Dawn of October 3, 2015 ushered in a weekend of meeting new people during Instagram’s World Wide Instameet 12. The theme to encourage these worldwide encounters was #todayimet. We at Grryo went one step more and asked our followers to tag portraits of people they met, along with a short story about their new friends. We present to you those great portraits and stories in a two part collection from Sydney, Australia to Seattle, USA in our collection of #todayimet. Be sure to visit our international portraits and stories from Today I Met here.
Tim the Enchanter. Anyone who’s ever been part of a team or activity such as drama or band, knows that feeling of finding like-minded individuals as yourself. Your “tribe” as it were. That’s what I love about Instameets. You meet some of the most interesting, fun, willing to pose in any awkward position, people. Tim was all that. The awesome beard made him a favorite to photograph for many, but his relaxed and fun demeanor really added to the camaraderie. Though it was raining and we were all fumbling with umbrellas while shooting, the overcast skies were amazing and really painted a dramatic mood to our photos. if you’ve never attended an Instameet you don’t know what you’re missing. I’m old enough to be father to 99% of them all, so if I can do it so can you (though I do try to bring one or more of my own kids so as to reduce the “old-creep” factor).
Since I’m on a binge of portraits, here’s another from the WWIM 12. Today I met Christie Rosckes of @discoverstillwater. When Christie isn’t doing the marketing things, she collects antiques around town, sometimes hauling them in her scooter much to the amazement of motorists around her! When asked to answer who I follow, she mentioned @exploreminnesota, without hesitation.
Today I met @matt_treiber on my very first @minnstameets!! Matt is leaving for Taipei tomorrow for four months! He has a pair of two Puma Suedes that he mix matches and call them “Ketchup and Mustard” and likes to wear stylish socks! We also found out that we are somewhat of neighbors. It was great meeting you and safe travels. I can’t wait to see pictures!! #wwim12_mn
Today I met Doug and Crystal. While I’ve followed this dynamic duo for some time now, the first time I met them was for #wwim12#wwim12AR. These two travel the back roads, lakes, and hills of Arkansas shooting tremendous scenery. A year ago Crystal joined @arkmophs as a moderator and week after week finds great #arkmophs photos to feature for our followers. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to hang out with them and can’t wait until next time when we meet again.
The theme for Instagram’s world wide instameet this weekend is #todayimet. Well, I actually met this guy a few weeks ago but today was the first time we really got to hang out as we drove two hours to Kansas City. Turns out he’s got a sharp sense of humor and great taste in music (i.e. The perfect travel companion). Thanks for going to the Kansas City instameet with me Larry!
Had a blast meeting this super fun guy today! He’s Jeff, founder of @igers_toledo. Jeff had to miss the meetup in Ohio but we were happy to welcome him to KC! So glad you joined us for the memorial meetup.
Today I met Rafael & Nicolette and I enjoyed watching this couple get in their creative flow at the Golden Rise Meet in Santa Clarita, California as part of Instagram’s World Wide Instameet. Rafael is a photography/video manager at CalArts. Nicolette runs her own fashion and lifestyle blog at nicomichelle.com. Yes, Rafael is the photographer for Nicolette’s blog.
Today I met @ladykty. I’ve been following Ketty on instagram for about a year now. She traveled from New York with her husband for a short vacation and the timing couldn’t have been better to finally meet up. Her gallery is filled with a bit of wanderlust, life imitating art Degas ballerinas, and hot mama selfies. A few of her favorite LA-based IGers are @smallmoves, @mywitsend, and @toddler777.
Down low, too slow. Instameet shenanigans are the best shenanigans. I had an absolute blast hanging out on Sunday and playing around taking photos against this wall with @_jfleming,@brittneyway,@zulfthewolf,@gordito65, & @mrvalography. John always has a smile on his face and brings the fun wherever he goes. Brittany was an amazing sport and an absolute joy to be around. We all may or may not have had way too much fun throwing leaves at each other to “get the shot”, which @zulfthewolf and @gordito65 absolutely did! Be sure to stop by each of their feeds to check out the results!
We hope you’ve enjoyed these encounters we’ve shared from instameets across the USA. Sharing is nice and we would love for you to share this collection with others through a variety of social media opportunities presented at the top of this page. Be sure to visit our international portraits and stories from “Today I Met” here.
Dawn of October 3, 2015 ushered in a weekend of meeting new people during Instagram’s World Wide Instameet 12. The theme to encourage these worldwide encounters was #todayimet. We at Grryo went one step more and asked our followers to tag portraits of people they met, along with a short story about their new friends. We present to you those great portraits and stories in a two part collection from Sydney, Australia to Seattle, USA in our collection of #todayimet. Today I Met: USA here.
