How Instagram has Ruined Art Photography

There are an estimated 4 billion camera phones worldwide. That’s approximately, one camera phone for every person on the earth. Studies indicate that about 90% of the people have never used a camera other than their phone to take a picture. In a sentence, Mobile Photography has democratized photography.

Once photography was limited to a select few willing to learn chemistry, optics and complicated formulae. Now, nearly everyone has a camera with them, simply by carrying their mobile phone. Technology has advanced to the point that no special skills are required to capture an image that is “good enough.” The camera phones themselves have lenses and sensors that produce adequate snapshots without requiring any photographic knowledge.

Having more cameras that require less knowledge allows the average person to capture more moments that are meaningful for them. No life event, birthdays, graduation, weddings new to go undocumented. And that is a good thing.

The problem lies with the assumption that any photo of any subject can be art. And that seems to be the premise marketed to the average Instagram user. Not everything you shot is art. The cup of coffee with the interesting design is not necessarily a work of art. It most likely is just a photograph of a cup of coffee.

Art is defined as “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”

I don’t believe your latte with a cool retro filter constitutes a work of art. Using the definition about it fails primarily the skill and imagination tests. Where is the creative skill and imagination of snapping a photo of the coffee cup the barista has just sat down, slapping on a corporately produced filter to give it a cool retro look and pressing “Post.”

Snapping pictures of random everyday objects requires not skill. There is not imagination involved in the selecting you subject. It just happened to be there. Picking the filter for the predetermined list effects doesn’t constitute creativity. Little imagination is required to create a photo just like the other 1 million picture of coffee on the web.

These photos also fail on the point as being appreciated for their “beauty or emotional power.” Granted there have been mornings were nothing was more beautiful or powerful than a cup of coffee. But my Instagram photo doesn’t carry that weight into the either. The artist’s intent is to convey beauty or an emotional response from their work. I just don’t see that in a photo of a cup of coffee.

It seems Instagramers are not producing photos for the sake of creating beauty or evoking an emotion, but for their ego gratification. They are searching for the ever fleeting buzz of a “like or a share.” They don’t have something meaningful to say about the world through their photograph. What they are saying is “Look at me.” And if this photo didn’t do the trick, another one will be fired out within the hour. Taking a photo for the sake of a popularity contest as opposed to expressing yourself whether anyone is listening/viewing is what separates the Snapshot Photographer and the Artist. And no amount of “X-Pro” filtering and selective focus adjustment will change that.

The Artist has the need to communicate his idea but not necessarily the need to be acknowledged. Many an artist has worked in obscurity and only after their death gain any level of notoriety. Why would they have continued to work at their art? Because they had a need to create something meaningful. If it was only because someone “liked” their work, they would have given up. Most Instagram users only post to get the acknowledgement of the “like”. Not because they have something to say.

Don’t get me wrong, not all Mobile Photography is devoid of artistry. The Columbus Museum of Art has just launched an exhibit featuring camera phones. The exhibit features 320 photos from nearly 240 photographers representing nearly 40 different countries. And all the photos were submitted via Instagram. The difference in my mind, is the artists had something to say more than just “Look at me.”