The Evolution Of Photography Through Influencers
Written by Trinity Duong
A properly curated social media has been a huge focus of many people’s lives as technologically based communication and interactions have become much easier and influential. It has opened a gateway for economic, social, and political conversations to ensue and it seems almost difficult to avoid media consumption in this new digital age.
Over the last decade, social media has grown rapidly in importance due to business ventures as well as platform-sharing opportunities. As the presence of social media grows it garners more and more users who inevitably begin looking to influencers to guide them with their digital decisions. Social media influencers are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge on specific topics. By creating regular content and posts about preferred or niche topics they are able to generate a large following with engaged users that boost their views. Because of this brands love social media influencers because they can begin trends using their products.
Between, mega, macro, and micro-influencers all share the same goal of reaching a certain number and an easy way to do so is by curating the perfect feed in accordance with the current trends.
Let’s take a look at the evolution of photography that influencers have gone through in relation to social media phases through the years.
1) Casual
Casual posting was the beginning of social media. As no one really understood the importance or developed the mindset of instant gratification they posted whenever and whatever they wanted. I’m sure you can recall the abundance of random duck face selfies that scoured the home page. There were less curation and more admiration for simply sharing what it is you loved.
In 2010, Instagram launched its first version of its application and racked up 25,000 users in one day. This small amount of users in comparison to the billion-user industry we live in today allowed freedom and relaxed mannerisms when it came to posting. This was the epitome of casual posting and also the beginning of influencers. Their casual lives on this platform were soon admired by its users and as celebrities took to the app more and more influencers were born.
2) Digital/Professional
As social media ran out of its casual phase it did a complete 180 and pursued a much more professional dynamic. Instead of iPhone selfies and blurry photos, influencers opted to up their Instagram by branching into a new phase, digital photography. This kind of executive planning elevated their status to the next level because they began the newest trend. Soon everyone was flocking to make their DPI resolution as clear as it could be with the hottest new poses and angles. Digital photography created a new wave of influencing that inspired millions to move away from casual posting.
3) Curated Casual
And as all phases come full-circle, we have now progressed back into casual Instagram. However, there is a distinct difference between this new casual and the old one. This one is more curated towards the aesthetic of seeming carefree. As much as we’d like to be rid of trying to appease the social order, casual posting in this day and age is only seen as a less toned-down version of the digital and professional phase. Curated Instagram will never truly be casual but that is the idea that many users play with because it creates this relaxed aesthetic that brings harmony to other’s feeds.
Social media is a constant presence in our lives and following the trends has always seemed like something we had to adhere to in order to be considered up-to-date or modern. Every trend is never as it seems and will always create a way of thinking that incorporates community. As long as it is not all-consuming and all-encompassing you are going to have a great time keeping up to date with what is currently in.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography check out “Photography Tips For Every Season” right on the blog.
