Networked Media

Assignment 3- Report 
Name: Sofia Peeke S3717940

I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration – https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-and-facilities/student-support/equitable-learning-services

Blog reflections

Week 9 – Photo

Week 9 – Video

Week 10 – Photo

Week 10 – Video

Week 11 – Photo

Week 11 – Video

Word Count: 1242

‘How do the affordances of Instagram affect the way photos and videos are authored, published and distributed in the network?’

Introduction

In this report, I answered the question of ‘how do affordances of Instagram affect the way photos and videos are authored, published and distributed in the network?’ To do this I analysed the core readings and also put using the Instagram app into practise. By physically utilising the Instagram app I was able to explore these ideas and determine for myself the constraints and affordances of Instagram. The combination of the readings and the Instagram app allowed me to explore the factors and processes of authoring, publishing and distributing.

Background

Throughout the course, I have come to understand the terms affordances, constraints, networked video, authoring, publishing and distributing. I did have a brief understanding of authoring, publishing and distributing but I never thought about it in terms of Instagram and it was also something that I didn’t deeply think about. I didn’t realise that authoring was simply the device used to take the photos or videos. I also would get publishing and distributing confused with one another and didn’t have the solid understanding that publishing refers to what medium the photo or video was published on and distribution is how the photo or video is shared with audiences. By developing my understanding of these terms and learning Norman’s definition of affordances meant that I was able to apply this to the concept of Instagram and how the affordances and constraints would affect my use of the app. 

Evidence

In order to understand the way, Instagram affects authoring, publishing, distributing a useful method was to experience the software and test the functionality of the settings by creating my own account and posting content. This gave me first-hand experience into the process of authoring, publishing and distributing content on Instagram as well as dealing with any constraints that arose. As Norman states a “constraints limit the number of alternatives” in doing something (Norman, 1998, p.82). So when I was using Instagram to upload my photos and videos, I had to navigate the constraint of Instagram’s sizing. They only allow square images and this meant I had to re-upload a video because Instagram cropped it. Norman also writes that affordances are “perceived and actual properties of the thing, primarily those fundamental properties that determine how the thing could possibly be used” (Norman, 1998, p.9). This means that “the thoughtful use of affordances and constraints together in design lets a user determine readily the proper course of action” (Norman, 1998, p.82). This theory of Norman’s meant that I was applying it to my Instagram usage without consciously recognising I was and these two terms meant I would determine how I would use the app.

Evaluation

Authoring: 

Instagram was designed for ordinary, everyday people to quickly snap a photo in real time and then post and share the photo (Manovich, 2016). Thus, the authoring process has evolved over time. Instagram was primarily focused on taking a photo, putting a filter on it and uploading it. However, with the rise of influencers and the business tool feature, it has meant that posts have become more planned and carefully selected. The rise of influencers has changed the definition of authoring because they make money from these posts. This means they carefully curate their feed in order to get the perfect Instagram grid. When looking at lifestyle influencers there is always a theme to their Instagram. There are usually posts about food, fitness, travel, fashion and sponsored posts. They have created generative content and the style of their posts exceeds one photo, it becomes an aesthetic that becomes consistent throughout all posts. As there are so many influencers who have the ‘perfect’ Instagram it has to lead to thousands of ‘everyday’ people also taking more time and planning what they post. This has been the reason for the shift in the definition of what authoring is. Influencers, professional photographers and content creators tend to not follow how Instagram was intended to be used and have worked out a way around the constraints. This has been done through the use of professional cameras, lighting and other editing programs (Manovich, 2016). The photos and videos are authored in a different way than what Instagram intended and therefore has changed the definition of authoring.

