We know. This headline might imply an association between these photographers and the many ills a certain small-handed circus leader denies knowing when called to task, and we apologize. This has nothing to do with Mr. Trump, though we suspect he (maybe) collects the "great" work of Peter Lik, right? Why are we even rambling about this? Moving on, here are some of our favorite photographers working right now, all who've hung out with us over the past few months for weekly Humble Arts Foundation Instagram residencies. Some are making Instagram their visual diary or sketchpad, while others are using it as a wider domain for sharing long term photo projects. Have a look, give them your follows, and be moved to keep up with their ever-inspired work.
There is a tendency among naysayers to refute Instagram's legitimacy, condemning it as nothing but a visualized Twitter. These wizards say it's not much more than a tool for self-promotion, navel gazing, or disguised brand building. That, despite Vik Muniz and Alex Praeger's Instagram prints garnering thousands of dollars in Aperture's 2013 benefit auction, there's no value in its incredibly low resolution. Despite this ongoing discourse, Instagram continues to be an impactful source of photographic discovery and influence, for some it's become its own distinct lens, and for others, it's become a sketchpad for larger ideas. For the past year, Humble has invited some of our favorite photographers to participate in weekly Instagram residencies - each with a unique bend. To celebrate this pseudo-anniversary, here are 52 of our favorite images from participating photographers in all their low-res glory. We encourage you to explore their feeds, and follow their ever-evolving work.
Beware the click bait, it's our semi-monthly Instagram update. Last time we got you, our lovely Humble friends, when we announced the 5 photographers you should never ever follow on Instagram, only to reveal that they're actually some of our favorites. Shortly thereafter, we received numerous emails and Facebook comments arguing that Instagram is still "just another social channel," and that even some of our photographic heroes using IG are doing nothing more than tweeting photos.
Is Instagram, or mobile photography in general, incapable of presenting an interesting shift in the way images are made? The arguments will go on, and in turn, we'll continue to host Instagram residencies from some of our favorite photographers using IG today. Like Tommy Kha who took some quiet time to hang out with William Eggleston in Memhpis, Matthew Schenning, who's been making off-moment pictures while working Art Basel in Miami Beach this week, and other favorite photographers like Tribble and Mancenido, Laura Glabman, Bahar Yurukoglu, and Bill Miller whose photographs regularly make our heads turn. Please have a look, follow them, and support their work.