Hey there, fellow digital denizens! Let’s talk about the magical realm of social media and its undeniable impact on our lives. I mean, who could have predicted that a tiny device in our hands would connect us to the entire world while we lounge in our PJs? Thank you, social media, for keeping us ‘bed-connected’!
Remember the good ol’ days of MySpace and the early Facebook era? Back then, digital cameras were all the rage, and we felt like tech pioneers posting our “genuine” snapshots. Ah, the simplicity! But, you know, businesses had to stick their noses in.
Enter Instagram, the reigning champ of visual self-expression. It’s been around for nearly two decades and refuses to throw in the towel. Instagram handed us ordinary folks a microphone to speak our minds and create our path to stardom. Sounds peachy, right? Well, not entirely.
Instagram birthed the influencer phenomenon, where people live these seemingly “perfect” lives, complete with flawless photos. It gave us the Instagram Avatar. It’s as if blemishes, scars, and imperfections ceased to exist. Talk about setting the bar high! This obsession with perfection seems to be everywhere, and as a professional photographer, I can’t help but feel partially responsible.
Sure, I loathe retouching photos to the point of perfection, but when clients want it, who am I to say no? But, here’s the kicker – it takes away from the art and just follows a trend. Why are we obsessed with becoming avatars instead of embracing our authentic selves? When did ‘perfect’ become the benchmark, and who set this impossible standard?
So, I decided to take a step back and shift my creative gears. I yearn to capture raw, unfiltered moments – the kind that legends like Chi Modu and Jamel Shabazz masterfully portray. There’s something captivating about preserving the essence of a moment without going Photoshop-crazy. Opportunities for such authenticity are rare, but when they come knocking, I’m all in!
Here’s my hope: Someday, we’ll learn to appreciate ourselves in all our diverse glory – different skin tones, body types, skin types, hair types, you name it. When we share ourselves with the world, it should be genuinely us, not some Instagram-friendly illusion to make others feel better about themselves.
So, dear reader, am I the only one sailing this ship of authenticity in a sea of avatars? Join me on this quest to celebrate our uniqueness, flaws and all. Who knows, we might just find that being real is the most Instagram-worthy thing of all.
Yours in pixels and authenticity,
Tony