Instagram Shouldn’t Make You Feel Like Sh*t

I know Instagram can be a source of anxiety regarding how we perceive both our work and ultimately ourselves as creators, which sucks because being a better photographer is all about confidence.

That’s why in this week’s email I want to share three perspectives I hold towards the platform that help combat any feelings of doubt.

The Gallery Approach

In today’s culture of short attention spans, it’s easy to see why the trend of placing text across the first photo in a carousel (or conforming to trends) works - and I’m fully aware my engagement would go way up if I did so too.

So why don’t I? Well the reason is a lot more basic than you think.

By simply having a grid of purely pictures, I like the fact that anyone can experience my work almost instantly both digitally and in real life. Handing someone your phone and them saying “oh this is cool” is so much sweeter than them standing there trying to work out whatever “photos I edited perfectly” means - trust me.

The Pinterest Approach

For those not familiar with Pinterest, it’s simply just one whole moodboard to provide visual inspiration for others.

Therefore what can be learnt from the platform is to similarly see your profile as a board which represents your whole creative output and identity.

By seeing things this way, your posts become less of an individual performance that you’re attached to, and rather just bricks in the wall that show you off as a photographer.

The Relative Approach

It’s pretty safe to say we all think our photos deserve more likes than they get.

But the issue isn’t necessarily that people don’t like your photos, it’s that they probably don’t see them in the first place.

Now I’m not here to tell you how to get more views, but instead I’m going to ask you to look at how many likes you get in proportion to them.

Average engagement rates (for ‘normal’ accounts) can sit anywhere between 1-6%, so whilst you might not be thrilled with how many likes you get - you’re probably doing totally fine, so don’t worry about it.

Plus, if your ‘rate’ is consistent across most of your posts, then you know you’re on the right track.

If your photos are good enough for you to want to share with the world, then that’s all that really matters.

Have a good one.