Snippet: How Instagram Made Justin Blanton a Better Photographer ☇

Justin Blanton:

The gist is that Instagram forced me into a much more frequent posting schedule, but it’s a bit more nuanced than that. One of the phrases I’ve always liked is “kill your darlings,” which means, loosely, don’t selfishly hold on too tight to your successes/loves.

Before Instagram, back when I was running my own photoblog, each photo was my darling, and I never wanted to post the next picture because it effectively “killed” the previous one. Silly? Sure, but that’s how I thought about it.

The idea of multiple photos being shared on a regular basis does allow for some fun and learning about how you take photos to share. While comments I receive aren’t typically about photographic composition or other skills, I do feel that the environment is a more positive one than other social networks.