‘Capture and share things that make you happy’
December is here, which means you’re scrambling to get through finals and end-of-term projects, and doing your best to navigate the busy holiday season.
In times like this, we often forget to appreciate the little things in life. And yet those are exactly what April Tardif-Lévesque is looking to explore as Concordia’s student Instagram curator for December and January.
The first-year undergrad in the Department of Political Science is the seventh participant in the student-powered Instagram curation program: #CUseenby. Every month, another student is chosen to capture the heart and soul of our school and show followers of the Concordia University Instagram account their view of our campuses, people, programs and activities.
Follow Tardif-Lévesque’s journey using the #CUseenby hashtag.
We sat down with her to find out why she was interested in participating in the program, what she hopes to showcase, and to get her tips on creating an engaging and active Instagram account.
Why did you want to be Concordia’s Instagram curator?
I love capturing photos and sharing them on my Instagram account. It’s a nice way to immortalize pleasant little moments. Being Concordia’s student Instagram curator is an excellent way for me to combine my passion for capturing the beauty in the everyday, and my excitement in discovering the campus around me.
What do you hope to do with the Concordia Instagram account, and why?
I’d like to capture my discoveries of the campus and surrounding area, and to highlight some of the other student’s favourite places and sights in and around the school.
Visual images are a powerful way to excite people and pique interest in things that might ordinarily slip by in the frenzy of daily activities. It’s important to appreciate the little pleasures, and to explore new ones.
What are three or four of your favourite Instagram accounts, and why?
Other than my own, @princesspeachschnapps (I’m not an Insta-narcissist, but I’m pretty proud of some of my shots), here are a few of my favourites:
- @a2r2v – A Montreal photographer I’ve followed for a while. I’m quite certain he went to Dawson College. He takes amazing portraits.
- @samaras_lens – I’m not biased (because I know her), she does some pretty awesome urban shots.
- @pierrebabin – Another really great Montreal photographer, with gorgeous landscapes and city shots.
- @mvxnvdn – My former favourite barista, who takes some gorgeous photos, too.
What tips do you have for Concordia students who are looking to make their Instagram accounts better, or just take great photos?
I’m no expert, but I think having a passion for capturing and sharing photos of things that make you happy is most important. It’s a way of storytelling.
Apart from that, I would say having a good eye for colour and some sort of theme (I wish I could commit, but I end up polluting mine with selfies from time to time). Try to make it your own, have fun and most importantly, be adventurous!
Interested in becoming a student Instagram curator? Share your Concordia campus experience. Tag an Instagram photo with #CUinstagram. If we like your stuff, we’ll be in touch!