Using Instagram The Old Way (Photography Only)
Ayup! Back in August, for my sins, I decided to start up a new Instagram account. This is my third attempt. If the age-old saying is right, this should be my lucky break, right?
Well, not quite. Primarily because I’ve been determined to use the platform how I did back when it was actually aimed at still images. Back when it was actually fun to use.
So here’s the deal. Photography only. No videos. No motion whatsoever. No music. No reels. No stories. You get the idea. Basically, sidestepping everything that the algorithm wants.
A calmer Instagram exists
The main point of this little experiment, is to a) see if it’s possible to use Instagram how it was initially intended, and b) avoid all of the bullshit. Or, at least, as much of it as possible.
The most significant change that I was able to make to my timeline / feed, was turning off recommended accounts. Under settings, head to content preferences, then snooze suggested posts. This only works for a certain amount of time, but I’m hoping I can just keep hitting snooze.
Secondly, I try and use the desktop version whenever possible. This is extremely limited in comparison to the mobile app. They’ve deliberately made it almost impossible to use in some instances. But for posting, liking, commenting, etc, it works perfectly well.
A presence on Instagram can still be useful
Honestly, I love the idea of not having to bother with Instagram. However, I do think a presence on the platform, whether active or not, can prove useful. For example:
I’ve noticed a few folks stopping by from my Unsplash profile.
Unsplash themselves are present on Instagram, but not on any of the other social media channels that I use.
Often, when connecting with a fellow photographer on Bluesky, we end up bumping into each other on Instagram as well.
The big camera brands are always looking to feature the work of their users. Instagram is one of the best platforms to tag them and use the dedicated hashtag.
If you shoot public locations frequently, Instagram is usually the easiest place to tag them in your photo. Every now and again, they stop by to comment and possibly share your image.
You can nearly always find your favourite photographers on Instagram. Not so much on other platforms.
Ultimately, depending on your goals as a photographer, love it or hate it, Instagram still holds a fairly significant relevance.
Slave to the algorithm
As mentioned, I’m just about doing everything that the holy algorithm frowns upon. So how’s that working out? Not great, but also not terrible. I post one single image with a caption, tagged location and a bunch of hashtags.
With around 140 followers, the views per image normally average out at somewhere between 400 and 500. Likes and comments are minimal. More than happy with that, as it was to be expected when using Instagram this way.
If you follow me on any of my social media channels, you’ll know that I’ve been framing my images for a while now. A square image, with landscape images at the top, or portrait images to the left, with EXIF details either at the bottom or on the right.
It turns out Instagram hates this. Overnight, my views and likes halved. Hey ho. I won’t be changing how I share my images on the Gram. Just something to keep in mind.
Tailor your experience
I guess the point of this post is that you don’t need to give the algorithm everything it wants. Just do your own thing. Tailor your experience to something that makes using the platform manageable and enjoyable.
Will it limit your reach? Absolutely! Who cares? Let’s get back to sharing and engaging with photography how we did back when it was meaningful and retained purpose. Honestly, I don’t see how you can really enjoy photography if you feel like you got to video yourself throughout the entire process. Thankfully, it turns out you don’t need to.
