Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: Chris Barrett on February 19, 2015, 10:31:57 am
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These days Instagram has nearly as many followers as Twitter and is much more image-centric. As I attempt to become more marketing-aware, I've been embracing social media and tearing up the Insta-scene with commercial work, personal work and behind the scenes imagery. Exposure is all in the art of the hashtag. For example, with interiors shoots, I'm tagging the furniture manufacturers as well as the appropriate categories.
Anyone else using the platform? To effect? Thoughts and practices?
@cbarrettphoto
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No personal experience and I'm not at a pro level; but in a recent discussion I was mentioning Iwan Baan and he's actually a keen instagram user:
http://instagram.com/iwanbaan
I've read in a recent article about him that some conservative clients have questioned his seriosity because of his instragram use, which to me sounds a bit strange. I think he does it for personal enjoyment rather than marketing (so the article said), but perhaps it works both ways.
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I have yet to see work come out of IG, but FB I get some work from.
I too am working on this and I think more and more and with local hashtag relevance, it will eventually make sense, I hope :-)
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I am on instagram too, JMKPhotog
Personally, I am not sure if this will turn into anything? ???
I kind of look at it as a way to get more work out there for people to see and what not, and right now, it seems like most of the people looking at my work are other photographers.
I like LinkedIn. I have gotten work through that site.
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Its just seems you need to find the right mix of images. Personal vs work. I'm still trying to figure it out. I do notice that when using good hashtags the interest in an image goes up. Besides giving clients a peek of your works, it gives them an idea of who you are. Are you fun on set? Or can you work in in a lot creative styles? Not sure if I have received any commissions directly from my instagram page, but in conjunction with my other social media sites it probably gives the clients a clearer picture of what to expect.
@jefferysalter
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Every photo editor and art buyer I've met or worked with in the last 18 months has asked, "You're on instagram, right?" They want to see because it's a direct unedited link to your ideas, vision and creativity. I'm @douglevy
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I don't know that I expect to get jobs directly from it, but the more of a presence you can have online, the better. And as Doug pointed out, it's a great way for prospective clients to get into your head a bit more.
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Is there anything comparable to Instagram but without that "so square that it's hip" forced cropping to 1:1 shape? Despite learning on an Instamatic, I have no nostalgia for that shape. (I don't need the filters either, but they can be ignored.)
This thread has made me curious abut being to put some modest resolution images out in public with a few keywords (sorry, "hashtags") to make them more discoverable by people who share my photographic tastes.
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I think that you have to actually think about the sheer amount of images that are uploaded each day.
!.8 billion images uploaded each day (http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/now-upload-share-1-8-billion-photos-everyday-meeker-report-224688.html).
A very interesting statistic.
Cheers,
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I'm on there as well. Both my personal www.instagram.com/sean_karns (http://www.instagram.com/sean_karns) and my professional 'sketchbook' www.instagram.com/__area (http://www.instagram.com/__area)
....that said, having two instagram accounts is a real pain. So much effort to switch between the two means I dont post to __area as much as I would like.
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Every photo editor and art buyer I've met or worked with in the last 18 months has asked, "You're on instagram, right?" They want to see because it's a direct unedited link to your ideas, vision and creativity. I'm @douglevy
I'm with Doug, everyone WANTS to see instagram. For me, it's a sketchbook, really. You can see what ideas work, what doesn't, see how people frame their ideas. On top of that, I use mine like a little bit more of a social network than a camera tool; I think visually, and Facebook is mostly text, so why not?
Biggest thing I see is that Instagram shows ALL photos from the people you're following, rather than Facebook's craptastic publishing rate.
https://instagram.com/burlingtonography/
Capture Integration also has our own instagram account that I shamelessly use to show off my peak-bagging skills
https://instagram.com/captureintegration/
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I only want to post to one platform, Tumblr, would there be any way to have the post show up in Facebook or Instagram to get more traffic to the Tumblr? Nobody visits my Tumblr page really, maybe 50 a week. If so, which one is better, Facebook or Instagram? It just comes down to me liking the layout and design of my Tumblr site compared to FB and Instagram. On that note, all of my Tumblr post are horizontal still photos and horizontal video, which I know offers challenges up to Instagram's square layout.
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I only want to post to one platform, Tumblr, would there be any way to have the post show up in Facebook or Instagram to get more traffic to the Tumblr? ... On that note, all of my Tumblr post are horizontal still photos and horizontal video, which I know offers challenges up to Instagram's square layout.
For the reason of not being a photographic square, I would go with Facebook. I wonder if Tumblr has anything like WordPress: one have a WordPress blog configured to automatically post an announcement of each new blog post on Facebook, complete with the "cover photo" and a link back to the WordPress post. For better for worse, it also puts least some of the photos into the blog a FaceBook album.
