Instagram Travel Photography: The Impact of Technology on Photography Practice

Instagram je svojim intenzivnim razvojem postao jedna od vodećih društvenih mreža kada je u pitanju fotografija. Fotografije putovanja i fotografi istih postali su izrazito popularni na Instagramu. Putovanja su postala sve dostupnija i ljudi traže inspiraciju za putovanja upravo tamo. Fotografi su prešli s klasičnih načina objavljivanja svog rada na objavljivanje putem Instagrama. Ljubitelji putovanja specijalizirali su se isključivo za fotografiju putovanja. Upravo se njima bavi ovaj rad. U posljednje vrijeme moglo se primijetiti kako se fotografi žale na loš angažman na fotografijama, stalne promjene Instagram algoritma i općenito korisničko iskustvo na Instagramu koje im otežava rad. Postalo je jasno kako Instagram utječe na njihovu fotografsku karijeru. Kako bi se dokazalo da Instagram utječe i mijenja fotografsku praksu, provedeno je pet intervjua s istaknutim fotografima putovanja na Instagramu. Raznolikost ispitanika postignuta je na temelju različitih država iz kojih ispitanici dolaze, spola, godina, iskustva u fotografiji te broja pratitelja. Dodatno su proučeni njihovi profili i aktivnosti na njima. Istraživanjem je dokazano kako je Instagram počeo proces inovacije koji mijenja već postojeću fotografsku praksu. Rezultat toga je spora, ali vidljiva promjena habitusa. Događaju se svakodnevne krize rutina kojima se fotografi moraju prilagoditi. Primjerice, fokusiranje na objavu isključivo vertikalnih fotografija zbog tehnoloških aspekata Instagrama. Fotografi danas više nisu samo fotografi. Ako žele uspjeti na izrazito konkurentnom i zasićenom tržištu, preuzimaju i uloge community managera, javnih osoba i promotera. Razlika između starije i mlađe generacije fotografa ne postoji. Ako odluče ići ukorak s vremenom i pridružiti se društvenim mrežama, svi počinju s iste točke neovisno o prethodnom iskustvu. S obzirom na to da je ova tematika nedovoljno istražena, mogućnosti za nova i obuhvatnija istraživanja je mnogo. Važnost Instagrama u svakodnevnom životu, popularnost fotografa putovanja te očigledna promjena fotografske prakse, znak su da ovu tematiku treba početi detaljnije istraživati.Intense development of Instagram made it one of the leading social networks when it comes to photography. Travel photography and travel photographers became extremely popular on Instagram. It became the main inspiration for traveling as traveling became more accessible. Photographers moved from classic ways of showing their work to posting online via Instagram. Travel lovers specialized in travel photography. They were the main subject of this research. Lately, it has been noticed that photographers have complained about poor engagement in photos, the constant changes in the Instagram algorithm and the general user experience that made their work harder. It became clear that Instagram affected their photography career. To prove that it influenced and changed photography practices, five interviews with prominent travel photographers on Instagram were conducted. Respondent diversity was achieved based on different countries from which respondents came, gender, age, photography experience, and the number of followers they have. Their profiles and activities were further explored. The research proved that Instagram has started an innovation process that is changing existing photographic practice. The result is a slow but visible change in habitus. There are daily crises of routines that photographers must adapt to. For example, to focus their posts on vertical photos due to the technological aspects of Instagram. Photographers today are no longer just photographers. If they wish to succeed in a highly competitive and saturated market, they take over the roles of the community manager, public figure and promoter. There is no difference between the older and the younger generation of photographers. If they want to keep up with the times and join social networks, everyone has the same starting point regardless of their previous experience. Given that this topic is under-researched, there are many possibilities for new and more comprehensive research. The importance of Instagram in everyday life, the popularity of travel photographers, and the obvious change in photographic practice are signs that this topic needs to be explored in more detail