Are you on
Instagram? Maybe you should be. The picture-sharing social media site is drawing users from all over Michigan, thanks to its simple, connective premise: What if you could easily edit and share all those photos you take on your phone or camera with your friends or the whole world online?
People aren't just using Instagram to connect with friends but also as a primary editor of their pictures. For Saginaw's Andy Miller, he used Instagram as an editor for his personal photos and didn't even plan to post them publicly at first.
"It was mostly just to have fun and mess around with the filters and stuff," Miller says.
But recently Miller, who is starting his own business in the snowboarding industry, has made his photos public, and he has found Instagram a great way to connect with people from all over the world.
"It is really rad to see things I am interested in through the different perspectives of others," Miller says.
There are certainly Instagram users from all over the world, but it's also easy to find quality pictures from mid-Michigan neighbors. Other people who are finding and sharing the beauty of the area are Megan Felske and Heather Sharpe.
Felske, from Midland, also enjoys the program's editing abilities and the way Instagram filters make pictures "pop" and "explode with color." Felske says her Instagram account represents who she is because it illustrates her interest in the environment and aspects of life that others might not typically see.
"I love to walk through the woods, beaches and old buildings to see what a lot of people overlook, and hopefully inspire other people to do the same and just slow down and enjoy what is around," Felske says.
Similar to Miller, Felske also uses Instagram to connect with people around the world. She likes to use hashtags to find people with similar interests as hers, such as #puremichigan or tags for beaches, snowshoeing or other areas of the state or country. Then she can see all the pictures on these topics.
"I have always wanted to do the original Route 66, and by searching it on Instagram I can see certain areas that I will make sure I don't miss when I am finally able to make the trip," Felske says.
Sharpe, a Saginaw Valley State University junior, often takes pictures of the university. Like Felske, she finds the beauty in some things that others might overlook.
"SVSU is clean and full of life. The fact that there are trees, but not too many makes it perfect to catch that amazing sunset that happens quite often here," she says.
Sharpe appreciates Instagram not just for the social media aspects but also for the photography elements.
"If I see something interesting or pretty, I don't care what I'm doing, I will stop to get that perfect shot," Sharpe says.
Each person chooses to use Instagram for reasons that are specific to the site. Sharpe and Felske both like to illustrate aspects of life--in environment and even Sharpe's university. For Miller, he enjoys the form of expression that's different from what one can find with Twitter or Facebook.
"Instagram is easier to express myself rather than using words," he says. "Plus, you don't have to look at annoying newsfeeds and statuses all day."
Andy Miller
Megan Felske
Heather Sharpe
Lucy Hough is in the English master's program at Northern Michigan University and helps write a blog about NMU history called
The Northern Tradition. Lucy also is an associate editor for
Awesome Mitten. She can be found on Instagram
here.
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