Publishing:

The process of publishing on Instagram has also evolved over time, one of these being the development of iPhones and the rise in technology. The change in the iPhone camera has allowed for a higher quality photo to be taken today and added features to the camera app. The camera app now allows for portrait mode, time lapse, slow-mo, video, pano and square. Instagram only allows photos and videos to be posted in a square format which has made it unique to the app. It could be argued that due to the popularity of Instagram, the iPhone app decided to include the square feature so that photos could be taken and then uploaded to Instagram without having to worry about cropping the photo or video to make it fit Instagram’s requirements. The square feature can be considered as a constraint for people if they have not taken the photo or video in the square feature. Instagram also has constraints with the uploading of videos. They have a time limit of one minute and the videos cannot be uploaded in 4k. Software designers have done this on purpose. However, Instagram afford people to have full editing rights, publishing content is accessible and you are able to follow, like and private message people. Software affordances are pushing people to publish content by sending reminders. When photos are published Instagram affords people to connect with people in real time. People all over the world are able to interact with one another through the use of likes, comments and private messaging.

Distribution:

The era of new media has seen a massive increase in online media. Content can now be distributed anywhere on the internet in a matter of seconds. This is very different from traditional media and the methods used to distribute content. Now, when a person is wanting to distribute something online they are able to do that with the click of their finger and it will automatically be uploaded to Instagram. It is then shared to thousands of people and allows for very high engagement and reaches many people in seconds. The use of hashtags and location services allows for the content to spread even further. This reaches many more people who you may not be connected with and would not show on their feed otherwise. I had this experience when I was posting photos of my doors. The use of hashtags meant that I was reaching accounts I would not otherwise have reached. Instagram affords likes, comments, sharing and hashtags which allows for people to distribute their content to a wider platform. It also allows for the linkage of other social media accounts which then automatically post to them if you click it. Instagram has made this easy and accessible for people so that they are posting more content. Instagram affords these actions so that people post and use their app with ease.

Conclusion

Instagram has many affordances that allow for people to easily author, publish and distribute content. It has allowed for the everyday person to have full accessibility to this app and the affordances also make it an app that people can use for social and business purposes.

References:

Manovich, L., 2016, Introduction: ‘Instagram Platform as a Medium, Instagram and the Contemporary Image, University of San Diego, 2016, pp.9- 18,< http://manovich.net/index.php/projects/instagram-and-contemporary-image >

Norman, D 1998, The design of everyday things, 2nd edition, Basic Book, New York. (Sections: Preface vii-xv; Chapter 1 pp. 1-13; Chapter 4 (constraints) pp. 81-87; (computers) pp. 177-186).

Video can be found here

How did you author the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?

I took this video on my iPhone XS Max with the rear-facing camera. I didn’t need to use flash as it was in the middle of the day. I edited the video on Instagram and applied the filter ‘reyes’ as I had used this on all my previous content and wanted to keep it consistent. When I uploaded this video to Instagram, I had to delete it and then re-upload the video. This was due to the top part of the door being cut off because of the constraints of Instagram and their square sizing. I had to adjust the video and bring it down so that you could see the door. I left the volume on as it was just people walking past which encapsulated what happened and how doors are always used and a busy spot. I didn’t configure the video and let Instagram play it automatically.

How did you publish the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?

For this video, I had to take a few videos as it was a very busy door and there were constantly people walking through and out of it. This meant there were more videos to select from and it was more difficult to find the video I liked the best. I also used the trip clipper to trim the clip so that there were not people walking in front of my shot. I added a location, caption and hashtags. The location was Melbourne City, the captions was “you never know what doors are out there until you start looking” and the captions I used were; #doorsofinstagram, #doors, #olddoors and #video.

How did you distribute the video you published on Instagram to other social media services?

I also uploaded this video to my Twitter and Tumblr accounts and kept the caption and hashtags the same apart from #doorsofinstagram. I have found that the use of hashtags and adding a location means it reaches a wider audience and therefore has higher engagement. The more hashtags I used the more likes I would receive due to it reaching a broad audience. I would also gain more followers after posting a post that used more hashtags than previous posts.

Photo can be found here 

How did you author the photo you recorded for upload to Instagram?

