A photographer says about the pictures that people share on their Instagram: Images that used to be in photo albums can now be found on people’s personal Instagram pages; In fact, today, if we want to show our travel photos to our friends, for example, we share our pictures on Instagram, so we no longer need to show a photo album or phone memory images.
It’s been several years since the Instagram platform became popular; Software that few people in the world now have a personal account. This program was originally invented with a photo focus and soon found its place among cyberspace users.
Now, a few years after the arrival of this platform, which still retains its charm and is popular among its audience, it seems that it is no longer a very professional space for viewing photos and images; Because more than anything, you can see the daily lives of ordinary people in this space.
To examine the changes that Instagram has had in relation to photos and images, we decided to talk to Massoud Zandeh Rouh Kermani, a professional photographer, about the effects of Instagram on photography.
The artist begins his conversation with ISNA as follows: The root and bedrock of a major part of cyberspace platforms is data collection; Information that is global and not location specific. For example, Facebook sells some of its information; Now this information sale may be used in the fashion and clothing industry or in the economic sphere. In fact, selling information is one of the main sources of revenue for these platforms, otherwise why should the Facebook manager, whose application is made available to the public for free, be one of the first richest people in the world?
He continues: Currently, the only platform based on photos and images is Instagram, and this platform has provided a space for users to share photos and then videos and live performances today. Certainly when a platform is more focused on the image, it can have a different impact on the world. Of course, now 80% of Instagram content is people’s hobbies and daily lives; By sharing their travel or period photos.
Instagram; Personal sharing platform
This photographer states: When Instagram becomes a platform for people to share personal photos, their individual desires also become apparent. In order for someone to have an account on Instagram, they can now express their personal thoughts. Now these thoughts can be a person’s daily life, tastes, interests and views of the environment.
He continues: About 20 to 30% of the Instagram population use this platform as a space for a image gallery. Of course, these people are mostly photographers or in some cases people who convey certain ideas or writings through images and text on Instagram. People who are generally theorists are more present on Twitter and even take screenshots of their tweets and share them on Instagram.
What leap did Instagram make in photography?
He explains: “Today, we capture the image through a tool called mobile, which was not previously considered a camera, and share it a few seconds later, and no one can control it unless it is against the rules of Instagram that In this case, Instagram may block that page and delete the post after a few minutes, or show permission to see the image (if it is annoying) only by the user’s choice.
Instagram used to make people see photos
Zandeh Rouh continues: Instagram has accustomed people to see photos and may now be one of the few tools or social networks to which millions of images are added per second. Another effect that Instagram had on photography was that it gradually popped up a square image so that a vertical or horizontal image would not necessarily be common. Because there is a feature in Instagram that you can see less of a photo horizontally or vertically, and this square is a strange feature that Instagram has shown in world photography. Other small effects include image reduction; In a way, sometimes you look at a collection of images in which mobile photos are small and square images. Another point is that when you open a personal profile and flip through the photo album, it can give you the feeling of an exhibition.
He states: “In any case, Instagram has had its impact on photography and has passed its exam.” Professional photographers, however, are not all Instagram users, and only a small percentage of Instagram users are professional photographers, where they share their images for others to see.
How effective has Instagram been in professional photography?
The artist explains: It was much easier in photography in social spaces; This means that you had a camera and took pictures in spaces and streets, but now you can not do this easily, so you go to your mobile and your first tribune will be Instagram. On the other hand, it should be seen in which countries does Instagram have more social effects? In response, it should be said that this platform is activated in countries where journalists or photographers are less allowed to be present in the news. In fact, when you own a mobile phone and space called Instagram, you become a reporter. This is because sometimes during an important event, the activity of professional photographers is limited, and in this case, it is the ordinary audience who fills their vacancies with mobile phones.
He goes on to cite the photos released by the Taliban during the occupation of Afghanistan: When Afghanistan was occupied by the Taliban, were journalists and official photographers present in all the scenes to show their pictures to the world? No. Rather, these were ordinary people who transmitted news and images through Instagram. On the other hand, the images recorded and published by ordinary people were much more than the images published by professional photographers. For example, the movie where people are looking for a plane or people falling on the runway is one of the events recorded by mobile phones.
Instagram is no less influential than official news agencies
He stated that Instagram is no less influential than official news agencies, says: It has sometimes been seen that an ordinary person records an incident and shares it on Instagram and is just being followed by the judiciary or the police.
The artist also states: Instagram is a combination of professional and non-professional news space. Instagram has become a space that everyone from amateurs to professionals uses depending on their level of education and thinking. In the new world that is being formed, we can easily meet the person we want through their profiles on platforms such as Instagram and get acquainted with his ideas. For example, if someone visits my profile, sees my photos, reads my posts, they usually know my point of view and thus can decide whether to follow me or not! Of course, I am not talking about fake profiles, because these profiles belong mainly to people who do not dare to express themselves personally.
He concludes on Instagram filtering: Instead of restricting social networks to people, it is better to teach them the right ways to use them. Everything should not always be limited. Have they been able to control the satellite before? Now we see that Twitter is forbidden for me as an ordinary citizen, but some person or minister is not forbidden to use this application. If Twitter is bad it is bad for everyone and if it is good it is good for everyone.
