Maria has been on Instagram since 2012 and, like many others, initially used the photo app to experiment and out of curiosity. "I used to take a lot of analogue photos with the Pentacon Six, the old East German camera, but now I take more photos with my cell phone than with the camera." For her, Instagram is perfect for quick, spontaneous and mobile moments - "Instagram is a parallel world" - but she still prefers to take portraits with her SLR.
"I can't imagine what it would be like without the community... you do it to share," says @maryloo_berlin about the nature of the photo app. While some photographers still laugh at Instagram, Maria is more about having fun - "You shouldn't take it so seriously," she believes, and swears by the feedback, praise, likes and photo walks. "For me, it's a challenge to take a beautiful photo with Instagram and give the image my perspective."
Maria doesn't believe that Instagram has reached the peak of the hype yet - and even if it has: "I can't imagine Instagram dying. Other platforms just don't have this community character." She also edits her images on her mobile. Tadaa she uses for alignment and Photoshop Express for retouching.
Sometimes minimal, sometimes romantic, but always in muted colors - Maria's gallery shows how she sees the world and her hometown of Berlin with its backyards and stairwells. The communications graduate has a "girlishly dreamy" style and is a perfectionist when it comes to the right shot. There are also lulls in inspiration, "but when I discover something new, I'm immediately on fire again." A picture has to invite you to linger and usually be empty of people - not so easy in Berlin, but like most Instagrammers, @maryloo_berlin has an insider tip: Görlitz is like a journey through time - quiet and without people. But one thing remains unbeatable - the Berlin TV tower, which Maria considers the most beautiful building in Berlin.
@maryloo_berlin is curating the Pickmotion Gallery on Instagram this weekend.
Maria's favorite Igers: @hrrbhn , @_hannesthun , @knurrt , @lindaberlin , @oh_hedwig
