There is no denying it, Instagram is an incredible app that brings photographers together. With its filters, doubletaps, videos and emojis it’s the app that is an intricate part of today’s world. So how do you step out of your comfort zone and join the worldwide fun? Instagram has the answer.
Worldwide InstaMeet 13 is the weekend of April 22-24. People from around the world will connect together to explore, share photographic tips and tricks, and take photos and videos together.
How are Instameets put together and how can you join? We found one group in New York City with the sole purpose of making that connection.
1. Tell us a little about yourself / the group.
Pursuit of Portraits (aka PoP) is an organization with the mission to “Create an accessible community of portrait-lovers through a platform to share the best of portraiture photography.” Through our Instagram account, website, events, and upcoming print magazine, we are always striving to uncover, feature, and create community amongst the abundance of talent within the portraiture photography space on and off Instagram, here in our home base of New York City and around the world. Instameets have quickly become one of our biggest tools for meaningfully connecting our community.
Pursuit of Portraits (aka PoP) is an organization with the mission to “Create an accessible community of portrait-lovers through a platform to share the best of portraiture photography.” Through our Instagram account, website, events, and upcoming print magazine, we are always striving to uncover, feature, and create community amongst the abundance of talent within the portraiture photography space on and off Instagram, here in our home base of New York City and around the world. Instameets have quickly become one of our biggest tools for meaningfully connecting our community.
2. How did the group get started?
Pursuit of Portraits was started just a little over a year ago, in February 2015 as a personal Instagram account for Founder Saunak Shah (@saunakspace), who was looking to curate his personal portraiture and street style photography. Within a few short months, Pursuit of Portraits had connected with thousands of people in the Instagram community. It was then that Saunak began building a team of creatives who together evolved PoP into what it is today: a platform and meeting place for portrait-lovers everywhere. We hosted our first Instameet in May 2015 at the High Line in New York’s Meatpacking District with 50 attendees, and have since hosted and co-hosted Instameets in Central Park, Battery Park, Orlando, and Singapore.
Pursuit of Portraits was started just a little over a year ago, in February 2015 as a personal Instagram account for Founder Saunak Shah (@saunakspace), who was looking to curate his personal portraiture and street style photography. Within a few short months, Pursuit of Portraits had connected with thousands of people in the Instagram community. It was then that Saunak began building a team of creatives who together evolved PoP into what it is today: a platform and meeting place for portrait-lovers everywhere. We hosted our first Instameet in May 2015 at the High Line in New York’s Meatpacking District with 50 attendees, and have since hosted and co-hosted Instameets in Central Park, Battery Park, Orlando, and Singapore.
3. Your Instameets draw a large crowd, how does one get started hosting an Instameet?
While we have been thrilled to see attendance at PoP Instameets grow to 250 to 300 people, we definitely feel that a great Instameet does not necessarily need to draw a large crowd to be successful. When you’re planning to host an Instameet, here are a few things we think you need to keep in mind:
While we have been thrilled to see attendance at PoP Instameets grow to 250 to 300 people, we definitely feel that a great Instameet does not necessarily need to draw a large crowd to be successful. When you’re planning to host an Instameet, here are a few things we think you need to keep in mind:
- Partner/Co-host: If you’re a small community or brand, look to co-host your meet with a well-known influencer or organization. This will enable you to generate awareness for your meet across multiple channels.
- Set a Date, Time, & Location: Clearly communicate the date, time, and location for your meet to potential attendees. Give people sufficient notice before the meet. Use Eventbrite and/or Facebook Events so that you can keep attendees up to date as details can change. Choose a location that will serve as a great backdrop for photos as well as easily fit the number of attendees you anticipate.
- Pick a Theme: Set a theme that will resonate with as many of your desired attendees a possible. Ensure that your theme fits your location.
- Make it easy for attendees to find you: Make it easy for your attendees to find you by choosing a meeting place that is easy to spot (e.g. a landmark) and making yourself noticeable, such as by having everyone on your team wear a specific color, or by carrying a sign or balloons.
- Make a general plan for the day: We find that it’s best when there’s a general plan for the day, such as a where we want to start the Instameet and where we want to finish it, but otherwise isn’t overly scheduled. This leaves room for spontaneity and organic connections to take place.
- Create a Hashtag: Make sure to create a hashtag that is easy to remember and spell, and which also helps promote your organization.
- Give Prizes: Get attendees excited by adding a little friendly competition to your Instameet. Host a few photography contests that require attendees to post their submissions on Instagram with your hashtag(s) to be considered. Partner with other complementary organizations that would benefit from exposure at your Instameet, and work to get sponsored prizes.
- Thank Everyone: Once the meet is over, remember to thank your sponsors and everyone for attending. Make sure to announce the winners for your contests!
4. Where do you get your ideas for Instameets?
We brainstorm ideas as a team, usually using events or things happening in the city as a starting point, such as Spring, Valentine’s, Winter Wonderland, and so forth. We also think about more abstract themes that tie back to our brand, such as the Instameet we hosted called “For the Pursuit“.
We brainstorm ideas as a team, usually using events or things happening in the city as a starting point, such as Spring, Valentine’s, Winter Wonderland, and so forth. We also think about more abstract themes that tie back to our brand, such as the Instameet we hosted called “For the Pursuit“.
5. What should photographers expect at an Instameet? How do you keep them involved?
Photographers should expect a sizeable crowd, anywhere from 30 to 300 people. They should be as open as possible to meeting new people, as the purpose of Instameets is to meet new creatives, to connect, collaborate, share, and of course, have fun. Photo contests and prizes are very common at Instameets. Participating in contests or simply posting using the Instameet hashtag is a great way for a photographer to share his/her work and gain visibility.
Photographers should expect a sizeable crowd, anywhere from 30 to 300 people. They should be as open as possible to meeting new people, as the purpose of Instameets is to meet new creatives, to connect, collaborate, share, and of course, have fun. Photo contests and prizes are very common at Instameets. Participating in contests or simply posting using the Instameet hashtag is a great way for a photographer to share his/her work and gain visibility.
6. What are your plans moving forward?
One of our major goals at Pursuit of Portraits for 2016 is to continue hosting Instameets that bring our global community of portrait-lovers together, but focus on creating more intimate meets with fewer attendees in order to foster richer experiences. We also want to grow the number of Instameets we host in other cities beyond New York, collaborate with new creative partners, and launch our inaugural print publication featuring some of the portraiture photographers we admire most. It’s going to be a busy year!
Pursuit of Portraits will celebrate WorldWide InstaMeet 13 on Saturday, April 22nd at 3:00 pm in New York City. If you would like to join in on the fun, you can register HERE. AdoramaPix is a proud sponsor of POP’s Instameet.