Doing It For The 'Gram

Last year I visited a pumpkin patch for the first time and believe me, it was all down to the Instagram hype. I think it's been a big deal in America over the past few years but it only appears to be kicking off in the UK more recently with more and more pumpkin fields opening up to the public and more and more Instagram photo ops available. So once again, me, my best friend and mum took a trip to a nearby pumpkin farm for some pictures. This got me thinking about all the things I do for the sake of the 'gram. I mean, if it wasn't for the intention of getting that cool October pumpkin patch photo for my Instagram, I probably wouldn't be as inclined to visit. So, just how much does Instagram actually impact my life?

SHOP THE POST:

Picturesque brunches, the prettiest cafes and any hotel, shop front - or any building for that matter - adorned with flowers, lavender fields, strawberry farms and pumpkin patches. 

All of the above are instant Instagram hotspots and will most likely lead to a flurry of bloggers and influencers rushing to their doorstep for the perfect picture. I'll be the first to put my hands up and admit I've done this many times in an attempt to get the shot. I'm sure I'm not the only one... hands up if you're guilty of this too!

I think I could put together a year long calendar of places to shoot throughout the year, including both when is the best time to attempt to get the perfect shot and where the best places to go are. Is this of interest to you? Let me know if you'd like to see something like this pop up on my blog sometime soon.

And well, October time is pumpkin time!

I mean, in a way, posting on Instagram is my job - a massive part of it anyway - and that is pretty insane if you ask me. I'm surrounded by other bloggers and PR's within this same industry so it has got to the point where it feels pretty normal to say I need to post on Instagram, it's my job. But this still sounds completely alien to so many people, even to myself at times!

I wouldn't go as far as to say that my whole life revolves around Instagram but a day out usually consists of an attempt at getting the perfect shot to compliment my Instagram feed. And if I'm not photo-ready then I'll definitely have an eye out for any Instagram hotspots I can come back to another time. Whilst scrolling through Instagram stories I spotted a Blogger Bingo template (you know, those stories that you can screenshot and fill out/play yourself) and there was an array of things I crossed off of that list but also some that I read and thought to myself "that's insane". I can't remember all of them exactly but I know one said something along the lines of have you ever picked a holiday based on how Instagrammable it is? And I thought to myself no I haven't, not yet... But have I had a better time away if I'm somewhere that fits the grid? Yes I have. (This actually blows my mind if I'm being honest).

Honestly, sometimes I wonder whether I've just become completely sucked in by Instagram and the need to constantly update my social media on-the-go. I am constantly on my phone, my parents say it, my friends say it and my boyfriend says it but I will quickly justify this by saying it's my job but is being consumed by phone really a part of my job?

I don't think it's all doom and gloom though, I have always enjoyed Instagram (bar the times the algorithm literally drives me up the wall) and I have had so many amazing opportunities come from being active and engaged on the platform. Rather than making it a burden on my friends and family, who I so often rely on to take my pictures and rope into going to places with me, I try to focus on doing things that we will hopefully all love doing. Yes, the ulterior motive is to take some Instagram photos but I'd like to think we all benefit. In this case, with a whole lot of pumpkins ready for Halloween and new memories created in the process. Memories of prancing around in an extremely muddy farm after a day of rain, so much so that my wellies were absolutely filthy (photographic evidence available throughout this post), our wheelbarrow got stuck in the mud so many times we ended up ditching it, we spent so long jumping into crates filled with picked pumpkins and climbing up onto haystacks. We're already looking forward to next year, so that's saying something!

I don't think I would have ever have visited a pumpkin field (at least not aged 23 with the sole purpose of taking photos) if it weren't for Instagram. Whilst this may seem absolutely crazy to some, I actually quite like how it entices me to do varied things and visit more places in the process.

SHOP THE POST:

Sunglasses - (c/o) RayBan via Brand Alley
Varsity jumper - (c/o) & Other Stories
Jeans - Topshop
Wellies - Hunter Boots
[Photos taken by Stephanie]