What’s wrong with Instagram (and why are photographers so keen to leave)?

Before we offer some useful Instagram alternatives, here’s a few reasons why photographers are no longer using their Instagram accounts like they used to:

1. Instagram is now flooded with content you probably have no interest in and didn’t choose to include in your feed. Gone are the days when you could enjoy seeing mainly photos your friends and those you are following uploaded.

2. Everyone is now an influencer, regardless of talent or passion. If you can spin two rocks together and take a picture of it, you can now be Insta-famous for all the wrong reasons. And if that doesn’t sting enough, influencers have flooded the platform using a number of controversial social media tactics: Buying followers, purchasing, copying and creating unoriginal content and ultimately, dragging down the core value of the user experience for dedicated photographers who actually want a platform they can discover inspiration with.

3. Ads: We are seeing more and more ads and promoted material designed for commerce, not for the community.

4. Content overload: Reels and Stories have done nothing to keep those more interested in photography on the app. Scrolling your feed we are now inundated with short video clips. This type of content is detached from what once attracted photographers to Instagram.

What’s wrong with Instagram (and why are photographers so keen to leave)?

Before we offer some useful Instagram alternatives, here’s a few reasons why photographers are no longer using their Instagram accounts like they used to:

1. Instagram is now flooded with content you probably have no interest in and didn’t choose to include in your feed. Gone are the days when you could enjoy seeing mainly photos your friends and those you are following uploaded.

2. Everyone is now an influencer, regardless of talent or passion. If you can spin two rocks together and take a picture of it, you can now be Insta-famous for all the wrong reasons. And if that doesn’t sting enough, influencers have flooded the platform using a number of controversial social media tactics: Buying followers, purchasing, copying and creating unoriginal content and ultimately, dragging down the core value of the user experience for dedicated photographers who actually want a platform they can discover inspiration with.

3. Ads: We are seeing more and more ads and promoted material designed for commerce, not for the community.

4. Content overload: Reels and Stories have done nothing to keep those more interested in photography on the app. Scrolling your feed we are now inundated with short video clips. This type of content is detached from what once attracted photographers to Instagram.