How far will you go for the perfect shot?

This photo is a commentary on the lengths that users go to to select the ideal angle for their photos. Browsing through Instagram, our group saw some images depicting high-angle shots of models on deck chairs, which piqued our curiosity in exploring the technical aspects of these photos. While it is interesting to note that people’s abilities to produce aesthetically complex and well composed photos increase as their expertise of Instagram grows, the troublesome nature of taking such photos contributes to its very contrivance — the photographer often needs to get into precarious and awkward positions to orchestrate the best framing and angle. These types of photos are ironic because they look natural but may demand the most unnatural means of shooting them.

We were further inspired by the barrage of photos we saw on the accounts of “lifestyle bloggers”, and their efforts to sell the idea of a “perfect” life and what it should entail. However, the unrealistic photos that are produced parallel the very picture-perfect nature and socially unattainable lives that they sell.