You know the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words"? Since hearing it, I have always thought of how powerful some images can be without having any words associated with it. But then I realised that if there are no words to go with it, then you are missing out on the amazing story behind it.
When I read the View piece called "Back and Forth" about photographer Peter Schlesinger in the October 2015 issue of Vogue, I was taken by the beautiful images that he has shot. They have such rich colours, textures and layers and a language all their own. Then I reached the end of the article and read his thoughts on Instagram -- he said that he hates Instagram and that he "like[s] pictures that have more of a story behind them." -- and it got me thinking how unfortunate it is that he doesn't like Instagram based on the fact that he doesn't think there are any photos with stories behind them.
It's not that I'm defending Instagram or anything. There are certainly a lot of photographs on there that have no depth to them what-so-ever. But I feel like -- if you are looking in the right place -- you can find some accounts that share wonderful photographs that have rich colours, textures and layers that have a language all their own. I follow fantastic people that have beautiful stories following them, and they are sharing them with the world. Some of them have made wonderful new friends because they have shared a piece of their life with people that they may have never had the opportunity to all because of Instagram.
If you dig deep enough into Instagram and sift through all of the selfies and food photos, you will find photographs that look quite similar to the photos that Peter Schlesinger takes that have just as good of a story behind them -- or even better.