The Cool Photography Upside of Social Media

After watching 60 Minutes (again, old person) a couple of weeks ago, I was going to blog about Joel Sartore's photos for National Geographic. With what he calls the Photo Ark, he is attempting to photograph every living creature on Earth, to establish a visual record of every species before many of them become extinct. @joelsartore features amazing photographs which are certainly worth a look, and his goal is certainly a great topic for discussion. But then I thought, "What else is on Instagram?" and I was off down the rabbit hole.


As a non-millenial I was under the impression that Instagram was where you went to see your friends' vacation photos or to check out which purse one of the Kardashian's was carrying. And while that may still be true, I discovered dozens of photographers who are worth following, with pictures to make you think, feel, and brighten your day.

For instance, @macenzo (Dirk Bakker) is an account devoted to architectural photography. The patterns, shapes, and colors he captures are sure to make you look at the world in a completely new and different way.

@nationalparkservice is just what it sounds like - the Instagram account of the National Park Service, full of the glory of nature at its finest. Animals, trees, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, you name it - and all completely stunning. A visual representation of what a beautiful place we are all lucky enough to live in. Plus, you know, otters.

And if you want to look at something fun, you should check out @thiswildidea. Theron Humphrey takes photos of his coonhound, Maddie, that are sometimes fun, sometimes thoughtful, and always entertaining. If nothing else they should put a smile on your face and remind you why dogs are man's best friend.

Whether you're into photography or not, all of us could use reminders of the beauty that's around us. Enjoy some photos, and then open your eyes to the world. Sometimes we get so caught up in homework, activities, and the stress of day-to-day that we forget to breath. Maybe pictures of someone else's dog doing yoga will help.

All of this leads me back to my original thought, when I was watching 60 Minutes, which was "social media is not all bad". We tend to think of it as a place where people bully one another, yell a lot, and generally just not get along, or where we develop a lot of anxiety and angst because our lives don't look as perfect as someone else's. A lot of good can be found on these platforms, good that we can look for or contribute to. Don't be caught up in the negative! I invite you to comment with some of your favorite Instagram links so we can all follow along.