Instagram is a big business.
That’s not shocking. But, like all industries, there is often a flurry of activity behind any finished product and that’s definitely the case with many influencer accounts and the pictures they post.
While it is ideal to make them look as effortless and spontaneous as possible, we know better.
This is all a bit of camera magic and post-production editing.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t laugh at the process which often involves less-than-casual situations and decidedly not-so-spontaneous posing.
And we have an Instagram account to document it all.
@influencersinthewild shows the less glamorous side of Instagram (or photography, for that matter) and is a viral sensation because of it.
The account was created by a power user who is known for his meme accounts, PetaPixel reports, and this account works via user submissions.
So, if you see an influencer in the wild, this account is your chance to expose the method behind their madness.
As you can probably imagine, this account shows people doing the most cringey things to get likes on Instagram (which is a metric the service has gone out of its way to hide).
From having a session at the gas pump to using water as a background (for real?), it is also kind of hard to say what market exactly these influencers are targeting.
I don’t think Exxon depends on a massive social media influencer cadre to hock gas and I also don’t know what water as a backdrop could promote except for free-range aquariums.
You can check out the account here if you like.
What do you think? Do you know any Instagram influencers? Is this something specific to Instagram or just what we used to call a shoot. Let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section below.
Also, check out some of my other photography news articles on Light Stalking by clicking this link.
