Instagram shows once again that it’s stuck in the 50s when it comes to women’s bodies.
Recently, Instagram has found itself in the headlines for banning the hashtag ‘curvy’ and censoring the female nipple. Previously, they had found themselves in hot water for banning the eggplant emoji, stating that it was phallic in nature. I’m not sure what the staff at Instagram are doing with their eggplants, but they’re doing it wrong.
Let’s not forget that Instagram is a visual medium, famous for its exotic images of Sunday brunch and Kim Kardashian’s behind.
Instagram is also widely used by photographers to share their images and promote their brand.
One such photographer is Melissa Jean Wilbraham of Melissa Jean Photography.
Melissa Jean specialises in the most incredible birth and baby images I have ever had the pleasure of casing my eyes upon. In fact it was Melissa’s images that adorned the walls of the maternity ward in which my daughter was born that inspired me to have a professional photographer in the delivery suite when I gave birth.
She has an exceptional gift for capturing the most precious moment in a family’s life; the tender moments between man and woman as they become mother and father, the first breath of a new life, the special bond being forged between mother and baby as they drink from the breast for the very first time.
To view Melissa’s work is to love it, even if you are not a mother. She captures the very essence of what it means to be human.
Melissa has built a cult following on Instagram, boasting 18.3K followers. But in doing so, she has had to adapt to the offensive Instagram rules. Despite this, she’s had numerous photos reported and deleted, photos that are beautiful, tasteful and graceful. Sadly, Instagram dubs such images ‘sexually violating’.