Let’s start with a bit of information that will be a surprise to many. The Chicago Sun-Times recently decided to completely eradicate it’s photography department and as a truly 21st century replacement, the papers top bosses equipped all reporters with iPhones accompanied by comprehensive training on how to effectively use “iPhoneography”. The term “iPhoneography” has been coined to describe the now widespread use of apps such as Instagram to take atmospheric photographs, most of which are quite frankly dull every day items. The New York times recently featured an Instagram photograph of American Baseball star Alex Rodriguez on their front cover, which paves the way for all sorts of possibilities within the world of photography and digital media.
Photography Courses
The purists amongst you will argue that the use of Instagram is killing the art of photography. Traditional photography courses are still relevant and hold vital importance in educating individuals in photographic techniques. Kate Bevan of The Guardian has some strong feelings about the cutesy faux Polaroid filters that clog up her timeline on a daily basis. Kate says, “for me, these filters spoil pictures: they get in the way of the image and they distort the story the picture is telling. It jars to see a picture taken a few seconds ago that looks like a product of the 1960’s”.
At the other end of the scale you have many individuals who have become accustomed to the trend and have a now near unbreakable affinity with the photo sharing giant. When you get past the interminable pictures of “the cute face my cat makes” or “check my breakfast out” you can find some incredibly awe inspiring content on the platform. Instagram has a wide range of uses from newest viral marketing campaign or revolutionary use of humour and insights into the work of some of the world’s inspired photographers and artists.
All in all it seems the link between Instagram and photography is only getting stronger. The platform, if used correctly, can be an excellent showcase for artistic creations as well as giving amateurs the opportunity to share beautiful images. Instagram can be enjoyed by everyone, but the excessive oversharing of mundane items has become a bug bear for many users. The studying of a photography course will not only improve your ability, but also add enrichment to your use of photo sharing.
Top Tips for the Perfect Instagram Post
- Make the content unique – You witness hundreds of different sights in a day, try to avoid posting the routine aspects of your life.
- Get creative – Use one of the many photo editing apps to create something that will demand the attention of your Instagram followers.
- Don’t fill your feed! – Don’t over saturate your feed with 50 photos a day, users are more interested in quality rather than quantity.
NCC Home Learning are pleased to announce that the Level 3 Digital Photography Diploma is now available for purchase!
This home study course enables you to better understand the medium of digital photography and your role within this flexible medium.
The skills covered in this distance learning course will allow you to better understand the workings of your camera, how to control lighting, posing, and to find your direction as your own personal photographer. Each section is covered in friendly, easy to understand terms and you can then put this knowledge into practice in the formal assessments.
Written by an expert in the field, this course gives you the skills, insight and knowledge to broaden your photography expertise whether to take better family images or to go the distance and start your business.