Instagram Obsession and Insights + IG Tips App

For the past several months my husband and I have been going out on Instagram photo walks together around Oakland. It’s been fun to develop a shared hobby, explore new locations, and play with a different creative medium.

We were both sick for awhile, but this weekend was the first time we were out and about again. And the weather is absolutely amazing (it’s sunny and in the high 70s today!).

Here’s a shot from yesterday when we visited Lake Temescal for a bit after eating lunch. There were even people going for a dip in the lake it was such a nice day!

I’ve been enjoying exercising my photography muscles with this fun app and I’ve appreciated the new insights I’ve had into my creative process.

• An unfamiliar medium encourages you to look at things differently. When I do intuitive painting I’m used to diving deeply into my own internal world but with photography, I’m more focused on my external world. I’m paying attention to the environment, to the details, to who and what is around me.
• You have to try many different angles to get the shot. As a newbie photographer, I’ve learned one of the best things to do is to approach the subject from different angles. Shoot from above, below, move to the left, to the right. Experiment with where you are in relation to what you’re shooting. It’s a great metaphor for seeing how you can turn a situation on it’s side to discover new insight.
• Indeed, a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s been fun to follow fellow IG’ers from across the globe. We may speak a different language and I may not be able to read their captions or comments, but I can still see the world through their eyes when I look at their photos. It’s inspiring.

Join in the fun!

You can see a feed of some of my Instagram photos here or on flickr. Or if you’ve got an iPhone, get the app. You’ll love it! It’s got the social media connection aspect of Twitter and cool photo filters like the Hipstamatic app. You can follow me on Instagram at “jennlee.”

Instagram Tips App

If you want an orientation to Instagram and some tips on how to best use it, check out the pet project my hubby and I have been working on: the free Instagram Tips iPhone app. We’re doing an update this week that will talk about the new hashtag feature and more. Enjoy!