All About Instagram

Something that is fun and good for business. A winning combination. I"m talking about my love for Instagram. My personal Instagram is used to share my cross-country travels, and just about anything else that amuses me. Everyone is welcome to join me at onebeautifultrip. 

Since we are in the process of a Black Book website refresh/redesign; it is the perfect opportunity to add a business Instagram to our media toolbox. A business Instagram account needs to be a bit more structured than a personal account. Instagram is the ideal venue for creating and sharing a company's personality. The process needs to be more thoughtful as to an overall aesthetic. Shannon and I decided to choose a visual theme to guide our image choices. And while it seems obvious to use Instagram to showcase our work, because we serve a diverse client base, those images would seem disparate when viewed as a gallery. Plus, portfolio work is readily viewed on the website.

We asked ourselves, what are our goals with this IG account? 

• We want followers to have something interesting, even beautiful to look at – something that gets them to stop their scroll.
• It needs to attract an audience from diverse industries, with a broad range of interests
• It needs to appeal to people from any geographic region.

The idea came to us pretty quickly–we will focus on black and white photography and subject matter. "Black and white" reflects both the company name and the branding we use. The genre has visual unity, while simultaneously providing the opportunity to post limitless subject matter 

We invite you to follow us at blackbookmarketing, where we are already having fun with our theme.

Black and white is a beautiful and inspiring genre. It is a sentimental favorite as well. Both of my parents were photographers and met in a darkroom. Our home was filled with enlargers and film cans. My mother used to say, "You have hypo in your veins." I grew up with the work of Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, Man Ray, Dorothea Lange, and my inspiration–Margaret Bourke White. I started college at the Maryland Institute College of Art, (while I was still in high school) and of course, I studied photography.

Although I absolutely love color (clothing, home decor, painting) the black and white image causes us to pause and really consider the subject matter. We are not distracted by color. As a photographer, black and white photography poses a greater challenge. One's focus must be on composition, pattern, depth, gray scale, and message.

My mother's Speed Graphic she used during WWII.

This focus reflects the same thoughtfulness, planning, and attention to detail that every team member at Black Book brings to the creative table. We look forward to taking, searching for, and sharing inspiring images.