However, there have been a few times where've found myself, with cell phone camera in hand, taking photo after photo, hoping one will be "gram worthy".
Fail...
That's right, I'll admit it! And go ahead, admit you've done the same, or just go ahead and judge me if you haven't. That's fine too, because it's not a good habit! When I post a picture of my daughter, my daily activities or anything else, I shouldn't be thinking about how many likes it'll get, how artistic it looks or how grand it makes my life seem. Because in reality, my life is grand and a high contrast filter on Instagram won't make a difference. A beautiful life filled with joy, love and authenticity is what matters. Sometimes, that means blurry photos with shadows and a messy house in the background that no filter could ever hide. But it's those photos that are full of the real memories I hope to capture and save.
The reason this is on my heart is, firstly, because authenticity is something I've been praying a lot about lately and, secondly, because I've seen my Instagram feed slowly become something out of a magazine...
I follow some amazing bloggers who always seem to have the best, most artistic shots. Granted, some are actual photographers, so they get a pass, but there are others who have me thinking about authenticity quite often... I know many blogs are a source of income for the author and appealing to their readers, visually, is important. But when does it cross the line into the land of obnoxiously fake? To be honest, I've recently unfollowed some of my favorite blogs because they've become so different than they started out. What used to be a real lifestyle blog is now a utopian lifestyle blog. What used to be the mom blog with funny stories about her kids is now a blog filled with photos that make you feel bad about your dirty-faced kids and non-matching furniture.
I'm not trying to call anyone in particular out, but when will the random-flower-next-to-your-cup-of-coffee-on-a-perfectly-white-counter photos, with the caption "Such a peaceful way to start the day" end? And can we all agree to stop laying out our lunches next to an old book, unlit candle and open tube of lipstick? Like really, your organic grass-fed burger on a bed of grass is getting cold. Just eat, and share a photo of your dirty plate, or the joy on your face after devouring such a tasty treat. Better yet, let's all band together and agree to not post any food photos. I swear, I'll try my hardest!
In all seriousness though, let's aim to change the way we use social media. Let's remember why we started using it to begin with: to share our real lives and memories with real people. Here's to being authentic, honest and bold... Without ten thousand shots and twice as many filters!
No comments:
Post a Comment