Vogue Embraces Social Media with their First Instagram Photo Shoot

When I tell people I'm a journalism major, I don't always get the most enthusiastic response from my peers. Usually, it's somewhere between a polite smile and a nod, while black and white images of newspapers come floating into their heads. "Who reads newspapers anymore?" they tend to say.

Whether I'm an avid newspaper lover or not, I completely disagree that journalism is a dying field. With new advances in technology and social media coming out daily, journalism is thriving and expanding like never before. Those who think my future profession is dying have a narrow view of journalism.

This is why I could not have been happier when I saw Vogue's first Instagram photo shoot. The photos were shot in NYC by Michael O'Neal and edited with nothing but a Nashville filter. #VogueInstaFashion is made up of 3 mini stories: #wednesdaybreakmyheat, onestopshopnyc, and #sleepwalksnewyork. After this photo shoot and Anna Wintour's recent Instagram debut, the magazine has shown its willingness to embrace social media.

When I go to a photo shoot, I bring my camera in one hand and my iPhone in another. My camera is my primary tool of choice, but between every few snaps of my shutter, I give my camera a break to let my iPhone take its place. On my way home to process my digital images, I post my camera phone photos on Instagram and Facebook for instant feedback. Technology is not ruining photojournalism, it's making the field faster and more accessible.

To those of you who worry that apps like Instagram will replace our DSLR cameras, what are you afraid of? Instagram is an excellent assistant to your beloved Nikon or Cannon. Whether it becomes the preferred medium or not, the most important thing should always be strong photography, as Vogue proved in their shoot.