Every type of Instagram photo you post, and the reality behind it

What are you hiding behind your aesthetic?


Social media is great but it’s important to realise that you’re only seeing the highlights on your feed, just like when you pay to go and watch a new movie at the cinema – why would the director want you to see all the different cuts, bloopers and rehearsals? Our pictures have one layer as opposed to our lives which have many.

Here are all the types of iInstagram snapshots girls post all the time, and the actual behind-the-scenes of them:

The “take a pic of me walking so I can get a candid shot for my Instagram!”

#candid

Any of us who love a good Instagram, dream of a perfectly candid picture where we look totally unaware of the fact there’s a camera pointed right at us. But really, in most cases our “candid” posts are anything but natural and spontaneous. They are in fact, carefully planned and orchestrated.

 The “wait don’t start eating yet, I need to photograph our food.”

#foodporn

Instagramming and snapchatting our delicious meals is a love or hate thing. You either can’t help yourself OR you’ll find the whole concept totally basic and annoying. Chances are, there’s going to be someone in your friendship group who religiously photographs beverages and cuisine. Cutlery has to be arranged aesthetically, table clutter like earphones and sunglasses must be removed (unless it’s a quirky rustic vibe you’re going for) and the perfect angle is priority to rein in those likes.

The”we need to be ready half an hour earlier so we have enough time to get the perfect group photo!”

#squadgoals #youcantsitwithus

Usually, a time slot of 20-30 minutes is long enough for the girl squad to get the perfect pic before a night out on the town (often taken by the eager mother or obliging sibling).

When we see friendship groups sharing their awesome new shot on Facebook as cover photos or hash-tagging #girlsquad on instagram, we don’t think about all the different poses, different lightings, flash offs, flash ons, “Oh I hate that one of me”s and “Nooo, I’m blinking”s that actually took place before the 27568th shot actually made the social media cut.

The “it’s been up for five mins and nobody has liked it yet… omg should I delete?”

#likeforalike … please

Whether you post a lot, or every two months, nobody can deny that when a photograph reins in the likes, we get a massive confidence boost. The problem with that is that when a picture doesn’t go down so well, it has the power to make us feel inadequate, unpopular and honestly like real losers.

The “I seem to look great but actually I have spots on my face and I’m so tired..”

#selfie

With the revolution of editing apps such as ‘Facetune‘, women have been offered a solution to hide their hormonal breakouts or stress spots from their social media followers.

Whichever members of the group have these features on their phone are suddenly inendated with snapshots from the day/evening, alongside little pleas for a speedy editing service; ‘Please will you get rid of my bags?‘ ‘Can you airbrush this selfie for me?’  I guess I don’t need to point out which is the edited version of my face in the picture above. Bit scary, huh?

The “I need to post a picture of me and my boyfriend so people think we have the perfect relationship.”

#coupleswhotraintogether #coupleswhocooktogether #wifeymaterial #bestboyfriend

Ok, so those exact words probably don’t filter through your mind BUT a lot of people are not afraid to admit that this is has been very much the case at various points in their lives.

When we feel particularly insecure or paranoid within our romantic relationships, it’s quite common that people find themselves wanting to post more and more pictures with their significant other to show everybody else that they couldn’t be in a better place.

 The “if we both laugh we’ll look like we have the best social life ever!”

#happy #alwayslaughing

C’mon, we’re all being honest here – hands up if you’re a culprit? Everybody loves a good giggling shot – too bad most of them are taken five seconds after “Lets do a cute laughing one.” I mean, I personally look like a chipmunk when I genuinely laugh so it would take for me to be very brave in order to post a snap of that. Maybe one day…

The “happy family!”

#blessed #grateful

Family is one of the most important things to me and I’m so grateful that we are as close as we are. BUT just because I only ever post pictures where we’re all smiling and happy does not mean that we never wind each other up. This picture was taken last summer. Five minutes later, my brother and I started arguing about the most irrelevant thing – I think it started off over him finishing off my sun tan lotion.

So, social media is about as real a depiction of life as Gossip Girl. Lets end with an attempt to share something a bit more real? Here goes…

When you leave your hair in a bun overnight and don’t have time to straighten the next day #keepitreal