Instagram, a man, and his dog

I recently interviewed  Josh Flynn about his adventures and experiences with Instagram, an easy way to share photography on the Internet.  Flynn  goes by the screen name @flynnfinity on Instagram and has more than 2,459 followers.  Flynn who lives in Baltimore, but originally from Denver,  has gotten a lot of coverage from local Baltimore media including a feature done on Fox45 and winning a Mobbie award from the Baltimore Sun for Best Instagram in Baltimore.

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Flynn took a picture of Million Dollar Dimes, during an interview on 98 Rock radio show in Baltimore.

Tell me about your experiences with Instagram.

 Flynn: Instagram has really changed the way I think about photography and social media. I have never experienced the level of engagement from any other social network, and I have met a lot of great people and photographers through the app.

What photo editing apps do you use for Instagram photos?

Flynn: I normally use Snapseed and VscoCam to do basic editing, Tiny Planets, PicFrame and Blender are all great for more interesting edits like mirroring, overlays, etc.

How long have you been using Instagram?

Flynn: I started using Instagram in the fall of 2011, so I guess about a year and a half. It’s changed quite a bit in that time frame, as have my processes and the way I use the app.

How is Instagram different from Facebook, Twitter or other social media tools?

Flynn: Instagram is a way to connect with people through photos. I also think of it as a photo journal, and the sense of community and instant feedback motivates me to keep up with it. It’s different from Facebook and Twitter because it is limited to just photos, which forces the user to think about things in a more visual way both when posting photos or consuming them.

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Flynn uses apps to create some very interesting pictures.

How can someone who is new, get the most out of what Instagram has to offer?

Flynn: I remember when I first started using Instagram, one thing that I really liked about it was the openness of other users as far as editing processes, etc. I didn’t realize how much you could do with the different editing apps before I started seeing what others were doing. When I’d ask them how they got a certain effect, they were always very happy to recommend apps or techniques. Aside from that, it’s a very cool way to explore with photos. Searching hashtags or looking at other photos from the same places you’ve geotagged photos are great ways to connect.

What is your favorite things to take pictures of?  People, landscapes, animals, buildings?

Flynn: I wouldn’t really say I have a favorite. People definitely have had a strong reaction to the photos I post of my dog, Bailey, but I try to vary things enough so that I don’t get bored.

What is your favorite experience with Instagram?

Flynn's companion Bailey.
Flynn’s companion Bailey.

Flynn: I started a hashtag for a series of photos I was doing about Bailey, called #BaileyStraightChillin, which got some attention from the traditional media. Baileyand I were featured in a cover story on Fox 45, a blog post on The Baltimore Sun  and a story in BmoreMedia. I couldn’t have imagined when I first started taking those photos that I would be seeing the two of us on the news, but it was a very cool experience.

What is one tip you would like to give people about Instagram?

Flynn: Have fun and explore!

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(All photos by Josh Flynn)