Instagram Woes

It happens every summer, time moves beyond fast and I'm left wondering where a month has gone. The weather has been so kind this year, warm temperatures and hardly any wind. I mention the wind because I live on the prairies and so wind is just something I've come to accept, but what a marvelous break we've had from it.

I've been taking pictures like crazy since getting a new camera at the beginning of July and so you'd think I would have been blogging a lot, but... Instagram. Yep, that's where my photos have been going. A few you of have found me there and so know that I am still alive, but the rest of you, I have not been fair to. 

I'm not sure I'm in love with Instagram.  I was at first, but then I discovered that a lot of people are using it to build up a false sense of popularity. Normally, this sort of thing would not bother me, except that I'm looking for a genuine community. Here's the problem - I post a photo, I get a bunch of "likes" and usually 3 or 4 new followers. That's great! I check out their photos and if I like what I see, I'm happy to follow right back.  Then, a few hours to a day or so later, they "unfollow" me, meaning they were not at all interested in my photos, no - they are just trying to build up their number of followers or advertise. Blech!

Now, there are 3 types of people I follow - people I know, people I find inspiring, and people I would like to get to know through a mutual exchange. I do not want my feed all clogged up by people who are not interested in sharing back and forth.  Of course, I realize that this status competition exists here in blogland too, but it is much less aggressive, and I find I am largely unaffected by it simply because I'm not here to be competitive and build numbers. With Instagram, blogging in the fast lane so-to-speak, you're in the competition whether you want to be or not, and it is not a worthwhile competition. A false sense of popularity through tricking people into following you is, at best, a complete waste of time. I will say though, Instagram does have a fun side, and I have enjoyed sharing with the people I know and the few genuine people I have been building relationships with. Also, there are some absolutely amazing photographers out there, and I thank them for their daily doses of inspiration, they keep my camera clickin'.

Alright, enough of that. Here are a few of my favourite photos from the past month.  I hope you have all had as marvelous a summer as I have, and are enjoying the last days of it.





Comments

  1. These are gorgeous. I use Instagram and enjoy it, but I do like the community of blogging better. I "meet" more people here! lol

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  2. That dragonfly photo is amazing. The clarity of the wings is beautiful. And, the little birdie on the wire. I love how the wire curls up in front of him (her?).

    I follow you on Instagram ..........I like Instagram and I don't really consider how many people follow me and I don't follow many people I don't know IRL. But, scrolling through the misc. photos is fun when there is time to kill.

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  3. I am not n instagram...I like the niceness of Blogging:) Your pictures are truly creative and artistic. The black and white of the dragonfly really show the details of its wings...so delicate. I love the birdie and the final sunset pic. The train tracks reminds me of a famous painting (I think by Alex Colville??) where it has a horse running towards a distant train and the tracks look like the tracks in your picture...Haunting.

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  4. I have enjoyed seeing your photos on IG - and I have followed and stayed following you! I have many of the same woes though with IG. People follow and then unfollow - whether I follow them or not! - and what is really getting to me is the constant slew of adverts for things that I don't want - weddings, lots of ads for alcohol and other things I just don't want to see - and constant suggestions that I follow various football players and popstars. Blogging is still a lovely place to be and I am glad that you and I are still in blogland, but can take part in other places too sometimes. Lovely seeing your wonderful photos here too, they are all so beautiful!!!

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  5. Gorgeous photos! I am on instagram too. But, I do not use it as much as my blog. I do not feel blogging is a competition, more like how much time you want to take visiting and commenting on other blogs. If you visit others you tend to build up followers. I have a certain group of blogs I follow and comment on regularly, they do become like "friends" . I always enjoy your lovely photos, today's series is wonderful. MY favorites are of the bird and the last sky shot. Happy Wednesday, enjoy your day!

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  6. Hi Andrea, it is so good to catch up with you again and I have been back reading to see I've missed out on so much!
    I love what you've been accomplishing with your new camera and I am soooo impressed! They are all great and something I wish I had an eye for!
    Best wishes and happy days to come!

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  7. Hi Andrea, I'm a lurker on your blog, but I'm coming out to say I totally agree about IG. I found the same thing with following/unfollowing, and it was frustrating. I also couldn't keep up with finding enough nice things to share photos of. I never remembered to pull out my phone when I was out and about. I'm back to just blogging these days and am much happier. Your photos are beautiful. I especially love the one with the bird on the fence wire.

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  8. Oh love every single image, Andrea! The dragonfly is beyond stunning and the quietness of the little bird sitting on the fence is so calming and serene. I agree with you about Instagram. I am there as well but find myself posting only every now and then, I need to use my words more than I am able to on IG. Like you, I agree that the relationships we form on our blogs is a little richer.

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  9. I keep being tempted to use IG, but never set it up properly and it fades away from my memory again ;)
    I like blogging, but haven't had much chance to post things this summer. I can't believe we are almost at the last week of August now!! Love your photos, you have a great skill yourself and see some beautiful shots. The dragonfly is incredible! So silvery and clear. The little sparrow looks like he's admiring a bird-sized wire sculpture and really contemplating it. Gorgeous shots, every one!
    Wendy

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  10. Woweee - no wonder they are your favorite - love the composition!!

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  11. Those first three shots, in particular, are amazing. Wow! Simply beautiful, all in different ways. I've been 'told' to get onto Instagram, but opted for Pinterest instead. You can't do everything. Instagram only lets you post via a mobile device, I think, so as all of my shots are on a PC it would just take ages - and I haven't got time. I am interested in building up followers, but ones who are genuinely interested in the topic. I wasted a great deal of time on Google+ - there are some genuinely great folk using it, but an awful lot of morons too - including people who post scores of over-coloured-photoshopped images and others who just forward pictures of places they have no idea about or have never been to. Few people seem read anything on or via Google+; I get more click-throughs from Facebook. I get more genuine interaction through the ABAB site itself, though, and by commenting on other sites.

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  12. Can't decide which shot I like the best, they are all wonderful.

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