Week 2: Take a photo with a mobile device: Instagram / Flickr app / Snapchat

Splayds are a wonderful utensil. Photo: flickr Kim Tairi

As the queen of the #selfie I was pleased that Kate asked me to write this post. I adore mobile photography and you will seldom see me without my phone. You need to be prepared if the opportunity for a great shot presents itself.

I take photos of all the cliched things:

• Myself including my shoes and feet #selfies
• Meals #foodp0rn #gastroporn #mealtweets
• Clouds #cloudp0rn #clouds

But I also take photos of my library, events and other happenings in our university to share with followers.

This is my favourite thing (I really want to add lots of exclamation marks)!

DISCOVER:

All smartphones and tablet devices have a camera fitted.

• Explore your device to take a photograph and then locate the camera roll or gallery via the menu.
• Mobile devices make it very easy to share photographs by email, messaging and twitter.   Take a photograph of a sign with the name of your library or museum, open your Twitter app, attach the photo and tweet it with a short message and the hashtag #anz23mthings
• You can also take a screen shot on your device [iOS | Android]

EXPLORE:

There are many different types of photography apps you can add to your mobile device.  Some offer filters to enhance the look of your photos, most will interact with other social media tools (eg. sharing via Twitter or Facebook)  while others are part of their own social networks (eg. Instagram, Snapchat)

• Try out Instagram (you can also have fun with Instaweather, and Instastitch).   Instagram has its own ‘jargon / language’ for example people who use Instagram refer to themselves as #igers and they often share photographs of themselves known as #selfies .  Take a photograph and upload it with the #anz23mthings hashtag. Explore the other photographs that have the same hashtag.
• Try out an app with filters like Snapseed, SquareReady Pro and ProCamera, Camera+ (my top four) or others like Hipstamatic (please note not all of these apps are free)
• If you have a Flickr account you can upload photographs as you take them via the Flickr app (no iPad version is available use the iPhone version)  and post them to the Anz23mthings flickr group.
• Snapchat is a very popular photography app with many teenagers  they use it as a social network to communicate with friends.  iOS and Android app that allows users to send photos among their contacts, which automatically delete after a short period of time (between 1 – 10 seconds)

THINKING POINTS:

• How could your library use photographs to promote library services, events and activities?
• Does your library Twitter account use Instaweather to provide a daily update?
• Do you have a permission form available so that when you take photographs of clients or events you have their agreement for those images to be used and shared online?
• How easy is it for clients to contribute digital photographs to your library collection (eg. local history)?
• Could you use photography in library programming (eg. how-to classes or competitions)?
• The Getty Museum celebrates the Instagram photographs taken by museum visitors by adding them to their Insta-Getty Pinterest board

JOIN IN OUR TWITTER CHAT:

We’re holding a Twitter chat on Thursday, May 16th, at 9PM (NZ) and 7PM (AEST). We’ll be discussing some questions that we’ll publish on the blog in the next couple of days. The point of a Twitter chat is to log onto Twitter at the established time and discuss the questions using the hashtag #anz23mthings.  For a bit more information on how to take part in a Twitter chat, check out this blog post for some helpful tips.

 

This post is a remix from 23mobilethings.net thing 2.

Extras:

I encourage you to watch Bond University’s excellent presentation on their use of Instagram – An instragram is worth a thousand words

Follow Bond University on instagram: @bondlibrary. Below is my presentation in the same session.  You can follow me on Instagram: @lepetit_renard (WARNING my account contains lots of #selfies and photos of shoes).   You can also follow our hosts on Instagram: katejf and abigail (who is brand new to Instagram).

Mobile Photography from Kim Tairi

Kim Tairi is the Associate Director, Information Management at Swinburne University. She loves her mobile. It has changed the way she works. Professional sharing and connecting is easier. Google her to find out more.