Instagram

This is the first photo that I took using Instagram. This photo marks the start of my journey into Photography.

I have just bought my first smart phone, an iPhone4. It was a lot of money for a student to spend but I have always wanted an iPhone since the original release in 2007. So after 3 years of waiting, I decided to do it.

To make myself feel better about spending that much money, I promised myself to put it into a really good use. I decided to take photos and publish everyday. I kept that practice for few years and throughout that process I fell in love with the art of Photography.

After those first few years I slowed down a little bit but still kept taking photos and publishing. Until the end of 2017 when Instagram became a really toxic place for me. By then I have published few thousand photos. My Photography has grown a lot and was enjoying taking photos more than ever. But I was so desperate for recognition. I was comparing myself and my work with others on the platform. That mindset was toxic. I became so depressed with it all that I decided to delete my account and leave Instagram for good.

I also stopped taking Photos and doing anything creative in general. I had a good break from it all and learned a lot what I was doing wrong. About my attitude and the toxic patterns of my perception. Not to mention everything that now we have learned about the social media and specially Instagram.

But now, at the start of 2020, with a completely new perspective and awareness, I am using Instagram to publish my work and share my story. I am very careful not to fall into the same traps as before but rather take advantage of this powerful tool to connect and share stories with others.