P. S. Seems like Chris Valites has answered my question with a "yes"!
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Hi Billy,
You can indeed share posts on your Tumblr and Facebook at the same time. You can even use instagram to post to instagram, facebook, and tumblr at the same time, but you should do the following specifically about tumblr posting to facebook:
1.) Go To Blog Settings » Check Share posts on your Timeline
2.) After you log in to Facebook you will see a message that says: Tumblr would also like permission to: Manage your pages Tumblr may login as any of your X Pages, including: (A list with your Pages). Click on Allow.
3.) Now, Go Back to your TUMBLR and go to Blog Settings » Scroll Down and, from the dropdown menu (that was not there before) choose which page (or profile) you will send your posts to.
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thanks for the replies. I have never had a Facebook or Instagram account so if anyone can send links of photographers who are successfully doing what I am thinking that would be great. I guess my next question regards my posting behavior; I post to my Tumblr a couple times a week just to share news with new imagery and post old imagery from my archive, would FB be better for me or Instagram? Seems like Instagram photos get followers that want to literally see where your at and what your doing. i don't do much or go that many places, and I am not into the wanking BTS stuff, so I won't even attempt to be that guy. Whats best for a photog that simply wants to share new and old imagery from jobs?
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thanks for the replies. I have never had a Facebook or Instagram account so if anyone can send links of photographers who are successfully doing what I am thinking that would be great. I guess my next question regards my posting behavior; I post to my Tumblr a couple times a week just to share news with new imagery and post old imagery from my archive, would FB be better for me or Instagram? Seems like Instagram photos get followers that want to literally see where your at and what your doing. i don't do much or go that many places, and I am not into the wanking BTS stuff, so I won't even attempt to be that guy. Whats best for a photog that simply wants to share new and old imagery from jobs?
Chris Burkard is probably the big one I know on instagram and facebook: http://www.chrisburkard.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBurkardPhotography and https://instagram.com/chrisburkard/
Chris Brinlee Jr is another: http://www.chrisbrinleejr.com/ http://chrisbrinleejr.tumblr.com/ https://www.facebook.com/chrisbrinleejr https://instagram.com/chrisbrinleejr/
I'd say that tumblr would be the best for you, at or just above Facebook, and instagram last. Instagrammers love a LOT of content, and it's much more a scrap book than a finished canvas, to coin a phrase.
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ok thanks. how about ' how people find you' on Facebook / instagram? it seems like Facebook i will just have all my schoolmates and friends find me instead of art buyers and photo editors. since instagram seems to be tool for part of the commercial photo industry, would an art buyer or photo editor be more likely to find me on instagram than Facebook?
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ok thanks. how about ' how people find you' on Facebook / instagram? it seems like Facebook i will just have all my schoolmates and friends find me instead of art buyers and photo editors. since instagram seems to be tool for part of the commercial photo industry, would an art buyer or photo editor be more likely to find me on instagram than Facebook?
That's a tougher question. Art directors, from what I've been seeing, seem to always point to instagram as their bigger source of leads from social media. Facebook pages have zero reach these days unless you pay to promote the posts ( see this post for more information: http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/03/24/facebook_brands_and_organic_reach_why_no_one_likes_your_self_promoting_posts.html )
I think I'd go with instagram were I you over Facebook.
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While I prefer Tumblr's platform, it doesn't have nearly the reach of Instagram. Instagram currently has a user base rivaling Twitter's. Tumblr can't touch that. I seem to be able to find many images of mine that crop well as squares. Actually, I often do these barrages, where I post 9 at a time... did so earlier this evening. I have also 'matted' some images that wouldn't work as squares. There are even Apps to do that for you. What's key is knowing your target audience and hash-tagging appropriately, something I'm still really green on. I only got serious about Instagram 6 weeks ago... and have only gained 100 followers in that time. Will it help my business? Who knows? It's been kind of fun, though.
Also, the social network experts advise against using the ability to cross-post to all platforms. If people follow you on multiple platforms, you're just going to annoy them by posting the same thing everywhere.
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I tried to ignore the Instagram phenomena , but had to realise it is actually not such a bad way to be seen and discovered. I am still experimenting with what and what not to post, but I learned it has to be a mixture of work, and an inside into ones personal life .
https://instagram.com/armin_weisheit/
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I love instagram - saying that there are times that I go a couple or few weeks without publishing to it. Mix of some professional but mostly just personal stuff as I travel, whatever.
http://www.instagram.com/wnichols (http://www.instagram.com/wnichols)
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In an article I read recently, they recommend for photographers to use Instagram to show their personal work rather than commercial work. For the same reason not to bore people with the cross platforms, Instagram seem to be more effective to hook new audiences with unique personal imagery and that would eventually connect to your commercial work.
