We probably all know that, to some degree, most people’s Instagram feeds are an edited version of their lives. Whether they only post the chic new outfits they buy or exclusively show off the amazing holidays they’re able to go on, people are rarely truly honest about their lives on the social media platform.
In fact, some Instagram influencers and photographers have become adept at making things look just a heck of a lot better than they actually are.
That’s whereGeo Leoncomes in - this amazing Instagram feed is like a dose of reality. It shows off amazing influencer-style shots, but then actually shows you how they were taken.
It’s not punching down, either - the shots are more about learning how to take advantage yourself than about making people feel bad for blurring the truth. We’ve gathered some of the account’s best comparisons for your entertainment, right here.
These fascinating images show how Instagrammers make their own reality
We probably all know that, to some degree, most people’s Instagram feeds are an edited version of their lives. Whether they only post the chic new outfits they buy, or exclusively show off the amazing holidays they’re able to go on, people are rarely truly honest about their lives on the social media platform.
In fact, some Instagram influencers and photographers have become adept at making things look just a heck of a lot better than they actually are. That’s whereGeo Leoncomes in - this amazing Instagram feed is like a dose of reality. It shows off amazing influencer-style shots, but then actually shows you how they were taken.
Blowing in the wind
This image is a great introduction to what many of the ones to come will show - that just because an image has a saturated colour palette and looks like it must have been taken at an amazing location doesn’t make any of that true. As you’re able to see, sometimes it’s the side of a hill.
Flower crown
Similarly, flowers are beautiful props, and can be creatively used like in this image to make a great composition.
Equally, though, they don’t just grow any old place, so when people find a particularly striking patch they’re going to try to use it even if it’s just next to some random pavement.
This is on of the few comparisons in our list where the behind-the-scenes shot still looks really moody and edgy, with that ring-light doing wonders. There’s nothing a bit of harsh lighting and coloured LEDs can’t accomplish, basically.
The bit of this composition that stands out, in contrast, is those powerlines way off in the distance in the behind-the-scenes shot.
That’s the sort of detail that kills off a fun themed shoot, so it’s no wonder they’re carefully cropped and edited out.
This shot, meanwhile, is a timely reminder that for all we poke fun at some editing and changes, there’s still a huge degree of technique and planning that goes into all of these shots.
Not least in this case, where a refracting lens is shot through to achieve that great kaleidoscopic perspective.
Make it work
Sometimes a fun image involves an outfit or costume that you frankly wouldn’t want to walk out on the street in, like this combination of cellophane and what look like little adhesive pearl dots. It might be questionable fashion, but the final shot is like something out a science fiction opus.
Improvisation
Even a simple foil and metal flower heart can be part of a unique final shot if you use it right, even if you’re just quickly shooting on what we’re pretty much certain is the beachside at Venice Beach.
Editing is well and good, but if you want a shot like this there’s a good chance that you’re simply going to have to carefully balance some hats - unless you’ve got a whole load of superglue to play with, or a sewing machine.
Mucky work
Being a model seems pretty good fun a lot of the time, especially if you hit the big time - but there are also going to be days when your creative photographer wants to daub you in paint powder, ruining a nice white turtleneck no less.
Still, with Geo Leon you can at least be confident that the outcome will be something nice to look at.