For this photo, I took it again on my iPhone XS Max with no flash. It was another bright and sunny day so there was no need for flash. Like this photo, I took all my photos with the rear-facing camera on the iPhone. Again, with all my photos I took them with the square feature as it allowed for an easier upload to Instagram. I had to move in order to capture this photo because of the sun and the shadows that it was creating due to the trees. I ended up getting the photo with the shadow of the tree and it hides the top part of the door but it also adds a nice element to the photo. Like my other photos, this photo was also on an angle. I did not mean to have that as a theme that ran across my photos but with this being my third photo, it was conscious in my mind. I decided to continue with the theme of not having any doors straight on, hence why this is also on an angle. It was interesting to me that throughout the course of taking these photos there was a subtle theme that ran across my Instagram grid. Without intentionally planning it, this became a theme to my Instagram. I used the Instagram filter, ’reyes’ to edit this photo. I had used this filter or ‘gingham’ throughout all my other photos and video and it needed to tie in with the aesthetic. Using the Instagram filters was different to me as a way of editing photos. Usually, I edit photos on photoshop. I like to adjust and play with the brightness, contrast and contrast. However, I solely relied on the Instagram filter as I thought it adjusted the photo to a nice combination of all three and gave it a vintage vibe.

How did you publish the photo you recorded for upload to Instagram?

For this photo, I found it the hardest to select which photo I wanted to post. I think this was due to the shadows that the sun created. This meant I had to take a whole range of photos making the selection process more difficult. I added the location and this was the only one taken not in the city. I took this near the beach where I live and I liked that the blue door could symbolise the coast and water. I captioned the photo ‘blue door’ and used the hashtags #doors, #sandringham and #doorsofinstagram. The filter ‘reyes’ make the photo darker which was what I wanted because before it was too bright and would not fit with the rest of my photos and videos.

How did you distribute the photo you published on Instagram to other social media services?

I also distributed this to my Twitter and Tumblr accounts with the same caption and hashtags except for the #doorsofinstagram.

Video can be here

How did you author the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?

For this video, I took it on my iPhone XS Max and did not use flash as it was the middle of the day. I wanted to take all my videos during the day because I prefer natural lighting as opposed to flash or artificial lighting. I only took two videos before getting the perfect one to post. I think this was because it wasn’t as busy and I was able to get a clear shot. Again, I forgot that muting the video was an option but otherwise there was no need to as it was just people walking by with no real talking and was just background noise. I also used the clip trimmer tool in photos and trimmed the video. I did this because I wanted it to be short as Instagram is known for short videos. I also trimmed it because when I took the video I moved the camera to the right halfway through the video and I thought it looked better to have it play straight away right after the camera has been moved. I thought this was made it more interesting to look at as opposed to just having the video straight on, without moving the camera. I also put the ‘gingham’ filter on the video so that it would fit in with the rest of the aesthetic of my Instagram and look like it was in place on my grid. I also configured it so that the video would play automatically for people. I did not choose a cover feature, I allowed Instagram to do that for me.

How did you publish the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?

For this video, I only took three videos before capturing one I was happy with. This was the least amount of videos or photos I had taken before deciding I was happy with one I wanted to post. The selection of the video was easier as there were less to choose from. I uploaded the video with the location which was Melbourne, Victoria, a caption that was ‘revolving door’ and hashtags that included: #doorsofinstagram, #doors, #revolvingdoor, and #video. I also had the video so that it would play automatically for people and play on repeat until people clicked off the video or kept scrolling. I like this feature because it makes it easier for people meaning they are more likely to watch as they do not have to do anything.

How did you distribute the video you published on Instagram to other social media services?

I distributed the video to my Twitter and Tumblr accounts. I kept the caption and hashtags the same across all three accounts, minus the #doorsofinstagram.

Photo can be found here

How did you author the photo you recorded for upload to Instagram?

For this photo, I again used my iPhone XS Max to capture the photo utilising the built-in camera app. I used the square feature as Instagram works with the square images and it meant that I did not have to crop the image so it fit perfectly. I also didn’t use flash as it was bright enough with the natural light. To edit this photo I used the filter ‘gingham’ as it made the colours in the photo more subdue. I thought this worked perfectly with the photo as it was taken on an overcast day and this filter emphasised this. It tied in with the colours of the photo. A constraint of taking this photo was that you had to stand at a distance to get the entire door in. The very top of the door is still cut off as I could not stand any further back without hitting the road. If I were using my Canon DSLR with a wide lens this would not be a constraint and I would be able to capture the entire door in the photo.

