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How Instagram Is Influencing Street Photography

Walk Like Alice

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Has Instagram changed the way we take street photographs? Has the pressure to build an audience started to influence what we choose to photograph?

In this video, I look at how Instagram is shaping street photography and the effect that it could have on photographers. I also look at how we use Instagram and why we aren't giving up on the platform anytime soon.

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20 Comments

@CarlKoop 1 month ago

I post on Instagram but I post what I want, I don't care if anyone "likes" my photos, I don't care about the algorithm, and I do not do reels. I post my visions & art. I have a small following but I really believe that quite a few of them follow me hoping I will return with a follow back to boost them. I look at others work and if I like it I follow them but never for the boost to the algorithm. I know that I will not have any impact on Instagram, but at least I have my integrity. This was an excellent video and obviously has sparked a lot of discussion. Nice job!

@simonbates9221 1 month ago

This is absolutely spot on. I have fallen foul of the algorithms and I just don’t have the time and don’t want to be producing images for likes. So I just post when I want and don’t worry about likes and followers. However there is a small community of us that look at each other’s work and comment. That support means more than thousands of likes and followers. 👍🏻

@AndyL-b1o 1 month ago

I'm an older hobbyist photographer and I don't bother with IG anymore, primarily for some of the reasons you mentioned, such as altering how you photograph to try and get more followers. Two other reasons I don't use IG is that it usually forces you to put out content continuously and then you may post images that you haven't had time to live with and in fact suck. Another big reason is that it favours overly dramatic photos and what I consider 'quiet' photos just sink into oblivion. I don't miss IG and still prefer to discover photographers through their published books or exhibitions because those photos have been selected carefully and usually with the help of people who have a good eye.

@Scarbographer 1 month ago

I ditched all things Meta not just because I realised how much doomscrolling I was doing but also because of huge privacy concerns I have around Meta. Now Im strictly an amateur photographer so I don’t have to put my images out there because I want to get work so I know not everyone has this luxury. The change in what I photograph has been interesting since deleting my Insta accounts, I have realised how much I used to look for those Instagrammable shots you talk about and also how much knowing what the algorithm wanted influenced my personal view of a good photograph, mostly for the worst. I can’t say I’ve found my personal style free of that yet but it’s getting there. Maybe when I’m sure im only shooting for me I will have another account (anonymous email etc) or head to a different platform like Grainery as I shoot a lot of analogue now.
Really enjoyed this video very balanced and the photos from Scarbs were a bonus 👍🏻

@scottevans1662 1 month ago

This video is spot on and timely. Sadly, social media, Instagram in particular, is a necessary evil. I’ve made peace with the fact that street photographers or artist in general have a platform for their work.. good or bad…it’s there. With that said. I’ve employed a personal integrity policy which is; I shoot for me and post for me not for an algorithm. If I pick up a follower great if I don’t pick up one in six weeks that’s OK too, but I didn’t compromise my integrity just to get clicks. And I really do think that this instant gratification scroll quickly. Demographic is really harming art, street photography in particular. You get better by taking the time to understand why this image is speaking to you. The complexity of the image and sometimes it’s just whimsical fun, but you have to take time. You can’t just flick your finger up and move onto the next and then call yourself an artist…

@JoseMariaOliveira 1 month ago

I shoot 99.9% of my pictures in landscape format. I really don't care whether people like them or not.

@cjpiazza77 1 month ago

A lot of great points. I have noticed that the large accounts with a zillion followers seem to post a lot of the same kind of photos. This is not my interest which is obvious since I don't have many followers at all, lol. Nicely done Jeff.

@McZo1dberg 4 weeks ago

Thankfully, I'm an audience of one.... as in myself. I seem to shoot photography for myself and hope that others enjoy my journey.

@LASHMAR 1 month ago (edited)

I think the key here and you kind of answered it in the video - is to post what works for Instagram. (Not shoot for it) I tend to post a lot of street portraits but street portraits are 5% max of what I ahoot when I’m out shooting. I genuinely can say I don’t ever think when I’m out I’ll shoot this for Instagram but I can see how people would. However - I must post for Instagram or …it’s pointless from a business sense using it.

My intention is to get people on to my YouTube channel to see bigger images (my analytics suggest) the majority of my viewers watch on a tv. And my website via community.

Instagram is being viewed on a phone. A little box within a box so it needs that discernment I feel.

Another thing to consider I feel is that photographers in business may have to compromise a little and use platforms they probably wouldn’t if it was simply a hobby. If I wasn’t in business I’m not sure I’d post any images on Instagram.

@mariusr7535 1 month ago

Exactly how I feel. A lot of images from photographers that I follow are converging into a narrow, and by now predictable, style.

@sgsuurland 1 month ago

I have always been really embarrassed about posting on Instagram (before I started photography), for no real reason. There was just always an anxiety around it. I've now given myself a "one photo everyday for a year" challenge where I post my photography and it's really helping me become much more comfortable with posting. I also just really enjoy actually sharing my work, even though I'm completely new to it and I find it pretty mediocre myself. I enjoy the process now and I don't care who sees it or who likes it. And I'm excited to be able to see my skills grow through my page with time.

@maelthakid 1 month ago (edited)

I'm really glad you made a video on this topic Jeff. Instagram can certainly take a huge toll on your mental health due to the low vanity metrics, I'm one of those photographers. I remember deleting a couple posts that were underperforming and got frustrated about my photos not going viral.

It made me lose control of myself. I start comparing my work to other street photographers who has way more engagement and success than me. At this point I just start posting more on my website and try treating Instagram sorta like a diary with a musican perspective of creating albums; bodies of work.

These numbers don't define an artist or their worth, what defines an artist is how passionate they are about their craft and repetition of showing up.

Edit: spelling error

@davec1117 1 month ago

I'd never heard of instagram until my daughter and her boyfriend explained it and thought I should post pictures imwas taking with an at the time new toy, iPod touch. I looked upon it as a message in a bottle/postering type venture, post what ever I wanted and see if anybody noticed, shocked when they did. Shoot with a mirrorless now adapting my old SLR lenses to it, more often than not starting format horizontal 16:9, if I crop it can end up at any ratio, use squaready to fit it within the Instagram page. Never done a reel or story, don't play the game.

It's still very much a let's see what happens when whatever i've gotten into of late and caught my eye gets posted. Likes and views so what. Maybe the best part of it all is checking out other people's work who've shown an interest in what i've been doing.

Seeing other people's pictures/interpretations of things you've photographed in your shared community can be a real education in looking and seeing.

@evanlaw8052 1 month ago (edited)

Thank you for this. Many of your comments resonates with me. For a while I was wondering why my instagram account had so few followers and was actually monitoring its growth. I could not understand why some of my images which I didn't think was great did better than those which I thought was much better. You are spot on that Instagram does not showcase complex images well. Some months back I decided to stop worrying about followers and focus on my making photos that I enjoy and like. I now use Instagram as a convenient repository to showcase my work and the type of images that I like to make. A timely video to remind me I made the right choice! Thanks!