From the birds and the bees, to family trees.: Instagram = Instafun

Instagram = Instafun
6 November 2013

I’ve always liked photography. As in a lot.

But please, let’s not cloud the issue here, or put you under any illusions. I’m not a good photographer at all. Nor am I bad photographer. I’m not even a photographer. More a photo enthusiast who likes taking pictures. Does that make sense? Yes, I take a heck of a lot of photos, but that’s just my logic. If I take a huge volume of photos, the law of averages dictates that every so often, I’ll get a really good one. Even an average one. In addition, I usually take photos of people. Lots of people to be exact. Mostly of my family and friends. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get even one vaguely okay-ish shot, when you have so many subjects to capture? Invariably someone is blinking, has a mouth full of food, or is yawning. Volume is needed.

I grew up in a home where my dad often had his own dark room and developed his own photos. My grandfather also had a penchant for photography and had his own dark room too. I remember that for a large portion of my childhood, when we lived in my grandparents’ home, Cloetenberg, that one of the downstairs bathrooms was out of bounds, as it was a makeshift dark room. Light was blacked out from every possible angle and it was a sacred place that only men with camera’s were allowed to enter. Hallowed ground.

I don’t know if that was the origin of my interest in photography. Or if it stemmed from the wondrous images, captured on celluloid, that so charmed me as a child. They personified perfect moments, forever encapsulated. They recorded history. Showed me my past and those of my family members. Explained my origins to me in picture form.

As an adult, they’ve helped me remember stuff, moments, instances, occasions, experiences and feelings, I’m sure would have been lost to me otherwise. In essence, they’re my “remember” for years to come.

Images of exactly what my childhood home looked like. My parents in their youth. My siblings as babies. Past birthdays and Christmas celebrations. Old family homes. Childhood holidays. And so the list goes on and on.

I am generally known in my family as the archivist. I record all our occasions and get-togethers in photo and video form. And I suppose through my blog, in word form too. Oh, many of the others indulge in taking photos too. But perhaps I am the most persistent of all when it comes to recording events. I hardly ever zoom in on individual people. Rather, I prefer panoramic shots, that carry the general feel and vibe of any gathering. My camera lives in my handbag, and is compact and small and is usually close to my person, if not on me.

However, since the arrival of my new Samsung S4 phone, a camera is now nearly always present in the palm of my hand, never mind my bag. I’ve been amazed by the fantastic quality of the pics it lets me take.

If anything, it has spurred me on to take even more photos. Photos are easy to manipulate and sharing on various platforms is a breeze. Super easy and extremely user friendly.

And then, one fine day, I discovered the Instagram world. And just like that, it opened a whole new dimension for me.

Never had I been able to play with my photos as easily as this. Filters, frames, and light changes, after capturing a shot are super easy to apply. With the mere click of a button, one is able to transform the ordinary, into the extraordinary. And I must confess – I’m hooked!

On one level it is similar to Facebook and Twitter, in that you follow people. However, rather than follow them through random status updates and the like, you are following them through photos. In addition, people tend to post special photos. Of beautiful things. Highlights if you like. Sharing meaningful pics that hold value for them. And most often for the viewer too. One can appreciate the subject matter and quite often feel enriched after seeing something.

It is easy enough to do a search through Instagram (they offer the service) of your Facebook friends, and to start following them. You can also just search people that you know. Or celebrities, etc. And I have so enjoyed my own personal Instagram journey. It is making me view the world around me more closely, looking for photographic opportunities.

The joy is not in garnering followers. Or showing off your photographic brilliance (or lack thereof). The joy for me, comes from seeing a beautiful photo. Of watching it be transformed into a vision of beauty. And of sharing that with others.

Instagram = Instafun

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