Feb 5, 2014

Make it Count by Casey Neistat

There are plenty of ways of making it count, of finding value in your life, and pursuing your own happiness. I've been a fan of Casey Neistat's work for several years now, and he's proven himself time and time again when it's come to serving up inspiration. Here's one of my favorite videos he's made. 


Feb 4, 2014

New Life for Thinking Hat

Following our Thinking Hat exhibition last fall I never would've guessed that we'd still be talking about getting new life out of it. From October to December our exhibit, featuring my photography of historic Medicine Hat and the future possibilities presented by SPECTACLE, was on display at the Medicine Hat public library. Just a few weeks ago excerpts from Thinking Hat were then exhibited during the mayor's state of the city address.  


What followed all of this was a brief discussion about the City doing something new with the exhibit. Nothing has been officially decided as of yet, but the ideas ranged from a display in City Hall to permanent displays at locations around downtown. All of this came as a surprise to me, but it sounds like there's still lots of potential for this project to inspire conversation and get people motivated about revitalizing our downtown core. And what better promoter to utilize the project than the City itself? There are still lots of discussions to be had, but Phil, Jessie, and I have all been humbled by the feedback we've received. I just wanted to provide a brief update on our project, and share our excitement for what could be another big step forward.   

Jan 30, 2014

How to Make the Most of Instagram

Without question, Instagram is one of my all-time favorite social networking platforms (you can follow me @editingluke). I reintroduced myself to it last April, and since then I've shared over 500 images, gained nearly 1000 followers, and collected over 11,000 likes in the process. I'm still small potatoes in the Instagram world, but I have figured out what works best for me and what I enjoy seeing from others. Here are my thoughts on how to make the most of Instagram.

how to succeed on instagram


1. It's about sharing your life. The beauty of Instagram is that you can share your activities and interests in an incredibly pure way. Here is what I'm working on, here are the people I'm with, here is what I'm having for lunch, etc. It may sound pointless to some, but looking back at the last 9 months since I started I've built an incredibly detailed account of my time. It's the most thorough photo album I've ever put together, and in that sense, it's as much for me as it is for anyone who might want to have a look.

Keep in mind that if your using Instagram to actually engage with people and promote yourself (as I am) the point is that you are meant to be the main character. The images you post should have some relation to you, to what you're doing, to where you are, and to what you're interested in. The best accounts give a genuine glimpse and share a part of your personal story.

2. Variety is the spice of life. The best Instagram accounts (in my opinion) are full of variety. From selfies to food pics, from kids to vacations, from work to play, and everything in-between - that's what it's all about. If you post the same selfie over and over again or 10 pictures of your kid in a row, you're missing the point and not being very engaging. Show me a picture of what you're reading. The next day post a cool sunset. The day after share a picture from that party you went to - and please post selfies too - if I'm following you I'd like to see your face from time to time. Like I said above, it's not about documenting every facet, but curate your highlights. This is my Instagram feed: 



3. Pace yourself. Post an image and then chill. Nothing is worse for followers than seeing 10 pictures in a row of the same thing. That's what a facebook photo album is for. Instagram should be just the gems. 

4. Put some effort into what you post. As I said, if Instagram is meant to be just the gems than put some thought into how you're taking your pictures. This doesn't mean being all that elaborate, it just means don't post blurry photos, highlight your best shots, and share the kinds of things that you'd like to see from others. It's a lot easier to attract followers when your gallery looks nice. 

5. Go for the details. In a world where it seems everyone has their cell phone with them, there's something really amazing about getting to see the world through someone else's eyes. Pinpoint things that interest you and share them. From the stereotypical morning cup of coffee to a cool pattern you see out on the street, what makes Instagram fascinating is that you're able to share your world as you see it. 

Take advantage of those details to remind yourself of the amazing things around you. I didn't set out to shoot over 500 images for my account, but because I was casually thinking about it, I became more perceptive and put a bit more time into finding those details. In the end, it's an amazing document of your life to share.