Why I'm going be less conscious of Instagram and more conscious of my experience when taking photos of my travels
Ok, time for a truth bomb. I'm not 100% happy with my thinking and behaviour on occasions during my trip to Canada so far. My visit to Lake Louise the other day really hit home as to why, when I realised I was looking at my photos with a view of whether they were 'Instagram worthy' before actually considering myself and my own feelings about them - did I LIKE them and were they an accurate reflection of my travels in the moment?
That doesn't sit comfortably with me, and it's not ok.
When I arrived at Lake Louise, although it's obviously stunning, I couldn't help but feel my heart sink a bit. The entire shoreline was filled with people (myself included) constructing the 'perfect' shot; hustling other people out of the way, checking the angles, asking the stranger behind the camera to 'just get one more', trying to look like they were having fun but not necessarily capturing a real moment of fun, trying to capture a perceived moment of calm reflection whilst asking "Have you got the shot yet?". Not to mention the 3-4 people who turned up with photography crews and scenery-matching wardrobes. The charm and authenticity of the destination and time spent there was somewhat...lost to the 'gram.
Now don't get me wrong, everyone is entitled to enjoy photography and create nice photos and memories of themselves. Some people have a pure, raw talent and enjoyment for it and I fully appreciate Instagram is a visual platform - I'm not here to judge or criticise anyone's use of it, but Lake Louise did make me question my own actions and the effect they could have on my mindset, travels and the content that subsequently ends up on Find Her There.
Find Her There was not set up to intimidate or mislead women with perfect images of perfect solo travel lifestyles, experiences and destinations. Quite the opposite. Find Her There was set up to share, celebrate and reflect on the experiences and advice of real solo women - real nerves, real hesitations, real moments of connection and discomfort, real learnings - and to inspire, inform and reassure other women, those who would like to but haven't quite yet made that jump into travelling solo, to perhaps think "Hey, maybe I could give it a go - take a small step which might lead to a bigger one, at my own pace, and with the support of others behind me".
So, wonderful women, please, please continue to share your moments, experiences and advice, 'perfect' or otherwise - the long bus journeys, the times when you had no idea what you were doing but figured it out anyway, the wonderful or dodgy hostels/couch surfing hosts, what you've learnt and how, that time you ate what you thought was chicken, or just unexpected moments like those I've had in the last few days. I met two solo girls in my hostel the other night and within ten minutes we jumped on a bus to go to the hot springs in Banff. At Lake Louise I got chatting to Wendy and Maureen on the trail and we ended up spending the entire day together. Hot and sweaty from a long hike, we jumped in the freezing cold Lake Agnus in our underwear and, with chattering teeth, reassured others that it really wasn't THAT bad. They very kindly gave me a lift back to Banff saving me a 1-2 hour queue for the bus (so many people, as I said), and we went for sangria, margaritas and burritos. These are the authentic moments I want to capture where I can and be happy to just remember them if I can't, these are the moments that I saved my money for and have no need for a filter.
For everything in between - every beautiful view, sightseeing landmark etc - I'm going to continue to use my selfie stick (poorly) and rely on the kindness and skill of random strangers for my photos. If that leads to a finger over the lens or the not so perfect shot at times, that's fine. If I happen to get a great photo, wonderful. This is not about never posting a beautiful photo again, they do exist and are sometimes very straightforward to get and accurate of the situation, but I'm simply not going to break my back for them, queue for hours for a shot in front of something I haven't felt a connection to, or ask someone to stand there endlessly snapping away, creating a sea of the same shot in my camera feed. It personally ruins my experience. The 'gram can look forward to the good, the bad and sometimes nothing.
Find Her There may be a small community for now, and if that's how it stays that's ok, because the joy for me (and hopefully you) comes from making genuine connections with women like @unstoppablestacey and @thepineapplebackpacker who have been supportive, inspirational and shared their stories with me from day one, not from worrying about posting the perfect photo. x
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