Through sharing stories on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, and other social media sites, we’ve come a long way from telling tales around a campfire and painting pictures on cave walls. Nowadays, storytelling through social media allows for self-expression through powerful depiction of the senses.
George Lange, famed photographer, Pittsburgh native, and author of the book, The Unforgettable Photograph, says that through his new position ‘Artist-in-Residence’ with Instagram, he inspires both ordinary people and companies to build their brands, including everything from personal snapshots to paid campaigns.
“I try and help show them what an awesome opportunity these platforms offer for telling stories in new ways,” Lange says.
For one of his clients, IBM, Lange utilizes Instagram to bring attention to work researchers are doing in their labs to solve problems on a daily basis. These are often stories that do not make the news, website, or annual report.
“It’s a daily exploration of what makes this company extraordinary,” Lange says, “It’s really powerful.”
Rather than simply show images, Lange challenges storytellers to go beyond the visual, sharing stories of perception of feelings and senses.
Lange says that while there may be hundreds of people taking a photograph of the same sunset, it is your experience of that moment and how you portray it with all of the senses that makes it powerful and special.
“What you need to do, whether you’re a business, whether you’re a father, or a mother, or whether you’re a giant corporation, is show me the light in your life. Show me what makes you special, and what makes you different, and what gives you a reason for being.”
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