It was a strikingly hot Sydney day, but what struck me most as I approached Cave Urban’s stunning 21 metre tall sculpture made of bamboo, was the huge mass of Sydneysiders that had turned up for Instagrams’ 12th Worldwide Instameet! I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Organised by the good people of @sydneyfolk, the day was mostly focused on practising portraiture, due to Instagrams’ weekend theme of #todayimet. It was an incredible afternoon filled with the perfect mix of meeting many wonderfully creative individuals, lots of messy coloured powder and most importantly people putting their hands up to pose for portraits! I was lucky enough to take a few portraits and experiment with different portraiture styles, but I really love this one in particular of my friend De @twistdee against a lemon backdrop.
Today I @sombra_y_luz met the lovely Hussein @hussw during a walk around Melbourne University with the @igersmelbourne Originally from Somalia, home is now Oz. Great to finally meet so many of you.Hussein follows @takubeats and @paristoribio What a great community this is!
Today I met a brilliant talent at #WWIM12JavaConnect. His name is Bamby, a great photographer from Bandung Coret. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him directly, but yesterday is the first time that I had a conversation with him. I learned so many lessons from him such as, how to take a great picture like he does . . . everyday. I think He’s a funny and kind person. I like how he keeps a low profile. I loved when people said, “Eh bamby, yang keren mulu fotonya!” He would reply, “Ah bisa aja, Yang kamu lebih keren!” (Eh Bamby, you take really cool pics all the time. “Ah, nah, yours is even cooler!”). His response made me remember of a girl who posted a selfie, with a six grid and the same type of faces, then somebody says, “ih, Cantik banget kak!”(oh, how gorgeous sis!) and she answers it with “Ahh, kamu lebih cantik kok!” (Ahh, you’re way prettier!). Uh liars!
Yesterday was a great day. I made so many friends just like the event said, ‘Java Connect’. I am really connected.
Today I met Evan Imran Palubri salah satu instagramer yang dateng jauh dari tegal buat gabung WWIM 12 Java Connect di Bandung ! Mas Evan ini karakternya unik, ramah pokoknya nyaman deh orangnya untuk diajak sharing. Mas Evan ini baru aktif instagram sekitar 1 tahun terakhir dimana banyak hal hal positif yang didapat karena instagram, salah satunya dapat pengalaman lebih dan relasi yang lebih luas. Tanpa disadari Instagram menfasilitasi penggunanya untuk kenal satu dengan yang lainnya, dimana rata rata yang memang mempunya hobi atau passion yang sama ya contohnya Mas Evan ini, Berawal dari ikut gabung explore semarang lalu Mas Evan dapat banyak relasi, ilmu dan inspirasi. Sampai akhirnya Mas Evan melihat potensi di daerahnya (Tegal) yang kaya akan tempat pariwisata yang cukup menarik dari situ langsung Mas Evan tergerak untuk membuat @exploretegal.
English Translation:
Today I met Evan Imran Palubri, one of the instagrammers who came all the way from Tegal to join WWIM12 Java Connect in Bandung! Mas Evan has a unique character. He is friendly and definitely made me feel comfortable to share with him. He has only been active on Instagram in the past year where he has gained more experience and made broader connections. Without realizing it, Instagram facilitated his ability to meet others, where he found like minded people who shared the same hobby or passion. For example, Mas Evan, began by joining Explore Semarang where he gained a lot of connections, knowledge, and inspiration. He finally saw potential in his local area of Tegal which is rich in tourism and is a very interesting place. From that experience Mas Evan was moved to start @exploretegal.
This is Riki. One of the friendliest guys I have ever met. He can instantly make a conversation with strangers: like me! Asking plenty of questions and making you feel important. Today he was part of our WWIM 12 Helsinki and today I met him. When I asked him who he followed his answer was @david_rivolier.
For WWIM12 Venice, I follow girls still smiling to life : they don’t need to be photographed from behind or as profile like any random fashion blogger, they can gently stand a camera with a smile, they are as we say in Italian “come i miei nonni” (like my grandparents) – “magnifiche” (magnificent). They come from a gilded era when Italians were putting labels on real and great products, not on stupid marketing tricks, and, yes, as we say in Venice le xè venexiane not Venetians.
Today I met Leonardo Stephán. This is what makes life so interesting to live, all the opportunities that lie ahead of us, meeting interesting people, the conversations awaiting and enriching us.