How did you publish the photo you recorded for upload to Instagram?

I took a range of photos before deciding I was happy with one. I think this was due to the fact that it was hard to get the entire door in the shot. It was also a busy street and there were constantly people walking past. Out of the ten photos I took, I decided this was the best because many of the photos I had taken were side on and it didn’t highlight the door as much as I would like. This one was also just off centre. I added a location which was Melbourne CBD and I also included hashtags.

How did you distribute the photo you published on Instagram to other social media services?

I again distributed the photo to Twitter and Tumblr and did so by uploading them myself. I kept the hashtags the same which were #doorsofinstagram, #doors, #melbourne, #melbournecbd, #cbd as they were all relevant aside from the #doorsofinstagram. The combination of hashtags and adding the location allows for it to be seen by a wide range of people.

Video can be found here

How did you author the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?

To capture this video I used the built-in camera feature on my iPhone XS Max. It was hard to capture this video because people kept walking through the shot. The doors were also automatic, you had to walk up and then quickly walk down the stairs so that you could capture the doors closing with no one in the shot. This door had a really nice doorway and then inside it had the automatic closing glass doors. Even though these were not the actual doors, the video makes it look as though it is and I like the illusion that creates. I did edit this. I used the trip clipper in the photos app to make the video shorter as I wanted to cut the parts where people walked through the shot. I also edited it to have the camera starting further down and then rising up when the door closed. I thought it added another element to the video and was more interesting to watch. I did this on the Instagram app and when I was adjusting the scale of the video and moved it up for the section I wanted it to. I forgot that muting the video was an option and left it with sound. I think this was because whenever I scroll through Instagram I always have the sound off and I only turn it on if I click on a video. However, the sound of the video is people walking through making it sound busy which encapsulates how it was. I only used hashtags for this post and didn’t include a caption. 

How did you publish the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?

For this particular video, I did record a lot of videos before recording one I was satisfied with. Due to it being a busy area there were people walking in and out of the door and it was an automatic door. I chose to upload this particular video because I was able to trim it so there were no people in it which I couldn’t for any of my others as there were too many people in those shots. I also added a location to this video which was Melbourne CBD and hashtags. I configured it so that the video would play automatically for people.

How did you distribute the video you published on Instagram to other social media services?

I also distributed the video to Twitter and Tumblr. I did not realise that you could have those accounts linked to Instagram that would allow them to be automatically uploaded so I uploaded them myself. I included the hashtags #doorsofinstagram, #doors, #oldoors, #video. These were the same across all platforms minus the #doorsofinstagram.

Photo can be found here

How did you author the photo you recorded for upload to Instagram?

For my door photo this week I captured in on my iPhone XS Max. I used the built-in camera feature to capture the photo. It was taken without flash due to the time of day and I liked the lighting. It was a sunny day and I liked the shadows it produced going down the stairs. I think the lighting makes the door itself stand out more. Whilst the door is a darker colour than the frame around it the bright lighting emphasises the frame and allows for it to go from light to dark. I also used the square feature on the camera options because Instagram is significant for having square photos and it appearing as square on the grid. I did have to move to get the shot. I liked having it on a slightly low angle because I thought this emphasises the stairs leading up the big, heavy, oak door. I edited the photo using the filters on the Instagram app. I really like the filter ‘gingham’ and ‘reyes.’ I like that they make the photo appear more faded and take some of the colour out of the photo giving it a more vintage vibe. They are very similar however, ‘reyes’ is more intense in draining the colour from the photo. The colour still remains however, it appears more faded. This was very different in how I usually take photos and edit them. I usually take photos on my Canon DSLR. I really like the quality it produces and I’ve used it for many years that I know how it works and what settings work the best in different situations.

How did you publish the photo you recorded for upload to Instagram?

