#CapturingColour • February
On Friday I had the pleasure of being invited to the beautiful Nib and Ink book launch (which deserves it's own post!) at the Platform Gallery above Habitat on King's Road in London. I felt like I was amongst Instagram royalty with almost everyone introducing themselves as an Instagrammer when I said hello.
It was a wonderful but slightly surreal experience to be surrounded by the London elite, firm friends who exchanged big hugs as we cooed over the decor and pretty inks on the table, as well as those who had travelled from a little further afield. People whose galleries I adore.
I was in awe and got a little over excited, barely pausing for breath on several occasions! But the reality is everyone is just the same. Despite followers in 6 figures, no one was elitist. Refreshingly ordinary, normal people with extraordinary followings. Once upon a time suggested users, members of a real community, building and shaping the influence and power of visual social media.
I feel like you can learn something everyday, that you can evolve your gallery, curate your feed any which way you want. That perhaps it's not about being a master of the platform, it's more about being the master of your account. So what works for them might not work for you. You can read the thousands of posts of tips, share your own - be open with what's helped you and help someone else. But the most important thing is that it's yours.
That still life, as beautiful as it is, quite possibly doesn't interest you. Maybe your gallery is all about you, your face, your family, your clothes, your home as opposed to a feed full of stunning florals, with no hint of the person behind it.
Whatever it is I just think you need to love it. And your passion will shine out and inspire, engage and resonate with people.
Whenever I get together with friends I have met through blogging and social media the conversation always turns to Instagram. Why we all love it, what hashtags we all join in with, what new communities people are starting (if you love a good coffee join in with the brand new hashtag from Wild and Grizzly #stylemycoffee) and the mystery of why people follow and unfollow and milestone moments we are all so proud of.
And I couldn't be more proud of #capturingcolour. A 33,300 and growing strong gallery bursting with bright florals, patterned mural walls, delicate pastel houses, magnolia trees starting to blossom and injections of colour into family lives.
No one photo linked up feels the same. For some a love of colour means pops of pastel, neon brights, for others a more muted palette is how they embrace gentle hues in their home. The gallery is bursting with inspiration for interesting compositions, portraits, capturing your children, flat lays and eye catching photographs to give you ideas on your next weekend away or holiday.
I seemed to fill my February feed with lots of feminine colours, blush roses, pink petals and a mix of softer tones amongst my more stronger shades. I realise how much my photos jump around, when I look back at the #capturingcolour gallery. One minute I share something from the house, the next a floral flat lay, boys to westies and there was even a few of me last month! I was discussing with a friend how there isn't a real theme, bar colour. And I guess that's fine by me. I don't want my grids to blur into each other. Our lives are an organised mess of 4 different jobs, boys, school life, friends and family. And I think my feed is exactly the same. An organised mess but hopefully a pretty mess!
Every month when I scroll through the gallery to pick out a grid of favourites I open the gallery on my laptop and randomly bookmark those that ping out at me, and they always seem to flow into each other. I spotted the photo of the tule skirt and it went on from there.
I love the coolness of the violet tones against the warmth of the pinks. February was biting cold in the UK and I love that despite the serenity of these images there's a hint of whimsy, a lightness, almost a hint of spring.
Hop over to Instagram to find these accounts and follow them! So much inspiration for your daily feed.
And this month I want to highlight Britt's account that I discovered a while ago. Her use of texture blows me away. The way she incorporates muted colours is so captivating and her engagement is just incredible. Stunning still life, delicate pinks and a real sense of depth with metallic.
I could get so lost in her gallery.
I want to dive in and eat everything she bakes! I can't wait to follow her through spring, to see how she shares the brighter colours of the season. Every picture she shares could be a piece of artwork.
Thank you so much to every single one of you who make this gallery so beautiful. And a huge thank you for following me on Instagram. For me, it's become almost a blog of it's own, a daily journal and it was so interesting to hear that Julia and Hannah only recently started their blogs in the last year or so and that Jess only uses Instagram.
That Instagram had been their sole creative writing and visual sharing platform. That the power of the community online has given them this audience around the globe. And more importantly that there is so much room for everyone. To not get caught up in how many followers someone else might have, not to rush. As tempting as it is to want to post every few hours or even every day, by being more conscious and discerning, you only share your very best.
I find it hard to only share a few times a day - what about you?! I guess it's all a balance about posting for you, posting for your followers and posting with purpose. Just like a blog.
Come and join in with #capturingcolour. I share my grid of favourites each month and I hope you find some new wonderful accounts to follow.