Philly Instantly
In Philadelphia, the Instagram community is large and not only has it's own social media account, but also organizes Instameets throughout the city to take and…
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On the brisk afternoon of Oct. 4, groups of people strapped with DLSRs and smartphones greeted each other in Rittenhouse Square Park. They glanced at each others’ name tags. Some of them had met before, some were unfamiliar faces, though they recognized each others’ work.
An ‘Instameet’ was about to take place.
Instagram is a mobile phone app that allows people to share photos with their friends and the world. Instameets are “gatherings of people coming together to connect, explore and celebrate their creativity,” according their website.
Instameets happen in cities all over including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and here in Philadelphia. Meetups.com has a section dedicated speficially for Instameets. It allows people to search and join Instameets in more than 1,000 cities.
In Philadelphia, the Instagram community is large like other major cities. The community has an Instagram account and Facebook page dedicated to them (@IGers_philly). The account shares photos from local Instagrammers and calls itself a “hub for events, news & free apps.”
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Instagram has popular hashtags for the general user such as #TBT (Throwback Thursday), #MCM (Man Crush Mondays) and #WCW (Women Crush Wednesday), but Philadelphia Instagrammers use specific hashtags. Those Philly-centric hashtags include #igers_philly, #WilliamPennWednesday and #BenFranklinFriday.
One of the main organizers of Philly Instameets is Heidi Taylor (@kehlertaylor). Taylor joined Instagram February 2011, shortly after the app was released. She is also one of the founders and past moderators for the @IGers_Philly Instagram account. “I immediately became ‘friends’ with a few users in Seattle. At that time, Seattle and New York had very strong, large social groups, but nothing like that existed in Philadelphia,” Taylor said. “I planned the very first Instameet in Philly (as far as I know) on Sept. 10, 2011. It was a photo scavenger hunt, Philly vs. Seattle. I had no idea how to do it or how to get the word out. I had maybe 200 followers at the time. But I posted it, and I showed up at the Piazza, not knowing what to expect. There were five of us. We had a lot of fun and ended up mostly eating and drinking in Fishtown until the wee hours, but in the end, we BEAT Seattle!”
Taylor has planned about 20 Instameets in the past four years. “To organize a meetup, all you need is an idea! Anything can be a good photo walk, as long as you have fun people along. People enjoy getting together in the real world, and it's always a good time. Pick a date, pick a spot, and get the word out,” she said. “We have done all areas of the city: Rittenhouse, University City, Manayunk, Old City, the Reading Viaduct, Northern Liberties/Fishtown. It's not necessary to plan the exact route, but I have found that it's a good idea to pick a spot in advance for the ‘after party’ portion. Some people can't make it on time, but want to meet up with the group for refreshments after.”
Chris Robinson (@cbeatz852), a popular Instagrammer since 2010, has been involved in planning Instameets for the past six months, but has been an avid attendee for longer than that. Together, Robinson and Taylor planned the meet on Oct. 4. “It looks easier that it seems,” Robinson said. “It starts with a location that I want people to see. I select a date for the meet up. Afterwards, I try to find a few people that might want to help out with organizing. Next, a flyer is made for the announcement, either by myself or one of the people helping out. Having a plan of action for the meet up location, as in walking routes and hangouts afterwards is key!!”
The Instameet on Oct. 4 explored new Philadelphia hotspots like Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk and Dilworth Park. About 60 Instagrammers roamed the streets taking photos.
Chuck Bonfig (@chuckseye), an Instagrammer of three and a half years, has attended more than a dozen Instameets. “I always look forward to our Instagram meetups. They are a crazy collection of people from completely different walks of life: men and women; white, Black, Latino, Asian; old and young; rookies and veterans; suburbanites and city folk,” Bonfig said. “Our only common thread is a love for photography. It's fascinating to see a dozen photographers approach a subject and all take a different point of view on it. Some climb up steps to shoot from above. Some lay on the ground. Some cross the street and some get up close. Some focus on the photographers shooting the subject. It's always fun to see the varied results posted from a photowalk.”
The people who attend the meets use a variety of equipment. “The people who come out to the meetups are both professional photographers, and non-photographers like myself,’ Taylor said. “I don't even have a camera. I'm all iPhone. People bring all kinds of gear, and there's always plenty of discussion on the cameras, lenses, editing apps, and technique.”
“All of the feedback I've received has been positive,” Taylor said. “I've heard from some people that they don't even take many pictures on these meetups, they're too busy chatting and catching up with old friends, and meeting new IG friends. It's awesome when people make new local connections. It promotes a wonderful sense of community.”
Some think that Instagram hasn’t done much for photography, while others feel that it has changed it for the better.
“Camera phones have moved photography into our daily lives where we ordinarily wouldn't be carrying a camera,” Bonfig said. “It also gives you a forum to share, debate and learn with other photographers. I've watched people on Instagram grow from taking simple snapshots to using framing, composition and depth to create brilliant photographs.”
“For me personally, Instagram has reignited an interest in photography, which began in high school,” Taylor said. “I think it has also made photography accessible to everyone with a phone. There are some wonderful photographers who shoot with expensive high-end equipment. But I'm inspired most by the amazing artists who shoot with the phone in their pocket. Instagram has legitimized ‘mobile photography,’ and has shown me that, while I would love to have a DSLR, the phone in my pocket will suffice most of the time. The equipment doesn't make the art or the artist.”
Getting to know the unknown by Yesid Vargas (@yesidvargas)
Being part of an #instameet for the first time in Philly was a nice but strange experience. I met with people who although I’ve never seen in person, I still knew enough about their lives --not just what they like to photograph but where they were a night before. Definitely getting to know the unknown.
At the meeting I not only asked about certain trips and places, but also exchanged information on apps and what cameras or phones are best to shoot spectacular photos to share online.
Being able to meet with so many people that enjoy both photography and social sites like Instagram, is as sensational as sharing those photos which in the past could only be stored in a family album or the hard disk of a computer where very few ever saw them. Now each photo we take can be shown to the world, and each share brings followers, comment or “likes.”
The meeting with this group of photographers, most of them aficionados, continued through the streets of Philadelphia as we made our way taking pictures with cameras and smartphones, as passersby reacted to us, probably wondering if we were tourists or photography students.
Finally we arrived at the Schuykill Boardwalk Bank, a new site that offers many possibilities for photography and already has become a must see attraction for those who visit or live in the City of Brotherly Love.
Back at Dilworth Park, @leisheehan took the winning photo of the day showing how much fun we had during our #instameet on Oct. 4.
As the tour developed and we shared photos under the hashtag #WWIM10_Philly, I thought to myself that as technology continues to change, it is worthwhile to keep participating in this type of meetup, which feeds my hobby.
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