Spiral in the Palace and also Benedetto Demaio. He’s one of those people who can make you laugh despite your actual mood and that’s a quality I, Marzia, really appreciate in friends. His Instagram stream is full of turquoise which happens to be one of my favorite colors. All these people I have met thanks to Instagram: five years of photos, five years of new friends.
She is the lovely Antonietta Portioli. I, Valeria, met her today while attending with @igersmilano the Art Exibition La Grande Madre (The Great Mother) organized by Fondazione Trussardi at the Royal Palace in Milan, Italy. Antonietta is an Italian architect and although owner of a powerful camera she loves shooting with an iPhone 4S as easier and always handy. She doesn’t care about the noise sometimes present as she thinks is part of that image. Furthermore she loves grain. Two of her preferred accounts are @tutto_occupato and @morozzi. Here is posing with the awesome work AMAZING GRACE by Nari Ward. Thank you deeply Antonietta for this great afternoon together.
Today I met the volcanic and very talented Valeria at the exhibition ‘La Grande Madre’ during the WWIM 12 Milan. Thank you Valeria for the nice time we spent together and for suggesting to use this mirror to try an uncommon portrait. Also thanks to @igersmilano team for the perfect organization.
Me gusta encontrarme con personas que viven la experiencia de Instagram de una forma sana y saludable. Gente que disfruta con la fotografía y que aún no ha sucumbido al yugo de las modas, las tendencias, el marketing y la deshumanización como bandera. Gente cuyo único y noble propósito es el de divertirse con esto y relacionarse con personas afines, desvirtualizándose mutuamente con estos instameets que de vez en cuando se organizan en distintas partes del mundo. Hubo un tiempo muy lejano en el que todo era así; estas quedadas son pequeños y raros oasis que nos recuerdan que esto antes no era el desierto en el que finalmente se convirtió. En la foto, Pablo @pabloalekoh. Tuve la suerte de conocerle ayer. Y amablemente se prestó para esta foto, haciéndome sentir como que nos conocíamos de siempre, a pesar de que nos seguimos desde hace muy poco. También conocí a @josenphoto, un tío muy versátil y con tantas ganas de explorar como yo. A Piluca @piluca_sun, una mujer a quien su corazón no le cabe en el pecho. A @tonicoy, alguien a quien llevaba mucho tiempo queriendo conocer personalmente. A @yocomu, con quien intercambié impresiones sobre en qué se han convertido las RRSS. A la gente de @photon_festival, que nos acercó en su charla al género de la fotografía documental, y que he admirado desde siempre. A @evefox y a @nereanp, a @bejealginet, a @mjoseos, @ladymsc72… ¿A quién sigo? #whoifollow A todos ellos. Porque como digo muchas veces, la foto es lo de menos. Porque galerías y fotos “cool” hay muchas. Gente sana, sencilla y buena, cada vez menos. Y por ello tienen todos mi más profunda admiración. Se me queda mucha gente atrás, pero ha sido un placer conocerles a todos. Gracias @igersvalencia, @mercadocentralvalencia, @monorxata, @cervezaturia, y a todos los responsables de que la mañana de ayer fuera estupenda.
English Translation:
I like to meet people on Instagram and the experience for me is lively and healthy. I like connecting with people who enjoy photography and have not succumbed to the hype of trends in fashion and marketing that dehumanize us. These world-wide instameets are perfect for those whose purpose is to have fun with their photography and interact with like-minded people. In this photo is @pabloalekoh. I was lucky to meet him yesterday, and he was kind enough to share this photo. Even though I had just met him, I felt like we had been friends for a long time. I also met @josenphoto, a very versatile guy and so eager to explore like me. Glad to have met @piluca_sun as well, a woman whose heart is too large to fit in her body. @tonicoy was someone who I had long wanted to meet personally. @yocomu, with whom we exchanged views on what has become the RRSS. @photon_festival approached us, and we discussed the genre of documentary photography. I’ve always admired his work. @evefox@nereanp@bejealginet@mjoseos, @ladymsc72 are #whoifollow
As I have said many times before, the picture is not important. There are plenty of “cool” photo galleries. The ones with honest, simple and fine galleries are few, and those are the ones who have my deepest admiration. There are more who I haven’t mentioned, but it was a pleasure to meet everyone.
Today I metDane Pollardat the WWIM12 in Manchester, UK. I, Elaine, had a fantastic day and was fortunate to meet a great bunch of igers, including a very cute dog called Princess Roy. Thanks for organizing such a fab meet up Dane.
