Scrolling through Facebook today I ran across a post about a woman who uploaded 12 million pictures from an “unforgettable” European vacation. 12 MILLION! The trip consisted of only six days in Madrid and Paris. SIX days! Cray-cray, right? I know many a Facebook “friend” who is a little photo crazy, and I’m sure you do too, but 12 million! Wow!
This comes on the heels of me running across and article from “Conde Nast Traveler” magazine titled “#Shutup.” The short but informative article focused on “how to brag but not be a drag online” and warned readers to be wary of “trophy travel” pics, which it compared to making friends and family sit down for hour-long slide shows of your trip to Yellowstone.
This time of year vacation photos all over social media, but when thinking of posting a photo the travel magazine suggests you ask yourself: “am I traveling and posting these photos because I really love discovering new places and these photos are amazing, or do I just want to impress my friends?” If it’s the latter, keep those photos on your smart phone and move on to the next destination.
There’s no denying however, that most of us enjoy seeing photographs of incredible travel moments, the key word being “incredible.” Simply put, don’t post mediocre photos and don’t post soooooo many! Nothing annoys me more than a photo of an Irish castle that’s not stunning or a post that shows five photos on the feed but indicates “50+.” Do you want to look through 55 photographs of your friend’s trip to Disneyland? Well, neither do they!
When and if you post pictures from your trip to the South of France or South Beach, don’t make them all about you either. Instead, make them about the place and the people there. Also try to share some interesting information about the photo subject matter. “This is the last remaining Inca ruin” for instance rather than a selfie captioned “Me in front of the last remaining Inca ruin.”
Family Ties
After travel pics, family and food snapshots are probably the second most posted images. I know, I know and I’m right there with everyone else on the food train. Not sure why, but I am. All I can suggest and live by in to try to limit them. Maybe don’t post photos of everything your child does or every dish you eat, but rather truly memorable moments and memorable meals.
As for social media photos in general, I like them because I think of my FB photo albums as just that: photo albums. Back in the day I used to make photo albums of all my photos. Just recently I made an entire album of my daughter’s college graduation. But, hear me out. It was somewhat after that fact, but I wanted an album of all my favorite shots in one spot so uploading I went. I tried my hardest to figure out how not to let the album post as “new” but couldn’t figure out how. Uber apologies to my FB friends and if anyone knows how to do create an album but not post it as a new one, please let me know as I have other photos I’d like to make into albums.
Guilty as charged of the above. Sometimes I just can’t help it! I also comment and “Like” too much on Facebook. That’s the word from my daughter who says “my” generation does both way too much and way too often. Call me crazy but if I see a post I enjoy or agree with, I’m going to “Like” it. I may even comment on it. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? Apparently not.
Maybe that’s why you’re seeing fewer and fewer millennials on Facebook. They have moved on and did so once the site became a popular one for “old” people. You’ll find my daughter, her friends, and “that” age group on Instagram and Snapchat and Twitter and Vine. They’re tired of our posts and tired of our comments. I have to admit; I’m with them in some cases and am amazed at the sheer number of things some people post. Daily. Sometimes of the same subject matter again and again. Of everything and everyone in their lives. I’ve pretty much had it up HERE with it all.
On the flip-side are those mysterious non-posters. You know who I’m talking about. Those on-line friends who never post a thing. They annoy me almost as much as habitual posters. Do they just never go on-line? Okay, that’s fine. Or, are they Facebook stalkers who creep on my page and yours for no good reason? Post or get off the post people.
If you’re like me and you love photos, you might want to check out Instagram, a mobile photo and video sharing social networking service that lets you post photos on your Instagram page. You can only post from your smart phone (but you can browse the site, your page, and other Instagrammer pages on a computer or tablet) and you only post images. They can be photos or quotes, but no commentary is allowed other than photo captions and hash tags. It is all about photography. Even the name “Instagram” supports this, as it’s a combination of “instant camera” and “telegram.” Designed to “capture and share the world’s moments,” Instagram also allows you to apply filters to your photos.
Sadly, Instagram has become somewhat overrun with “trophy” photos as well. You in a bikini in Bimini is not an Instagram post (unless perhaps you’re a supermodel) but a gorgeous sunset in Bimini is. One of my favorite Instagram accounts that is called “Earthpix,” which consists of nothing but stunning photographs from around the world. I also really, really, like “Troqman,” the account of an illustrator out of Amsterdam who is unbelievably clever and creative. Yes I also follow certain celebs along with family and friends and I love seeing what they post. Best of all, it’s all fast and it’s free!
Perhaps retired Facebook millionaire Kim Z. Garrett said it best when she told “D Magazine” last year, “I use Instagram probably more than Facebook now. To me, Instagram is more like a magazine and Facebook is more like a newspaper.” Take your pictures and take your pick.
Beyond Words 