The Politicalization of Instagram

Political Photography, Politics, Social Media

While a lot has been going on around the world, there are also lots of things not happening, and as a result spurred the politicization of Instagram. Inasmuch as the U.S. is the leading Instagram user on a global scale, photographic content of political nature, particularly those chronicling the Black Lives Matter rallies across all states now dominate the photo-sharing platform’s news feeds.

The rest of the world are now gradually working their way out of the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet there are still no events, concerts, celebrations and even restaurants from which interesting pictures can be taken, to draw the people’s interest away from U.S. political occurrences.

Why Instagram Serves as a Better Platform for Political Activism

Instagram has transitioned into becoming a social media platform for letting people around the world know what is actually happening in America today. Its importance as a more effective tool for political activism is enhanced by the two thousand number of characters that IG users can utilize in captioning a photo. The number stands in stark contrast to Twitter, which allows up to a maximum of 280 characters only.
Moreover, since Instagram is an affiliate of Facebook, it enables IG users to instantly spread their photographs across millions of FB accounts and make it go viral.

Socially shared photographs rather than words can lay bare truths much faster than the curated news being broadcasted by TV and online news channels. In fact, they often provide the lead that journalists pick up and follow through with formal coverage; making the information official as the latest development on a trending issue.

The Real World Now Matters at Instagram

Instagram initially gained popularity as a social platform where people can instill, as well as draw inspiration, on and from matters pertaining to lifestyle and life choices. To some, sharing and viewing IG photographs is a way of escaping reality. To entrepreneurs and brand advertisers, the platform serves as an easier and faster way to spread knowledge about their products and/or services.

Yet now more than ever, Instagram users are using the platform to raise awareness that “real changes” must take place in America today.

After all, Donald J. Trump, who as president of the United States, has been making feeble propaganda instead of addressing the ill effects wrought by COVID 19 on the country’s economy and people. He is now on a mission to project himself as the president who restored law and order, while encouraging his racist supporters to commit acts of violence.

To make matters worse, he has been deploying unidentified military forces in major U.S. cities who go after peaceful protesters instead of protecting them against agitators.

Instagram audiences around the world are still keen on liking and sharing photographs of political leaders who convey messages of hope for a better future. In fact, Indian Prime Minister Modi, being the leader of the nation with the second highest number of Instagram users, is ranked as the political leader with the biggest number of IG followers. Although Donald Trump would prefer to be in that position, he only comes in third. Former U.S. President Obama ranks second for being the political leader with the most number of IG followers.

While many are also hoping to grow the number of their followers, not a few find ways to push the visibility of their uploads by seeking assistance from the best place to buy instagram likes.

Drones for The People: How Drones Help Agriculture

Business, Law, News, Political Photography

Did you know? Drones aren’t just used as something extravagant when it comes to aerial photography. If you wanna capture the best aerial view of the best views in the world, like cliffs, mountains, ocean miles, drone camera is what photographers used.

But drones aren’t just for photographers. It is also used by farmers to help farming become more efficient. How?

Drones for agriculture can give farmers the perfect aerial view of their crop field. However, its uses are basically boiled down into four segments. These are crop field scanning with imaging sensors, GPS map through onboard cameras, heavy payload transportation, and livestock monitoring with thermal-imaging camera-equipped drones.  

Today’s blog will talk about a few information all about Uavus Drones for agriculture. Read on for more…

How Drones are Used

Aero drones are slowly changing the lives of many people, not only photographers but as well as farmers. But the question is, how are drones really used? 

1 It is used for mapping or survey

Drones that are equipped with near-infrared camera sensors will allow one to see the spectrum of light that plants and crops use to absorb light through photosynthesis. Through it, farmers can thoroughly and easily understand the plant’s health or their life state. Whether they are doing good or they are undeniably slowly dying.

Drones for agriculture can also be a good help in creating a detailed GPS map area of the whole crop field. This is a good advantage for farmers to be able for them to plan thoroughly on where better the plants should be planted or locate to maximize land, water, and fertilizer usage.

