Is Instagram dead for real photographers?

Eric Kim just deleted his Instagram account (here) and you experience that the amount of SPAM, advertising and selfie addiction has reached a new peak in the last months. There are also individuals who collect followers like other people flowers at the central park at spring (by having just 10 crappy photos with hundreds of likes online).

I use Instagram to follow hand selected photographers to see their work and get some inspiration. I give a fuck about hundreds of likes but I am happy when certain people I know comment or like my images. It is more like an always changing exhibition that is carefully curated by me.

Back in the days where Instawhatever never had existed!
Sometimes I also think about deleting my account. There are so many companies, corporate bloggers and other social media experts who ruin the whole thing. They use bots to like your stuff and tell you that your photos are awesome because they want to be followed back. It's the same thing with Facebook and I deleted my account some years ago and felt happy with the decision. Facebook is the most useless social media platform I know. I would never ever return to such a time consuming and meaningless thing.

I think it's important to print your photos and show them in the real world to real people. Maybe you print your own magazine (like I do) or do an exhibition (in a Café or even under a bridge without permission). Instagram is for the lazy ones and you can't look behind the machinery that drives the whole thing. And if you collecting followers to get that "K" behind the count, you are wasting your lifetime with stupid things.

Cheers,

Nils

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