Photos and videos of ourselves…. Akin to marmite, it seems we either love them or hate them. You’ll always have the ‘Let’s get a photo!’ friend and the *Sneakily slides out of the shot* friend.
But what is the relevance to pole I hear you ask? Let’s discuss!
Am I doing it?!
You want to see your progress. For that you at least need a before and an after photo! But lots to show the journey are even better.
But if the images and videos were purely to see what you were doing or to record your progress, why put them on Insta you might wonder?
You want to be part of the amazing pole community that exists online where everyone is sharing achievements, ideas, tips, inspiration and even the not so glamorous bits! There’s always a challenge to follow (e.g. #afloorshapeaday). And if you tag another poler in your post citing them as your inspo, chances are they will be chuffed and they might even reshare your post. Lovely!
Becoming a part of the online pole community
So you’re toying with the idea of posting your pole stuff on your Instagram or Facebook, but you’re not sure what hashtags to use and how to engage with other polers.
Following some other polers in a good place to start! Luckily my students recently asked for a list, so I’ve put one together and added the Instagram handles to the table below for you:
I must stress that this is just a selection from my own follow list and is my no means exhaustive and I am constantly following new accounts! #unitedbypole 🙂
Still not convinced?
Sure, sharing your photos online is a step up and it’s not for everyone – maybe you don’t feel too confident in your short-shorts yet, perhaps you’ve got judgemental work colleagues (who need to get with the times, let’s be honest!) or particularly conservative parents. But if you’re feeling tempted there is a middle ground…
The compromise…
Why not set up a separate instagram account dedicated purely to your pole progress?! You can create your own poler name (mine is Pole_Preacher) set it to private should you choose, exclusively follow other polers and treat it like a pole diary. That way you can record your progress, interact with other polers and feel like you’re in a much safer, non judgmental space.
Snap-Happy
As you know, I am a pole documentation advocate and I will forever encourage you to take photos in class!
In an attempt to make photo/video taking easier, I have ordered some shelves that will be popping up around the room ready for the next block of courses. These are for you to prop your phones on to try and get that those good angles (no more balancing against water bottles!).
Also, while it’s written as a guide for those poling at home, it’s still helpful to check out the tips from Pole Sport Organization on good quality videoing here
And remember, you must always wait for a safe time to get your photos, ask permission before filming your instructor’s demos and ensure those around you are happy to be in the background before capturing the moment.
Happy snapping!