For this photo, I had taken a range of similar photos all at different angles and in slightly different positions. I decided to publish this particular one because I thought it was the perfect amount of a subtle low angle and really gave off the effect of the stairs leading up to the door which I liked. Other photos that I had captured did not have the sunlight coming from the left and it made the door look a lot bleaker and therefore not as visually nice to the eye. It was also taken to the left which I didn’t mind. I liked that it wasn’t dead straight on as others that I had that were dead on, I didn’t like the look of. I think the angle added to the photo to have it off centre enough that it didn’t look like an accident. I think this also emphasised the archway and allowed you to see more of the door, going right to the corners. I did upload it with a caption and included hashtags along with it. I also added a location which was Melbourne CBD.

How did you distribute the photo you published on Instagram to other social media services?

I also distributed this photo onto Twitter and Tumblr. I created a new account for Twitter and Tumblr and it was my first time doing so as I have never used these two platforms before. I included a caption of the quote “When a door closes you have two choices: give up or keep going” on all these platforms. I also included hashtags which were: #olddoor, #doors, #melbournecity, #inspirationalquotes #keepgoing and #doorsofinstagram. However, throughout the different platforms, not all the hashtags were used, for example, #doorsofinstagram was only used on Instagram as it would not make sense to do so on the other two platforms.

Assignment 2- Review
Name: Sofia Peeke S3717940

I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration – https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-and-facilities/student-support/equitable-learning-services

Blog reflections

Blog Post 5

Blog Post 6

Blog Post 7

Blog Post 8

Word count: 1105

1. Provide a definition for ‘analogue photography’.

Analogue photography was the first form of photography before technology progressed. Analogue photography is when “light interacts with chemicals in the film and an image is recorded” (Lomography, 2019, p.1). The images are all collated onto a roll of film and can only be viewed when the film is developed. You cannot view the images while taking them to check the positioning of certain images – you instead have to wait for them to be developed in a dark room. “The development process involves dipping the film in several chemicals. Special chemicals called “developer” help the image become visible” ((Lomography, 2019, p.1). When developed, the colours of the image will be inversed, such that “dark objects will look light and light objects will look dark.” ((Lomography, 2019, p.1).  Early analogue photography was also seen as something that was exclusive. Only higher class people would use analogue photography as it was new and expensive. It was mainly to get their portrait taken in a very staged manner, with the photos being taken in black and white. As photography became more popular and cost effective, it became more common and accessible to the ordinary person, as opposed to something that so “few of us could regularly access” ((Zylinkska 2016, p.7).

2. Provide a definition for ‘analogue video’.

Analogue video transfers information in the form of electrical pulses, whereby the detail and therefore information displayed by the analogue system is determined by the frequency of said pulses. Analogue video was also considered exclusive – it was something that people were only able to use if they had the extensive amount of equipment to record. Editing analogue video was also a process in itself. If something needed to be adjusted it “would involve having to ‘strike’ new prints from the negative in which the chemical relationship between the film stock and the developing fluid was changed” (Lister, M, 2009, p.19). This meant that they would have to remake the entire print.

3. Provide a definition for ‘networked photography’.

Networked photography is associated with the rise of smartphones. Before smartphones, photography was left to the ‘professionals’ – being someone who was able to produce the necessary equipment to take a photo. It was not something that an ordinary person would do. However, now “we can safely say that, in the age of the camera phone and wireless communication, we are all photographers now” (Zylinkska 2016, p.7). Photography became so much more accessible to people and cheaper that it was no longer considered exclusive. People are now able to take a photo with the click on their finger, and they can edit it straight away. Smartphones come pre-built with cameras, which, due to the exponential development of technology, are sufficiently advanced so that even photographers don’t need to purchase a ‘professional’ camera in order to capture a good photo. You are also able to share a photo with the click of a button. The time in which it takes for someone to take a photo, edit it, publish it and distribute it can be done in a matter of minutes as opposed to the days it would take with analogue photography.

4. Provide a definition for ‘networked video’.

Networked video is capturing a moving image that may include sound in the background. Like networked photography, networked video has also massively evolved. It has also become more accessible to people. Smartphones also allow for video recording that can be of a high quality standard. With the rise of platforms like YouTube and Instagram it also allows for people to publish their content online. This has seen the rise of ‘vloggers’ and ‘YouTuber’s’. They have created a job out of making and sharing videos to an audience. Audiences now expect a certain standard from influencers and using ‘professional’ cameras is seen as normal. It now allows for video making to be done by amateurs and professionals due to the wide accessibility it has.

