I saw a humorous critique of Instagram a few weeks back acutely highlighting the decontextualization that takes place on each and every Instagram feed. I was somewhat surprised by how much the article resonated with me. I have always tried to maintain my Instagram feed as an outlet for sharing my experiences and how I see the world, as well as for a bit of creativity (on those occasions of fleeting inspiration), but it never really occurred to me that the stories and the experiences that I want to share cannot be expressed fully through my photos alone.

A hackneyed adage reminds us that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but are those words the ones that I want the viewer to see and to read? Maybe, maybe not. And often, that’s okay—people should be able to interpret a work as they please. However, since my goal ultimately is to tell a story and to share a specific moment with the viewer, it would appear, then, that there’s a large piece missing by omitting actual words, by omitting the context.

It’s ironic how easily one can replace “coffee-table photo books” with “Instagram feeds” in the sample sentence of the dictionary definition of “decontextualized.” As such, I plan to begin writing and telling the stories behind some of my photos—those on my Instagram feed, as well as others in the extensive, unorganized mess of my photo library. I’ve actually been meaning to work on my writing for a while, so I think this will be the perfect opportunity to begin. So, please bear with me as I get started on this little project. I think the end result will be worth it.