Renson Mwakandana
Instagram, a photo and video sharing social media application, was from the beginning made with a primary focus to feature photographs specifically taken on mobile devices. Over the years, since its launch in 2010, Instagram has evolved to its current state with new features being introduced on the platform frequently.
The application’s interface basically allows individuals who have accounts to upload media, both photos and videos. Users are able to make their profiles public or private and can browse other users’ photos and videos and also allows them to “like” a post or add text comment to a post. Messaging is also possible on the app.
In recent years, Instagram seems to have shifted and turned into a video sharing app. With introduction of reels which are 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects and other creative tools, the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, talked about video and messaging being important to the future of Instagram.
“We are moving Instagram to a place where video is a bigger part of the home experience. Where content is more immersive, takes more of the screen…” He said on a video posted on his Instagram page.
Via his Instagram and Twitter pages, he added that Instagram is looking to lean into entertainment and video following the success of competitors like TikTok and YouTube and that Instagram is no longer a photo sharing app.
What does this mean for photos on Instagram? Is Instagram going to push photo related content as it does for video? Adam argues that the future of photos and videos is mobile-first, meaning larger photos and videos that fill up your screen. As the reels posting feature, Instagram is experimenting to incorporate the posting of 9:16 aspect ratio for photos in order to have images filling up the screen just as videos on the platform,
This in contrast to what is currently in place where one is only able to post standard photos 1:1 aspect ratio, portrait photos 4:5 aspect ratio and landscape photos 1.91:1 aspect ratio. Instagram hopes to experiment with the new 9:16 aspect ratio to see if they will be able to make images more immersive to their viewers as they have managed with videos.