5. Provide definitions for the terms ‘authoring’, ‘publishing’ and ‘distributing’.

Authoring refers to what device was used to take the photo or video. It also refers to the technology that was used to develop, edit and broadcast the image or video. 

Publishing refers to what medium the photo or video was published on. This includes newspapers, art galleries, online, social media sites and other platforms. With the rise of social media, photos and videos became more frequently published on social media sites or online websites as opposed to the more traditional methods like newspapers.

Distributing refers to the way a photo or video is shared amongst its audience.

6. What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked photos are authored, published and distributed?

The authoring process is described by the large amount of time to set up the image, as it was costly and you were not able to take endless amount of photos. As well as that, capturing something as it was happening was not something that could be done quickly. Yet, with networked photography people are able to take a photo within a matter of seconds. The click of a button on their smartphone allows you to take as many photos as you want and even allows for bursts. Analogue photography was limited to where it was able to be published and meant that newspapers and exhibitions were greatly utilised. Now with networked photography people have a wide variety of places where they can publish their photos, with social media being the most prominent. When distributing analogue photos, they did not have the global reach that networked photos have today.

7. What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked videos are authored, published and distributed?

The authoring process for analogue video was harder to create due to people needing an idea of what they were doing in order to operate the camera and all the equipment that goes with it. However, now with networked video people can easily create a video with their smartphones. However, videos are not as easy to edit on a smartphone like how a photo is. Analogue videos were published on broadcast TV or in exhibitions however, networked videos are published online and on social media, allowing for them to be published instantly. Whereas, the analogue video would take longer before it was ready to publish. The distribution of networked video also did not have a global reach, and if they were in exhibitions it would have to be in multiple countries to build attention to the videos. However, with networked videos they can be distributed instantaneously online.

Lister, M, Dovey, J, Giddings, S, Grant, I & Kelly, K 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction, 2nd edn, Routledge, New York.

Lomography, 2019, blog, viewed 8 June <https://www.lomography.com/>

Zylinska, J 2016, ‘Photomediations: An Introduction by Joanna Zylinska’, Photomediations: A Reader, Open Humanities Press, viewed 8 May 2019, <http://www.openhumanitiespress.org/books/titles/photomediations/>.

When trying to think of a practitioner that included videos on their Instagram account I found it difficult to think of one. So as a result, I decided to searched the best video artists to follow on Instagram and found the account lazy as a result.

Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?

The account is run by two practitioners called Josie Keefe and Phyllis Ma. However, the account is called ‘lazy’. They create videos and photos of food. Due to the food not being perfect, it refers to the idea of ‘lazy mom’.They have run their account since 2014 and it is still run today. Although, they do not post regularly and their last post was December 3rd 2018. They also only have 481 posts which could be considered as a low number in comparison to other practitioners, especially when considering they have been operating their account since 2014. They also only posted 5 times in 2018.

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?) 

The title of the video is ‘Holiday Meltdown’. It was obviously part of Christmas and the holiday season as it is a gingerbread house quite literally melting. It formed as part of their series on the holidays.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdJxld4nz5j/

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?

The video was produced on the 26th December, 2017.

 How was the photo or video authored? 

There is no mention of what was used to take this video. However, based on the quality and the studio like setting I think that it would have been on a camera perhaps a DSLR as oppose to an iPhone. The bright lighting also suggests that there was artificial lighting used to create the shot. The lighting and placement of the purple fabric highlight that it was staged and could be thought as more of a professional video and therefore may require a professional camera. It’s interesting to note that it is a stop motion video. It’s a series of photos that have been edited together to create the illusion of movement. They had to ensure that the lighting was exactly the same throughout so that people are not able to tell there is a difference where there shouldn’t be and it’s just focusing on the melting of the gingerbread house not the background.

How was the photo or video published?