Atomic shelter, refugees, drug addicts, 5000 buses and a mystery theater, all gathered together in the World’s second largest bus station, located in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Part I – Construction
The new Bus Station (as opposed to the old one, that still exists) was completed in 1993, covering 2,480,000 square feet, and a total area of 10.8 acres. Initially it had six floors, and a seventh one was built ten years ago, causing the lower two levels to close (changing its original purpose, and becoming an atomic shelter suitable for 16,000 people).
The station was supposed to be one of the largest malls in Tel-Aviv, with thousands of stores, but today there are only around 600 stores, and all the rest are closed.
The station has also been criticized for its complicated design which makes it hard to get around, and for being built in a neighborhood that didn’t fit its character. The nearest train station is a couple of hundred meters away, but there wasn’t any connection made between them.
Part II – Crime and the city solution
Walking through the dark hollows of the station can be a frightening experience, especially in the lower levels that are not being used for transportation. As the station is located in the poorest part of the city, numerous drug addicts, prostitutes and homeless people take residence there on occasion.
One should never walk alone in those areas at any time of the day (or night). There are some 100 security cams, 120 security officers on patrol through out the day, but still, horrid things are happening, as there is no way to cover all the dark corners of the station.
Part III – Art takeover
Now, half empty, artists are drawn to the station. With its empty spaces, low rent, and exquisite atmosphere, lots of art studios are now covering the fifth floor.
The large space at the center holds an open art gallery with various installments, and there’s even a Yiddish museum, with a large library containing rare books.
The seventh floor holds a permanent graffiti display all over the walls, only adding up to the overall atmosphere of despair. And this is where all the pieces come together, on A Thursday night, 10PM, on the seventh floor of the second largest bus station in the world.
Part IV – The Mystorin (Hebrew for Mystery) Theater
The Mystorin Theater Group is a Israeli theater group that brings the beauty of ancient Hebrew texts to Israeli and international audiences, creating a unique theatrical poetry.
The original theatrical language of the group is rich in visual images, full of different meanings and interpretations.
Through video, movement, singing and visual theatre, the performances of the Mystorin group reflect the narrative of ancient texts and communicate with the audience both as a story and as a total mystical experience with a strong emotional impact.
The group specializes in environment dependent performances, adjusting the show to the location where it takes place.
…We stand at the exact spot where we were told to wait. Then, suddenly, the group appears and takes you on a magical tour throughout all levels of the station, using only the station’s illumination and horror movie spaces. There’s special music written for the show that will suddenly arrive from nowhere, adding an addictive mystery element to it all (Later on we’ll spot a guy hiding in the shadows with a small but powerful speaker…).
Giant puppets, vampires, rubber circles turning into sound playing horns, ancient chanting, amazing acoustics, and the constant smell of urine and decay – all turn the bus station into a tantalizing visual, sensual experience.
About Eitan:
I’m Eitan Shavit (48), from Israel, going by the name @strongcomet.
I have been taking photographs since my childhood, went to art school to study photography, but never took the next step into making it a profession.
Before joining Instagram towards the end of 2011, I just used the app to capture photos on my 1st generation iPhone, apply some filters and later uploading them to my Facebook account. The first iPhone’s camera was simply horrible, so I was quite disappointed with the results and thought it wasn’t going anywhere. When Facebook purchased Instagram, the buzz reached me, and only at that time I realized it had a real strong social network feature, and dived right back in. From that point on, I’m constantly trying different approaches to photography, using different apps and techniques.
I’m a proud Founder Artist for the New Era Museum, a member of the AMPt Community, and always exploring new ways of sharing my art, as well as being exposed to other artists from all over the world.
Every Monday we ask our audience to share their stories with us on Instagram. We would love for you to join us and share what each photo says to you. In August we explored images of mystery and our contributors didn’t disappoint. Discover how our talented photographers used their fantastic shots to draw tales from those who dared to look beyond the frame.
I am the rule breaker,
sitting in an empty theater,
waiting, smoking and wearing a hat.
No cares, except the wait…
waiting for people to come,
waiting for the stage to be filled,
waiting to be entertained or not and
waiting for her…
Sounds of battle from beyond the tree line stopped him in his tracks. One week a deserter, Joshua hoped he’d left the battlefield behind him. The field stretched in all directions to the horizon, and the sky was a clear dome. Behind him was war, ahead of him was war… Joshua longed to be a bird on the wing, to fly away home to his family, last seen so long ago before he was conscripted into the army fighting for the rebel cause. ‘Not my war’ Joshua repeated to himself for the thousandth time. Not my war.