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This thread inspired me to join instagram.
www.instagram.com/fullerframe
Or simply fullerframe.com (redirects)
Will be following you all in short order!
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I have no expectations using Instagram, just having fun with it. its simple and does what it says on the tin. I have tried Google+ but that just seems to complicated.
https://instagram.com/cordnerphoto
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So how do you guys who use Instagram actually post images? My understanding is that the only way to post is via Instagram's mobile app - there is no corresponding facility that can be run on a desktop/laptop computer.
Since all my serious photo editing happens on a computer, I would view having a simple, straightforward mechanism to get them posted as essential.
How do you do it?
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Export your images to a dropbox folder that your phone can pick up.
Instagram the crap outta it!
;-)
or - shot it with your phone and post straight away.
Here's me...
https://instagram.com/latsap/
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I have an "Instagram" album in Lightroom that syncs with LR Mobile on my iPad. From there you can select an image and "open in Instagram". Most direct route I've come up with.
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This thread inspired me to join instagram.
www.instagram.com/fullerframe
Or simply fullerframe.com (redirects)
Will be following you all in short order!
Ha!
Doug, i really wish I'd thought of that handle for instagram!
DAF
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Instagram it's a GREAT way to make money:
http://www.diyphotography.net/how-richard-prince-sells-other-peoples-instagram-photos-for-100000/
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I get work from Facebook but not directly from Instagram yet. I'm trying to get more reach on my Instagram account as I keep hearing it's a good way to reach potential clients.
I'm mattbnet (http://instagram.com/mattbnet/) over there.
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One thing about Instagram and those 1.8 mega-zillion images posted every day.
I suspect 1.79 mega-zillion of them are selfies and utterly irrelevant in the big picture of things
(0.005 mega-zillion are of peoples dinner and it only leaves 0.005 mega-zillion cool images from photographers like you).
The strangest thing is having people follow you who only post selfies... makes you realise how many folks out there are seriously narcissistic or insecure, or both.
I post as @realpaulfreeman and wish I knew the magic hashtags that work.
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;)
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I knew the magic hashtags that work.
LIKE
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@cbarrettphoto
instagram is incredible. Both for finding inspiration and getting my vision out.
Also for the occasional assignment here and there. I'm still new to it and mostly
use it as a sketch book of sorts.
The two primary ways I use hashtags is 1) curating 2) connecting to community
A curation example, I use #southofhere for when I go on roadtrips.
Like wise I have #northofhere. Keep in mind that even if you create a hashtag
there is nothing keeping others from using it and dumping their images in it as well.
This can really mess up a collection as is what happened with my original and the
first #alaskana post of imagery. The idea was to loosely make an iphone version based
on a collection by the same name on my site (http://avephoto.com/collections/alaskana/2/).
However, that loss of control is worth the exchange of how quickly it is to associate and
become noticed in communities where there is a similar taste or aesthetic.
For example I will occasionally post imagery taken with my Contax 645 under #contax645
and I am almost guaranteed comments and likes and on occasion a few follower.
I don't join these pools with that intention, but there is something biological to connecting
with others whom we enjoy being around or whose taste is similar to ours.
If your a social person you can always do walks with real users. Here in Anchorage, Alaska
every sunday there is #walkalaska which has in a way become almost a brand because
of the social capital worth of a handful of millenial instagramers who originally made it and now
are the hosts of the gathering. Those in person gatherings get you solid connections and in the
case of stronger followings can lead to offers of assignments for extending brand awareness .
@okiave
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I just started an Instagram account a little while ago, and while I realize "likes" don't necessarily mean anything, I find the discipline of selecting and then cropping to square, very rewarding. As an amateur, the discipline needed to only put up your best images, is necessary, and I find it helps me with shot discipline.
When you get likes from others, it is gratifying!
https://instagram.com/patrickphotoco/
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Mine is @jorgepuentephoto, I'm not very constant and the feeling is that it's not my thing but still... there I am ;D
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Is there anything comparable to Instagram but without that "so square that it's hip" forced cropping to 1:1 shape? Despite learning on an Instamatic, I have no nostalgia for that shape. (I don't need the filters either, but they can be ignored.) ...
Now I can answer my own question: Instagram! It has just dropped its restriction to square only display: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/08/instagram-7-5-removes-ratio-restriction-says-its-hip-not-to-be-square/
So now it really does seem worth trying.
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Now I can answer my own question: Instagram! It has just dropped its restriction to square only display: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/08/instagram-7-5-removes-ratio-restriction-says-its-hip-not-to-be-square/
So now it really does seem worth trying.
I think it only works on iOS for now. Hopefully Android will come along soon!
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Phew... now people who know the rule of thirds can start using it again ;-) relief all round.