Instagram Photography
Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?
David Guttenfelder is an American photographer born in 1969. Guttenfelder is a professional photographer, former Chief Asia for Associated Press and current photographer for National Geographic. Guttenfelder has been practicing as a professional photographer for more than twenty years and has a focus on conflict and culture, known for his work in North Korea. Additionally, Guttenfelder is also an “influencer and industry leader in smartphone photography and social media” (Guttenfelder 2019). His Instagram account @dguttenfelder features photographs taken only with his smartphone and has over 1 million followers.
What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?)
The photo I have chosen to analyse has no title but does have a caption to provide a description and context. The caption is “North Korean children perform cartwheels during a newly debuted “Mass Games” event at Pyongyang’s May Day Stadium to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of this nation. On assignment for @npr in the DPRK”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnhFFLwHSVc/
With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?
This photograph was produced on the 15th September 2018 at a ‘Mass Games’ event at the May Day stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea.
How was the photo or video authored?
David Guttenfelder is known for utilising his smart phone to capture his photographs, this particular photo having been taken on an iPhone. When on professional trips, Guttenfelder uses his iPhone in conjunction with his DSLR camera. Guttenfelder states that the iPhone has “changed the way I photograph” and that “I instinctively shoot things on my smartphone first. I see square now.” (Guttenfelder, cited in Raab 2017). The iPhone is lighter and more discreet which, in a country like North Korea, is useful when in sensitive situations (Konbini 2016). Through the use of his iPhone Guttenfelder might be able to show a side of North Korea that has not been portrayed before. The photograph I have chosen in particular captures a unique moment in North Korea, the symmetry and striking colours against the grey background are almost mesmerising. The photograph does not appear to be edited and gives the feeling as though it was simply taken in the moment and immediately uploaded on Instagram.
How was the photo or video published?
This photo was published to Instagram, a large social networking site with a focus on visual content, predominantly photographs. It is likely that Guttenfelder produced this photo with the intention of publishing on Instagram in mind. Most Instagram photos have square dimensions and therefore often ‘Instagramers’ take photos with the idea that they will be square. Indeed, the iPhone even has a square feature on the camera app. Guttenfelder says Instagram “pushes you to see things you wouldn’t have seen otherwise. There’s a visual language in our photographic history of certain kinds of pictures that have been shot in square. We use it for portraiture a lot and for still lifes. It has a whimsical strangeness to it.” (Guttenfelder, cited in Ryan 2014).
Moreover, he views Instagram as a place where he can directly connect to his followers and considers it separate to but coexisting with his portfolio of photographs. He says that “it’s a space where people will come and listen to you if you are willing to share what you truly care about.” (Guttenfelder, cited in Raab 2017). In the case of this photograph, it being published on Instagram allows for Guttenfelder’s audience catch a glimpse into the everyday life in North Korea, a place rather foreign and unknown to the rest of the world.
How was the photo or video distributed?
The photo being published onto Instagram allows for instantaneous distribution. As soon as the photo was published it would have come up on the feed of Guttenfelder’s followers. From here the photograph is easily able to be shared through the Instagram app itself as well as screen shotted and redistributed by his followers.
Additionally, this photograph was geotagged with the location Pyongyang, Korea. This geotag location groups the photo with other geotagged photos with this location, allowing it to have a greater reach. This is because someone could search the location on Instagram and this photo would come up. Instagram affording this geotag feature creates “an unprecedented map…visually charting entire neighborhoods and cities previously unseen through Western eyes” (Laurent 2014).
The hashtags used in the comment section of the photo also generate further distribution of the photograph as Instagram users can search for the hashtags. Similar to geotagging, hashtagging also collates photographs.
Guttenfelder also has other social media platforms that link to his Instagram, driving traffic to the page and therefore the photo. He also has a website which showcases his photographs and links to his Instagram.
REFERENCES
Guttenfelder, D 2019, ‘About’, viewed 18 April 2019, <http://www.davidguttenfelder.com/about>
Raab, J 2017, ‘How These 6 Instagram Photographers Got a Million Followers’, Time, viewed 18 April 2019 <http://time.com/4676894/instagram-success-million/>
Ryan, K 2014, ‘David Guttenfelder on the Second Camera’, The New York Times, viewed 18 April 2019, <https://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/26/david-guttenfelder-on-the-second-camera/>
Laurent, O 2014, ‘David Guttendelder: The Photographer as Explorer’, Time, viewed 18 April 2019, <http://time.com/3810477/david-guttenfelder-the-photographer-as-explorer/>