Not only can you find lots of interesting and quirky posts on Instagram but also some beautiful images of Fermanagh and its inhabitants
Sharon Irvine believes that using social media tools like Instagram and Pinterest can help you discover things beyond Fermanagh but can also enable to discover talent on our doorstep.
A few weeks ago I talked about how Fermanagh is keeping up with the rest of the world by blogging, Facebooking and tweeting.
These are all free and useful ways of keeping in touch, letting the world know what’s going on in your life and even checking out what celebrities are doing.
As fashion is my thing I do a lot of research online, I follow many fashion designers, stylists, fashion editors and bloggers to find out what is going on outside of Fermanagh.
During one of my research marathons I came across something that made me laugh.
It was a cartoon of a man years ago sighing at his pile of envelopes and jumping for joy when he received one email.
It used to be a novelty to receive an email but nowadays it’s more of a novelty to receive a letter. How many of us write letters nowadays? It’s just so much easier to type up a quick email and send it instantly to the recipient.
You get instant news, gossip and fashion updates online but not only do we have a wealth of information at our finger tips we can also become artists, designers and fashion photographers.
Instagram in particular has introduced me to a wealth of local talent. I probably wouldn’t have met or known the majority of my contacts in the fashion world if it weren’t for Facebook and Instagram.
If you use Instagram you will know that it allows you to take photos and turn them into works of art by manipulating the images with various filters. I use it a lot when I am putting together outfits, styling, sewing and just feeling creative. You can then post these photos on the Instagram site for all your followers to view and comment on.
Many fashion photographers don’t necessarily agree with Instagram because they believe it‘s creating a monster, an influx of wannabe Mario Testinos and amateur photographers who think they know what they are doing.
I however think it is inspiring and I enjoy seeing other people’s work, particularly local makeup artists, designers, photographers and stylists.
Snapchat on the other hand, although similar to Instagram in that you can manipulate photos, is more of an instant messenger where photos can be sent instantly and for free with messages. A
Although it is also artistic due to the photography aspect it can also be dangerous when in the wrong hands.
Although you can choose who photos are sent to, in the wrong hands photos can be sent everywhere so let’s just say your private life is no longer private.
This is the main reason why I refuse to use Snapchat because sometimes photos get into the wrong hands. For this reason you should never let anything enter the public domain that you wouldn’t want others to see.
Pinterest in an invaluable tool for everyone from designers, stylists and artists to bakers, beauticians and hairdressers.
I use it on a regular basis for brainstorming, putting together outfits and in more recent weeks getting ideas for weddings. One downside is the fact that my ‘wedding mood board’ is now so full that I have too many ideas.
When working on the North West Brides magazine myself, the photographers and others involved in the photo shoot use Pinterest to pool ideas and get a feel for the look we are going for.
If you an aspiring photographer, into fashion or just love looking at pretty things then you must get an Instagram account follow me on Instagram.com/allisvintage.
Pinterest is another must for putting together all your ideas dreams and interests.
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