Instagrammer feature with @flynnfinity: Adventures in Baltimore with a dog named Bailey
If you live in Baltimore and you’re on Instagram, there’s a good chance you’ve come across @flynnfinity aka Josh Flynn. Flynn, who lives and works in Baltimore, won the award for “Best Instagram” at the Mobbies this year.
The Darkroom caught up with Flynn about Instagram’s Terms of Service debacle, his series #baileystraightchillin and the advantages of using a camera phone on the fly.
- Bailey celebrating the Mobbie win for Best Instagram! (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- Nice Day for a Stroll – I took this when I was walking Bailey one day down by the water and happened to see this guy as he was walking between the two posts and snapped a photo. I think the way his front foot is pointed up looks like “strolling” and it was a gorgeous evening. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- c(re)a(tur)g[e]d – This somewhat shoddy graffiti was only on this wall on Chestnut Ave in Hampden for a few weeks, and the shadow “caging” the creature was only there for a few minutes, a perfect example of a photo I would never have without my phone. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- This is a shot near Washington Square Park I took on a trip to NYC a few months ago. It’s not every day you see two women carrying a huge red circle down the road. I like it for its candidness, but it looks like it was set up. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- Part of the #baileystraightchillin series, this is B hanging out at the 2012 Hampdenfest right before it started storming. I was impressed with his ability to stay focused amongst the crowds. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- The Patterson Park Pagoda is closed for the season, but when it opens up again I highly recommend checking it out. One of the better views of Baltimore. This was taken looking down the spiral staircase with the Olloclip fisheye attachment. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- I have been trying to get creative with different apps, styles, etc with my photos. This was a photo I took while riding down I-83 (not driving!) and added some text over it with an app called Phonto. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- This is a composite of two images I took from inside of Paper Moon Diner. I used an app called Blender to merge the two images to create something a little less recognizable. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- u(mo)p – This is a photo of the corner of the roof of the Starbucks on Boston St. I used several apps to make this composite image. I just think it’s cool to take something simple and turn it into something else. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- This is my first year living downtown and the AVAM’s Kinetic Sculpture Race could be seen from my bedroom window. This was at the Boston Street Waterfront Park before “Loose Cannon” headed into the water. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- bailey+the blue crew – I went across the street from my apartment to take a photo of Bailey chillin out the window and three people, all wearing blue shirts, happened to walk by. I love the interaction between him and the girl in the front, makes the photo for me. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- #baileystraightchillin – This is the photo that started the whole series. I was walking with Bailey in Harbor East, saw this wall and took his photo. I thought it looked cool, and so did a lot of other people, so I stuck with it, which I am glad I did! (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- I have met so many interesting and inspirational people through using Instagram over the past year or so, this photo is from a meetup organized by @peachfuzzdrummer in Mount Vernon, we went to Owl Bar afterward to grab a beer. Also in this photo are: @soul_leather @billy_mcc @suitemilk1 @jheisig7 (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- A photo I took from my friend’s rooftop with the Olloclip fisheye, turned on it’s side and mirrored, has a cool Matrix feel. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- #kegasus – One night while walking around downtown Fells Point, I happened to see a minotaur parading around with a crowd surrounding him. Just as I pulled my phone out to take a photo, he noticed me and pointed. Hard to get decent candid street shots like this. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- Almost photojournalism style, I took this at the zoo in Baltimore. It’s really just a cute little girl feeding a giraffe, but I mean, who could not smile looking at that photo? (Credit: Josh Flynn)
- (quiet)cigbreak – I just like the solitude of this woman, she was sitting alone smoking and the lines looked great. I think I over processed it a bit, but I still dig it. (Credit: Josh Flynn)
INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @flynnfinity
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
I’m really interested in creative endeavors in many forms. Instagram has been a medium that I didn’t expect to use the way I have, but I think it’s great. I live in between Canton and Fells Point with my hilarious dog Bailey and take photos of things I see as I am going through life.
IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS, CAN YOU SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON INSTAGRAM’S NEW TERMS OF SERVICE, WHICH HAS HAS BEEN ALL A BUZZ IN THE PHOTO COMMUNITY THIS WEEK. HOW DO YOU THINK IT WILL AFFECT THE INSTAGRAMMER COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE BALTIMORE COMMUNITY? WHAT DOES IT MEAN, PERSONALLY, FOR YOU?