The video was published on ‘lazy’s’ Instagram account. It was also posted on Vice’s website which is also known as vice news or vice media that covers under- reported stories. It forms as part of their holiday collection series they did and the length of the video is perfect for Instagram as it only goes for about 5 seconds.

How was the photo or video distributed?

The video was distributed on their Instagram account to their 65.3 thousand followers. It received 10 thousand likes and only 10 comments. They have not utilised Instagram as a platform to the extent that they could. If they have that many followers for only 5 posts a year it suggests that if they were to upload more regularly they could grow their account quite successfully. The 10 comments also suggests that there isn’t a very high engagement and not many people are actively engaging with the account. The account Vice that was tagged in the caption however, has 2.7 million followers and a higher engagement rate. This means that due to it being tagged it will appear to Vice’s 2.7 million followers.

I have only just started following this account but I really like her content and the quality and aesthetic of her photos.

Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?

The person I have chosen is health and fitness influencer Sarah’s Day. She can be found on Instagram at sarahs_day. She created her Instagram account in 2012 and is still active today.

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse,  when was it produced (date)?

The photo was uploaded on the 9th of March 2018 and can be found at this link: Sarah’s Day 

The photo itself has no name but it was apart of a photoshoot in Byron Bay for her ebook.

 How was the photo or video authored? 

The photo was taken on a canon DSLR. Her boyfriend is a content creator and photographer and takes all of her photos. The result of this is that she has a very aesthetically pleasing Instagram. Her photos are always of a high quality and edited to suit the aesthetic she has gone for throughout her Instagram. In this particular photo, they would have taken quite a few shots to get the right lighting and to get the water splashing up. It’s then edited to draw out the pinks and give it a really soft tone. This editing is what a lot of photos on her Instagram look like. Her photos are generally always staged and rarely taken with an iPhone camera unless it is a selfie. The photos that are not staged are usually taken with an iPhone. It makes her content more interesting to view. Given that she has close to 900k followers she has definitely understood what it means to have generative content. She posts very regularly at least 3-4 times a week which is a lot more than other Australian influencers. She has a range of content that features on her Instagram. As she is a health and fitness vlogger there is a lot about exercise and workouts however, there are always posts about food. She creates this very eye pleasing photos with the food without her in the photo. She also has posts about fashion as well as action shots like snorkelling or riding in a helicopter. There are also posts that have been set up on a day bed or at the beach to highlight she does cool things. She does not accept many endorsement deals unless it is something she has created or to do with health and fitness. Even though she is a health and fitness vlogger when I look at her content it highlights how much of a lifestyle vlogger as well. All her content fits so nicely into those categories and it’s something that you can easily see when scrolling through her Instagram even if you had no idea who she was. When we were discussing influencers and the generative content in class she was the first person that popped into my head because even though I had never really thought about how she has all these different posts that fit into these categories as soon as I was made aware I knew that she was doing that. Her range in content, photos and editing has allowed for her to grow and be so successful.

How was the photo or video published? 

The photo was published on Instagram on the 9th of March 2018. Her caption is very long and is about motivating people to workout in a positive way. She references her story in her post and tells people to go and look at it. This is going to get a higher engagement rate on her Instagram if people are liking and commenting on her post and viewing her story. Influencers know that if they post something on their story that will lead people to their page that it increases the engagement rate as. Sarah would know when the best time is for her to post and what will and will not get her likes on her feed. The metrics give her an insight in to how many people have viewed that particular post, saved the post, visited her profile etc. The way she used to post and the way she does now would have changed as she gained more followers. The content that she publishes is tailored specifically to what people like her for. Metrics are a software affordance and the algorithm of Instagram will influence how she posts as she won’t want to be losing followers. With this particular post she has posted something that can be linked to health and fitness and then based the entire caption around that.

How was the photo or video distributed?

Due to Instagram and social media being a 24/7 occurring thing the publication and distribution of the photo would have been instantaneous. People always have their mobile phones on them and always have access to these social media sites. Within seconds her photo would have gotten thousands of likes. People are also able to turn on a post notifications that alerts them when people post. The easy access to Instagram means that more people are engaging with the content and are able to always be aware when the people they like post photos.