2 crop dusting or spraying

Drones are now better used for crop dusting and spraying. You no longer need to go drive a vehicle to spray dust, because you can now do it through operating from your shed. Crop spraying drones can carry large liquid storage and can work more better-compared crop dusters.

3 Irrigation  Management 

Drones for agriculture can better have a good insight into looking for crop areas that have pooling water or insufficient soil moisture. Drones for agriculture are equipped with thermal cameras that better help farmers to understand their crop field. 

4 Livestock Monitoring

Basically, it is like you are checking your livestock through your portable device because even if you don’t go there physically you can still be able to detect if there have been any disturbances, injuries, missing animals, or even birthing animals.

Benefits of Drones for Agriculture

Some of the benefits of using drones are that it can help you save time. They can be set up and developed quickly, you can have monitoring and checking and working on the field multitasking with the help of drones. Another is that is also increase yields, it improves production, efficiency, and it allows you to detect problems before they actually happen.

Why Even Wedding Photography is Also About Conveying Political Statements

Political Photography, Politics

Politics has a different meaning from political. Photography is not politics because as a profession, its essence as a career has nothing to do with activities associated with governance, or in referring to ideologies dividing individuals into parties, organizations or stances.

Yet photography can be political because it captures images that can make a statement, or convey a message, as well as tell a story about a subject and what he, she or they represent. Political photography therefore is similar to wedding photography.

Different Facets of Political Photography

Political photography makes photographic statements that suit the purpose of different persons, bodies or organizations involved in politics.

The Chief Official White House Photographer, for example, handles a team of photographers who covers the daily activities not only of the incumbent president, but also those of the members of his immediate family. However, not all photographs taken during the day are released for publishing. The White House communications department chooses which of the captured images can be best used to illustrate official White House statements offered as press releases.

Another example of political photography involves work commissioned to cover campaign trails of political candidates. To which the objective of course is to take photographs of candidates in ways that will convince voters of his sincerity in fulfilling his campaign promises. Campaign trail photographs also project stories of how well-loved, or at least how well the candidate was received in different regions.

Political Photographer vs. Photojournalist – A photojournalist covering the same campaign trail is not expected to duplicate the same shots taken by the political journalist.

A photojournalist has more leeway on how he or she wants to project the image of the candidate, usually for purposes of conveying neutrality or reality. If a candidate looks pale and feeble, then there is no need to adjust saturation in order to make the candidate look well and lively; or to edit out liver spots that suggest health disorders. A photojournalist may also apply lighting that will give equal emphasis on the candidate and the background, to suggest neutrality of the political statement conveyed by a photo

Still, all those three photographers are into political photography, albeit adhering to different photo-taking principles.

Wedding Photography is Also Political by Nature

Catherine Ross a professional wedding photographer is also a disciple of political photography. Her gallery of wedding photographs at https://catherinejgrossphotography.com exemplify how she uses lighting, angles and saturation in positions idealizing the bridal couple’s relationship. A wedding may be traditional, but it does not necessarily mean producing staple photos that project only the usual betrothal rites and the typical beaming smiles during wedding ceremonies.

To be political in capturing images of the union, a wedding photographer may choose angles that project the couple as a pair of forward-looking individuals all set to face the challenges of marriage. Rather than present them as dreamy-eyed lovers, a political presentation will focus on emphasizing facial projections that suggest strength and solidity of union.

Like Catherine, the current Official White House Photographer Shealah Craighead also started out as a professional wedding photographer. In interviews in which she was asked about her work as the official photographer of a quite controversial president, Ms. Craighead remarked that the challenges are mainly on the hectic schedule and in handling a team of photographers, but not on the job itself.

She also commented that the job offer was an opportunity too valuable to pass up. After all, her main task is to see to the documentation of the history of Donald Trump and that of his first and second families, during his tenure as the 45th president of the United States.