Instagram is already rolling back some of the TOS changes to try to prevent people from leaving, but I think regardless, the original changes have set a precedent for the direction the app is headed under Facebook’s ownership. It is already having an impact on the Instagram community and at this point the main change is that people will be more aware about what they post online, which they should be anyway. It’s not any different from posting photos on Facebook for the most part, their ambiguity around how they can use your data and photos has always been a point of contention with users. For me personally, it won’t really change the way I use Instagram, but I do think it will change the big picture moving forward for these kinds of social networks.
DO YOU THINK THERE’S ANY EMERGING MOBILE PHOTO COMMUNITIES THAT COULD SERVE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO INSTAGRAM?
I have seen a lot of Instagram users saying they are moving over to Flickr with the new app updates. Flickr has long been a place for photographers to share work and they are much more conscious about letting the photographer dictate the rights to their photos. This model seems much more sustainable and I think people will feel more comfortable interacting with a service that allows them to make decisions about how their photos can or can’t be used.
NOW, LET’S TALK EQUIPMENT, WHAT’S YOUR MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY SETUP?
I shoot everything on an iPhone 4s that I post on Instagram. I also have an Olloclip, which I love. The apps I use most are Snapseed, VSCO CAM and Camera+.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO SHOOT?
I like architecture; Baltimore’s neighborhoods are great for photos. Animals are usually entertaining to photograph and everybody loves them. It’s always cool when I am able to pull off good street photography, too.
A LOT OF PEOPLE I KNOW LOVE THE #BAILEYSTRAIGHTCHILLIN SERIES. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE SERIES? HOW’D YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA? AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE BAILEY? IS HE A WILLING PARTICIPANT? HOW IS HE TAKING TO FAME? I’VE NOTICED THAT OTHER PET OWNERS HAVE EVEN RECREATED THEIR OWN #BAILEYSTRAIGHTCHILLIN PHOTOS.
I was walking with Bailey in Harbor East one day and saw this brick wall in what I believe was a towing yard and decided to take a photo of Bailey. He was tired from walking, so he stayed relatively still and he kicks his leg out to the side like he is lounging around — hence straight chillin.
I did a couple more on walks around my neighborhood, then the reaction was really positive from people so I continued with it, and still try to get them in when I can.
Bailey is usually a pretty good sport about it, I tend to do them after we’ve been walking for a while. He definitely gets annoyed though, keeps walking away, won’t look at the camera. I had a few people I’d never met before at Hampdenfest stop me to say hello to Bailey, so he’s taking his fame in stride.
The other person who did the #baileystraightchillin photo was @petrnotail, and it was hilarious (See it here.). I love the photo and the sentiment.
ANY TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PETS YOU’VE PICKED UP THAT MIGHT HELP THE REST OF US WITH OUR OWN ATTEMPTS?
I think it really just takes persistence and patience, and try to snap a lot of photos. Every pet is going to be different and in my experience, most pets will pretty much do anything to avoid looking directly into the lens.
INSTAGRAM DO?
Using geotags and hashtags is a great tool to share your photos and find other people who have either been at that location, or have photographed similar things. It’s all about connecting with other people — it’s as much an app about people as it is about photos.
INSTAGRAM DON’T?
Don’t post the same type of photo all the time, try to do something different. Not only is it more interesting for followers, it’s also more satisfying personally. Also, it’s just Instagram, some people take it too seriously.
ANY ADVICE FOR MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHERS?
The saying, “The best camera is the one you have on you” is becoming more applicable with advancements in cameras on phones at such a rapid pace. I can’t tell you how many amazing photos in my life I would had missed if my phone didn’t have a camera, and it happens to be a fairly decent one. One of the best things about mobile photography is being able to shoot moments as they happen without needing to have a big piece of equipment on hand. Take advantage of it.
FIVE INSTAGRAMMERS YOU RECOMMEND FOLLOWING:
@jlujan – D.C.-based Instagrammer with a lot of creativity, great shots and edits. Amazing black and white photos.
@strange_agent – A steady stream of well-composed photos from D.C. and Maryland. Minimal editing and really strong imagery.
@terrajane – Great shots around Baltimore with a focus on graffiti and street art. Great colors and edits, too.
@bfleezee – I am probably biased since he is my brother, but Bryan takes amazing photos.
@scottlane – Scott was one of the first people I started following on Instagram, his vision and tones are amazing. He also experiments a lot with editing and inspired me to do the same.
Instagram, a man, and his dog - Baltimore Post-Examiner
Mar 02, 2013 @ 05:10:57
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