Today a model uploaded to Facebook an altered image I made of him last year. It was uploaded via Instagram. Presumably it was "improved" by the built in filters. II am not asking for a critique.... might try that in anohter forum. Being an old school guy this is not to my taste. But I give models permission to use their images for self promotion, portfolio use etc. so I have no beef on that score.
I guess my quewstion is, is Instagram a good thing, a wave of the future or just a playtoy? A curse on photography. Secondarily do you other guys object to models altering your stuff for promotional purposes?
it's the wave of the past. when everyone is tired of being a hipster it will drop like a bad shot, just like everything else. For me, it's a good thing. A few years ago when everyone want the xpro 'look' I had to do it for them (and no I wasn't going to shoot film and really cross process). I had commercial clients that would take my "beautiful' clum images and get one of their nephews or cousins to run them all through some filter is PS that pushed the midtone contrast, decreased the saturation and a few other tings to make the boys look more buff n ruff. I had to deliberately shoot a bit flat so the nephew.process wouldnt make it too harsh. Of course the girls just looooooooooooved having their future wrinkles highlighted!!!!! (not). So they changed nephews or cousins and found one who had alien skin and he made everyone smooooooooooooooooth. and green. I refused to shoot less green so that never went well and I left my logo off everything. but the skin!!!! did I mention smooooooooooooooooooth? I was at an event as a friend of the DJ once the picture made me look 18 or 19. but my skin was smooooooooooooooooooooth!
Now with Instagram, I go with the flow. Knowing whats down, I allow for it. They do whatev to a limited series of images that are theirs to play with. I keep my logo off that series. Others choose differently.
Brooks Ayola
Posts: 9,604
Chatsworth, California, US
Instagram can be simply a platform for displaying work. Assuming that it's all about the filters, is missing half the story. Some amazing photographers use it and love it. I follow Frank Ockenfels on IG and I often use his account as an example of how Instagram can be done right.
the one benefit i've seen is that i've come across a few wedding photographers websites that are all that cross processed or dodge and burn look. Now everyone will just think it looks like instagram and realize the photos actually kinda suck.
It's just another gimmicky thing that people love now but will get tired of sooner or later. It doesn't "improve" anyone as a photographer. Personally my belief is once you start going beyond the realm of traditional and/or basic retouching, you start entering the realm of graphic art. Nothing wrong with that but I pride myself and sell myself as a photographer and not a "what's hip" graphic artist.
It doesn't really have anything to do with photography beyond the most amateur of levels, and on that basis I couldn't care less about. Another gimmick.
Kaouthia
Posts: 3,080
Lancaster, England, United Kingdom
Brooks Ayola wrote: Instagram can be simply a platform for displaying work. Assuming that it's all about the filters, is missing half the story.
Exactly. Nobody forces people to use shitty filters when they post images, and there are FAR more apps out there that do way uglier things to an image than Instagram ever could!
I post on Instagram all the time, but I got over the whole filters thing about 10 minutes after I first used the app. I'll process the images using Snapseed or whatever to tweak brightness/contrast/colour balance/etc, and then just post it as it is.
With the camera connection kit for the iPad, it's a quick way to get a shot or two out there, or behind the scenes stuff, on Twitter & Facebook while you're taking a break on a shoot.
Kaouthia
Posts: 3,080
Lancaster, England, United Kingdom
Saying that Instagram is shit is kinda like saying "Photoshop is shit because there was once a time when the majority used it to do nothing but lens flares & page curls".
I dont care, I dont sweat all this social media, photo sites or the like because in reality it has no affect on my business. I think some are whiners complaining about this stuff, Craigslist photographers etc..
For one models dont make me money just like people willing to use a CL photographers are not my client base.
And no I do not give anyone permission to alter images except my one good model friend, and thats because she does not go over board and knows better. She mainly makes cover photos on facebook for her page and all original edits are uploaded already..
Stanley L Moore wrote: Today a model uploaded to Facebook an altered image I made of him last year. It was uploaded via Instagram. Presumably it was "improved" by the built in filters. II am not asking for a critique.... might try that in anohter forum. Being an old school guy this is not to my taste. But I give models permission to use their images for self promotion, portfolio use etc. so I have no beef on that score.
I guess my quewstion is, is Instagram a good thing, a wave of the future or just a playtoy? A curse on photography. Secondarily do you other guys object to models altering your stuff for promotional purposes?
Here they are:
Istagram is just one more special effect toy there will be more. I really don't see what the big deal is. As far models altering images, who cares. I have editors and art directs do cut out, recrops and edits all the time on images for publications and ads. So what if a model does it. What is the negative? Big deal.
I find instagram to be a great tool for sharing my pictures as it broadens the audience. However I would never alter the picture in anyway, as it want it to be shown the way the photographer intended. Instagram is also a great way of gathering inspiration and seeing what other great talent is out there
Kaouthia
Posts: 3,080
Lancaster, England, United Kingdom
photoimager wrote: Instagram is a fad which now seems to be in decline.
December 2010 - 1 million users.
December 2011 - 14 million users.
March 2012 - 27 million users.
May 2012 - 50 million users.
July 2012 - 80 million users.
September 2012 - 100 million users.
December 2010 - 1 million users.
December 2011 - 14 million users.
March 2012 - 27 million users.
May 2012 - 50 million users.
July 2012 - 80 million users.
September 2012 - 100 million users.
photoimager
Posts: 4,111
Stoke-on-Trent, England, United Kingdom
Kaouthia wrote: Yup, sure looks in decline to me.
The quality that you see has been distinctly diluted. The 'movers and shakers' have moved on. Use now is either by the clones trying to emulate what they did or by people for whom it does fit in with their style of images and still works well for them. By their nature, there are always more clones than originals.
December 2010 - 1 million users.
December 2011 - 14 million users.
March 2012 - 27 million users.
May 2012 - 50 million users.
July 2012 - 80 million users.
September 2012 - 100 million users.
Kaouthia
Posts: 3,080
Lancaster, England, United Kingdom
photoimager wrote: The quality that you see has been distinctly diluted.
Overall, sure, but you can say that about anywhere. Only so many people in the world have a given level of talent, and if we are to assume that the majority of them are at a given location in its early days (whether that's Instagram, Model Mayhem, Flickr, 500px, wherever), as more and more people get on it, that overall level of talent, ability and quality is going to be reduced.
Just don't follow the Justin Bieber fans.
Personally, I only really use it for sharing snaps, and behind the scenes stuff. Mostly because I quite like the square format, and it's a whole lot easier than posting them directly to Facebook through their iPhone app.
I don't know if you noticed this that I posted the other day, you might find it quite amusing.
Stanley L Moore wrote: I guess my quewstion is, is Instagram a good thing, a wave of the future or just a playtoy? A curse on photography. Secondarily do you other guys object to models altering your stuff for promotional purposes?
It's a choice....Like the camera you use, the lens, the computer system, the editing software. For every person that loves something, an equal amount hates. I find it best to do what you like, and leave others out of the mix. I don't need someone's opinion or advice on what to buy or how to edit. Photography to me is a personal challenge, not an equipment popularity contest.
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