I can’t remember exactly when it was that I joined Instagram, but I definitely remember the amazingly small amount of likes I would get from my posts. I was oblivious to the science of hashtags, but frankly I wasn’t concerned about who saw my photos. I was perfectly content sharing my images with my small circle of followers whom were mostly family and friends I’ve actually met in real life. Things were much simpler back then.

When I started taking my photography more seriously and wanted more exposure I was told by the social media experts that if you’re not using hashtags, you’re not doing it right. So I proceeded to go down the rabbit hole of hashtags, algorithms, peak posting times, etc., and suddenly I’m following and tagging all kinds of photography hubs. There were so many of them that it was hard to choose which ones to include in my 30 hashtag limit. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had my photos featured across these hubs, but I noticed a trend: it was always, the cleaner, “prettier” looking photos that were picked.

One day in Instagram land, I’m scrolling and tagging along, and I stumble onto a photography hub with an interesting name: Sham of the Perfect. The images in their feed resonated with me more than any other. There were images of unposed, real life, raw moments which were unashamedly encouraged and supported. I visited their website to find out where this name came from. I found that this group had a pretty cool mission: tear down the idea of perfection in motherhood and family life. At this point I hadn’t seen a hub like this before. It was a space I felt was missing in social media and it was a profound moment of discovery.

Right away, I added their hashtag to my growing paragraph of hashtags saved in my text replacement shortcuts. After some time, one of my photos was finally chosen to be featured on their feed!

I continued to post and share and play the social media game throughout the year, not exactly sure of the end goal with all this. Other photos of mine were featured on this new favorite hub of mine and this is how it went for a while.

Then later that year, I received an email:

“Hi Lisa,

We are reaching out to extend an invitation to apply for a contributor spot with Sham of the Perfect during 2017. You came highly recommended and, after looking at your work, we think you may be a good fit to join our team.”

I read the entire email. Paused. Then reread it in disbelief. Once I realized that the email wasn’t sent to the wrong person, I felt flattered to be considered for a contributor position and humbled that my work made an impact. I was excited to join the group and couldn’t wait to start!

I remember it took a little while for me to get used to featuring other’s family documentary work, when not too long ago, I was on the other end. But my experience as a contributor with Sham of the Perfect was more than just moderating the Instagram account. We did artist features, community critiques, and, of course, our weekly blog posts.

But what a lot of people didn’t see, and what I valued most, was the stuff that happened behind the scenes. This very specific group of people that came together to work on this project, is what really made it so successful. Our online conversations that were most meaningful to me were not about the project. We shared our personal successes and struggles about family, business, marriage, and life. We would vent, encourage, and support each other in our moments of vulnerability. There was a connection there. It’s a strange thing to feel connected to people you’ve never actually met in real life.

And now that our project is at its completion, I’m both sad about the ending, but excited for my own personal beginnings. Because of this project, I’ve connected with like minded individuals, expanded my perceptions, and found value in my own voice as a photographer and as a person. As I move on to new projects and ventures, these experiences will move with me. I’m happy, proud, and grateful to have been part of it all. Thank you to all my fellow contributors and to all of you lovely people who have followed along!

To continue following along with my work, you can find me on Instagram @lisacokerphoto, or on my website www.lisacokerphotography.com.