networks to buy either. However, it is entertaining to watch them try.
Lastly, if anyone is gong to make money on IG, it will be IG itself.