While it’s a magnificent outlet for all of us to share the way we see the world and all that, Instagram is mostly a gigantic contest to see who’s the best at being a lying liar pants. If you can make a dog look good in Mayfair, if you can make a sunset look like a Picasso when it’s doused in Brannan, all of a sudden, you’re a professional fucking photographer. And that’s really, really insulting to photographers.
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I love this post!
Instagram is teaching millions of people how to speak the language of photography. Which is a good thing for photographers, especially the pros.
The thing I love most about this post is using the word ‘fucking’ in the subject line. I sweat over subject lines (sometimes for hours) in emails going out to a large group. Fuck it! I’m going to say what I really think! Love.
Although a lot of Hoolhorst’s points are right on, I follow many (pro)photographers on Insatagram and there are lots of very cool and inspired images. But feet at the beach…that does suck.
Quit fucking whining cause you can’t sell prints. No one is asking you to look at their insta-feed… or booking you for gigs, apparently.
What’s really insulting is that this guy thinks a sunset would look even remotely acceptable with Brannan. I mean come on. ;)
You are only a professional photographer if you make a living off of your photography right? So instagramers who don’t make money, no matter how “great” their photos are, are not necessarily pro’s….if, however, they do find a way to make money off of their insta-pics then please, sign me up for their next workshop!!
Bitter much? I like Instagram, take phone-photos and use creative filters and am not arrogant enough to consider myself a “professional f-ing photographer” because of these tools. In fact, I don’t know a soul who mistakenly thinks that because they now use a smart phone & Instagram that they have somehow graduated to being professional photographers. Just like I don’t know anyone who writes status updates on Facebook and thinks that act has turned them into a professional writer. Me thinks the writer might be projecting a bit of his creative frustration on people who know the difference between a serious occupation and casual social sharing. Or perhaps it’s a let-down to realize that many people see the same things, that our own ego-fueled awareness isn’t so special after all.
Not sure how it is insulting? What is fascinating is the peeps at Instagram came up with ways to make a highly average iphone photo 3 to 5 times better after applying one of their 19 filters. That right there is worth a billion dollars!
We can all start sweating when an image can be made 3 – 5 times better with a canon 1dx by simply applying a filter OR better yet, when on assignment, your best photos of the day are the ones that get posted to Instagram and not the ones that get sent to your client. Then we can all be “huge fucking” worriers…
Instagram isn’t destroying the photography industry, photographers are. I’m tired of whiney-ass photographers.
pffft. I’m wondering if some of y’all read the entire article — slideshow included. This guy’s just a self deprecating smart ass. This dude’s also not a photographer. He’s a freelance writer and, if you finish the article, you’ll see he admits to loving Instagram. …he just seems to hate himself a bit. heh.
Gawd not this again – please make it stop.
Photography has always been about altering the truth. The reality of photography is a lie as soon as the shutter opens. Photo history 101.
I loved the post. I do get sick of how stupid the photos can get and I find some of the photos too fantastic to be real. Like those top of the mountain must be in a helicopter shots. I also don’t understand how some people have thousands upon thousands of followers with thousands of likes. I agree with Tim, it’s photographers destroying photography along with digital photography which is more illustration than anything. That’s another subject all together.
I love Instagram and have got work from it. If the photos are great, then they get noticed. So check out my Instagram feed at frankmarshal. Enjoy!!!
No, the funny thing is, you get to choose what you look at on Instagram, and get to have a totally different experience from what he’s going on about if you want. Like any other popular platform, there’s a huge variety of content, so if all you do is look at stuff you hate, well, time for a visit to the psychiatrist or something. The rest of us will be enjoying what we want to enjoy.
I followed the link and I have to admit, I totally enjoyed the slideshow and his commentary. But I do think the article and slideshow are not exactly related to this post except for the fact he talks about how we are all about “image-crafting” online. Nowadays, people insta-show the life they want people to think they live. As for the other stuff about filters… meh. The only time it pisses me off is if a client takes a beautiful portrait I created and worked on in post and applies a blue-tone filter to it and ruins all the color work that was just done and then posts it as MY work. Eeek!!! But outside of that, we all know instagram does not a photographer make.
Cute article. I hire and consult with photographers for a living. Bottom line…if your photos aren’t good, then you damn we’ll better be worried about “amateurs” using cheesy filters and 101 level photoshop to ace you out of jobs you probably shouldn’t get anyway. Focus on your work. Make it good. Evolve your style. And quit looking over your shoulder.
Well stated, sir.
The only people that get ‘insulted’ are those that allow themselves to be. You came into this world naked, alone and with nothing and you’ll leave the same way. I guess the little tittie-baby is worried that those left will be looking at other peoples stuff not theirs.
I LOVE Instagram.
Connect with friends, without the bullshit of Facebook.
After so many years, earning a living and having lots of fun as a photographer … I even found an agent, hi Shawn, hi Peter through Instagram …
Any form of photography is ok, soon there will be something new, let’s embrace change…
Here, here Henry :)
I don’t see anything wrong with Instagram. People can hate it & complain but its here to stay & i’ve only benefitted from it. An instant audience, a reason to take beautiful images everyday, your peers sharing images, clients seeing what you’re inspired by daily….whats not to like.
I think there is a strawman there… I have NEVER heard anyone who instagrams who is not a professional claim to be one. The vast majority of Instagrammers don’t claim to be professional – I mean really?
Does that happen? Is anyone fooled?
Are there clients hiring photographers from their Instagram feeds?
And if they are, are they damned disappointed… or damned pleased?
I haven’t heard any of those horror stories or success stories, so I am going with “it don’t happen…”
Photography is the next global language. Like music and code, pictures are becoming ways to communicate without words or with words when necessary.
Every kid who goes to school learns to write.
Very few of them become “Writers”.
I welcome the new “everybody is a photographer” world. Not sure what kvetching would do about it anyway.
Fuck Instagram. Use Pressgram :)
Read this post this morning and concidetialy received today an invitation from Getty to join their Moment program. (mobile photography collection).
There is a market out there for mobile photography (Blend images Memento for example) and photographers.
I think that the camera, the app and the filter are just tools.
If you don’t have the eye and the vision you will still suck even with a Hasselblad.
Time changes. The same dilema came up with Dark room Vs Photoshop and Film Vs Digital.
You either addapt or die.
Silly article, boderline stupid. Instagram is a medium, with a new way if reaching an audience. What’s not to like if you ‘re a storyteller? Unless, of course, you’re just in it for the money… A photographer is a photographer, professional and amateur alike.
Instagram gives professionals more time to do taste testing research on craft brews and bourbons.
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME! SIMPLY AND UTTERLY AHHHHHHMAZING WRITE! ;-) We should hold a shoot off with RZ’s and see who is the REAL DEAL–LOAD, SHOOT, ROLL, PROCESS, PRINT, REPEAT ;-)
So, I’m professionl photographer since 1984 and i’m playng with instagram. Actually I’m uploDing an album maded by Instagram ad IpadMini on my fanpage. So, for e is a new way to see and interpret the vision, but i know it could be only mainstream. It’s not instagram or other stuff that make the difference, it’s the eye of photographer. Can you compare an Ansel Adams picture with a common B&W?
c’mon you prickly pricks. This was a tongue-in-cheek piece. Exercise those flabby cheeks, and crack a goddamned smile. Ok, I stopped reading comments after the first 15 or 20, so maybe someone else already said what I said.
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