A walk to remember

If you thought that the people you meet on social media cannot be your friends in real life, think again!

The users of Instagram, the popular photo-sharing website, get to meet and share their love for photography with each other thanks to Instameets, a phenomenon that takes place all over the world. The number of budding photographers who attended the ‘Bangalore Instameet’, that took place for the first time last year, too has only been growing. The best part is one doesn’t need fancy cameras to be part of the meets. A simple phone would do! 

Held once in one or two months, the Instameets are a colourful and enlightening affair with the Instagrammers meeting at one particular area, exploring its history and of course, clicking photographs to share their experience with their followers on Instagram. 

There is an introduction session first followed by a walk around the area during which they click photographs. Post this, they head to a cafe or restaurant to interact more with each other and of course discuss their love for photography. Operating the official account – @blrinstameet — are Ashok Nalvade, Meghana Ramachandra and Srujana. Ashok, who run a marketing agency, had been using Instagram for two years but came on board as an ‘admin’ just recently. “Our Instameets are different from those of the others because we combine them with lunch, breakfast or coffee. We don’t have them just for the sake of it. Also, we want everyone to benefit from the meet rather than just click pictures and disappear,” he explains. 

“So far, we have had eight Instameets in places like Lalbagh, Cubbon Park and Shivajinagar. Since a number of those who come are new, we tell them about that particular area and the City on the whole. For the last one that we held on MG Road, around 70 people turned up,” he adds. 

Meghana Ramachandra (popular as @megyoda on Instagram) has nearly 40,000 followers and was even featured by the official account of Instagram as a suggested user! “I attended an Instameet last November in Basavangudi and really enjoyed it. So I took up the initiative to make posters announcing the meets and choose the place and time,” she explains. Meghana also turned the ‘blrinstameet’ hashtag into an account and created the Facebook page and Twitter account. “Earlier, we would only meet in once in two to three months but now, it is almost once a month,” she adds.  

One can even suggest to them which area they want to go to. “I often post online asking people for suggestions,” informs Meghana. The meets are held over the weekend. “They are mostly held in the mornings. Once in a while, we hold them in the evenings too so that those who are unable to come in the mornings can make it,” says Ashok.  

Any photography enthusiast can join the group. The Bangalore Instameet is all set to celebrate its first anniversary in style in November. One can get the updates by following @blrinstameet on Instagram.