Instagramming with @snapmaven

Hello All!

I'm Stacy, the photographer behind A/Z Photography, or as my fellow Instagram nerds know me, @stacyant.

I don't know about the rest of you, but as a mom, teacher, photographer, and occasional writer, I can only handle one social media outlet at a time; and of late, most of that attention has been going to Instagram. Why? Because it's quick, simple, and, most importantly, it's about the photos. So, today, instead of our usual guest judge feature, I'd like to talk a little IG. To begin with, I'm sure some of you have battled with these unimportant issues:

To promote business, or family photos?
To share now, or later?
To format to square, or rectangle?
To use my phone, or my big camera?

To all these inane questions, I say, who cares? Personally, I use Facebook for business, and Instagram for fun, but I've had several opportunities come my way via Instagram too. While it's exciting to share while in the moment, sometimes it's best to experience now, share later. I find inspiration in feeds that highlight the adventurous, the magical, and the mundane. I scroll through amazing photos taken with the most basic cameras, and others captured with the best. I see people who embrace the challenge of a square format, and others who prefer to keep the integrity of their original shots. And it all inspires. It's all fun. It all tells a story. But I think what I love most about Instagram is the way it has encouraged us to explore and engage in our local communities. By browsing local feeds and hashtags, I've found so much to love about my hometown. While connecting me to talented people thousands of miles away, Instagram has also reminded me about the wonderful events, shops, people, and adventures that are right in my backyard.

With so many photographers' and interest-based communities available on Instagram, you are bound to find a few that fit your particular style. If you're not already on board, and you have a few minutes to spare, give it a try!

Follow @snapmaven for tips and inspiration, and tag your images with #snapmaven for a chance to be featured.

Also, check out some of our other Mavenistas on Instagram!

@janaphotography2204 
@jujujems
@phyllismeredith
@janabutman


Photos by @stacyant