‘Students in science programs can also have an artistic side!’

“Montreal has many wonderful photo opportunities,” says Concordia undergraduate William Tan.   

The first-year biology student in the Faculty of Arts and Science is a recent arrival to the city. As the #CUseenby Instagram curator for May, he's keen to capture life in his new home.

“And improving my photography would be an awesome bonus!”

After noticing that many of @concordiauniversity Instagram photos feature campus buildings, Tan says he wants to focus a bit more on the faces of the people that populate them.

Every month since spring 2016, a Concordia student has been invited to capture their vision of the university and share it with followers of the Concordia University Instagram account.

Follow Tan’s journey via the #CUseenby hashtag. 
 

‘Have fun! If you don't enjoy something, there's really no point in doing it...’

Why did you want to be Concordia's Instagram curator? 

I wanted to show that students in science programs can also have an artistic side to them! In addition, I thought it would make me explore more of this beautiful city. I'm grateful to be picked as a curator.

What do you hope to do with the Concordia Instagram account?

I've seen that most of the Instagram curators photographed only buildings. I would like to add some portraits of Concordians to freshen up the feed. I feel like the people are what make Concordia, Concordia. There a lot of interesting people here!

What are three or four of your favourite Instagram accounts?

• @stevemccurryofficial - Steve McCurry is a National Geographic photographer. I really admire his work.
• @humansofny - I really like reading the interesting stories taken from the people of New York and other places.
• @petesouza - He was the official White House photographer during Barack Obama's presidency.
• @caseyneistat - He's a famous YouTuber/blogger from New York. I really like following his vlogs and Instagram feed.

What tips do you have for Concordia students who are looking to make their Instagram accounts better, or just take great photos?

Everyone has their unique style. 

Just do your thing! If you don't start taking photos and posting them, nothing will be done.

You also need to have quality images. Everyone starts off as beginners — learn by trying and making errors. You don't have to have an expensive camera to take awesome photos. Nowadays, smartphones have amazing picture quality.

You could also try having a theme for your feed, but it's not mandatory.

A strong caption and some hashtags are helpful. Captioning explains the context or story behind your photograph. Hashtags are a good way to attract people to your photos and feed. That's how I was discovered by Concordia on Instagram. But don't overuse them!

Editing your pictures can turn them from a snapshot to an amazing photo!

Follow famous photographers or artists on social media to get inspired by their work.

Watch YouTube tutorials on photography. You can learn about how to set the perfect exposure, composition, lighting, editing, etc. I recommend channels like Mango Street Lab, SLR Lounge and DigitalRev TV.

Have fun! If you don't enjoy something, there's really no point in doing it.

Apply to be Concordia’s next Instagram curator 

Do you have a photo on your Instagram feed that best represents you and your Concordia? Send it by direct message from the Instagram app or email a link to your photo to: socialmedia@concordia.ca.

Include #CUseenby in the subject line and give us a 200-word explanation of what theme you would be interested in exploring as an Instagram curator. What do you want to document around Concordia? What do you love the most?

If we like what we see, we’ll be in touch!
 

Keep up with the action at Montreal’s next-generation university by following Concordia’s Instagram account and #CUseenby.