Why I Love The Photo Dump Trend
https://www.instagram.com/p/COD7JFuLOqZ/
In the world of social media, where every piece of content is airbrushed, inspected and edited before someone would even think about posting it, what would we have if we didn’t have if we didn’t any content at all? No selfies to FaceTune, no holiday views to inspire envy, no pub visits to document. The Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown provided us with answers; your feed is now an archive to those happy, care-free, curated times. Our camera rolls are suffering from diarrhea due to an increasing amount of dull content. How do you deal with diarrhea? You take a dump.
As gross as that sounds, photo dumps are actually beautiful, in their celebration of the ordinary. A photo dump is a gallery of random, often low quality photos. The photo dump trend took over social media during lockdown and it was a perfect cure for camera roll diarrhea.
Though I haven’t actually embraced the photo dump trend, I love seeing it on my feed and the concept of it. I hope it stays, for a collection’s worth of reasons.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQME2NDFx66/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The main reason, I love photo dumps, is because it defies Instagram’s pre-lockdown concept of being a platform that constantly holds an unattainable image of perfection over our heads, an image that we’re constantly jumping up to achieve or craning our necks up to gaze at longingly. With photo dumps, Instagram is going back to its roots as an online scrapbook. Participating is fun, lighthearted and there are no expectations to be perfect.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQZrLBlM-oC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
In fact, we’re seeing the messier the better with photo dumps. The contrast created with a blurry selfie and a beautiful shot of a field is something unique and nothing no editing app in the world could ever create. While some may argue that many photo dumps are still orchestrated, especially with celebrities and so called ‘influencers’ jumping on the trend. It’s true that the art of the photo dump is in its blurry pictures, bed-head selfies and half-eaten meals and that’s beautiful. However, I believe in general, the choice to create an aesthetic with a photo dump is not due to pressure to be perfect but because they enjoy putting the photos together in a way that visually pleases them. Very much like a scrapbook.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQjlEEtD-oW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
With photo dumps, you’re shrugging of the grip the belief of perfection has on you. I think with this, it’ll encourage people to capture the moment for its initial purpose. You think less about how this will look on your page and more about how you have a souvenir from the wonderful times in your life. Photography is going to be a portal to wonderful memories, not a pawn in the game of presenting an impossibly perfect life.
I feel like a larger sense of connection and community will grow, if photo dumps stay. In my case especially, I’ve seen photo dumps used to document a time when someone was absent on social media (good for them). Especially when it comes to public figures we like. Your favourite artist hasn’t posted since their latest music video and then, BOOM, you find out that they saw a beautiful sunset, had an iced coffee and they’re working on a new album all in one post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPqnpAWLp74/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPOvQvFDu9y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/COdVPxYnsi8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Though the world fell apart last year, we’ve seen positive things come out of the pandemic. As things go back to normal, I hope the photo dump trend stays and it hopes it continues to transform Instagram, one blurry photo at a time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQJi1yBpKYR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
