Instagram Detox: How I Rediscovered My Photographic Style
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Here I am, three months after my Instagram detox and leaving behind my creator life on the platform. This moment feels symbolic, because I never sit in cafés. But today marks the beginning of a more conscious chapter for me.
For the first time in years, I’m spending my holidays at home — without constantly chasing new locations or feeling the pressure from Instagram (Fear of Missing Out). This break feels both liberating and unfamiliar. I finally have time to simply exist, without thinking about the next photo or the next perfect moment. It helped me organise my thoughts and feel how calming it is to live without external pressure. I even declined a collaboration with a hotel. Still, I’m battling old routines and the temptation to fall back into old patterns.
Having free time allowed me to just sit in a café and enjoy the moment. It felt strange at first, but then relaxing and beautiful. A symbolic moment in a café in my hometown, just a few days before Christmas — a moment that marked the first step towards a new approach. Here, I wrote my first blog draft, and it felt like a new beginning.
The end of the year is approaching. The dull weather — grey clouds, wind, and barely any sun — naturally encourages reflection. I reflect often, but the past months after leaving Instagram have been especially intense. This entire year has taken me on a journey of self-discovery that is closely connected to my Instagram detox and still shapes me today.
The Year 2024
At the beginning of the year, I set myself the goal of reaching 50,000 followers on Instagram. At first, I even thought about aiming for 100,000, but that seemed a bit too ambitious. For me, this big number — whether 50,000 or 100,000 — symbolised a turning point toward finally becoming a successful photographer. I imagined brands approaching me, offering collaborations, and tourism agencies inviting me on trips — all without self-promotion. So I became a “creator.”
I never saw myself as one, but looking back, that’s the best description of what I was doing. I posted daily photos and reels, investing countless hours into this goal. It didn’t matter how exhausted I was or what was happening in my life — I always found a way to keep up. But things turned out differently.
I lost the sense of who I was and what made me unique. The decision to cancel my Dolomites trip changed me deeply. It was the first step toward freeing myself from external pressure and daily routines focused only on productivity. I started making decisions more consciously and focusing on my family and what truly matters. My concentration improved, and I found more inner calm — but only after going through weeks of inner turmoil that I’ll write about in another article. It became clear how strongly I had been driven by external expectations and the pursuit of reach.
One example that stays with me:
I had been planning all year to visit the Dolomites in autumn. But suddenly I wasn’t sure anymore. The plan was to go alone while my family stayed at home. They fully supported me, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave them for a week. Something held me back. I asked myself: Why do I even want to go? Is it because I truly want to experience the mountains? Or is it just to create better content and gain more reach?
I decided to stay home — and that was the beginning of my Instagram detox. I deleted the app from my phone and stopped using it. I’ll write more about that journey in a separate blog post. But this moment triggered deeper questions:
What does photography mean to me? How did I even get started?
And so began an intense phase of self-reflection.
The path back to my roots
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To understand who I am and what defines me as a photographer, I had to look back into the past. This retrospective helped me regain clarity. I realised how important joy and spontaneity were back then. This insight motivates me to experience photography more freely again and focus on what emotionally speaks to me. I want to return to the point where photography simply felt natural.
On my hard drives, I found photos from England, Portugal, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Australia and other places. These images were created in a time when I photographed freely — without goals, without pressure, without thinking about likes or followers. Back then, it was all about enjoyment.
One defining moment: In 2016, my wife bought an Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera. Her excitement sparked my interest, and I bought a Lumix GX80. Suddenly, experimenting and learning felt fun again. I read books on photography — including one by Benjamin Jaworskyi — and started working with a tripod and filters.
A moment I still remember:
In Portugal, I spent two hours photographing rocks on the beach while my wife enjoyed the sunset alone. We laugh about it today, but back then it showed how deeply fascinated I was by photography… and how easily this caused tiny holiday conflicts.
Insights from old photos
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While going through my old photos, I realised how different they were from my later Instagram images. Those early shots were intuitive and free from pressure. I remember a trip to Hong Kong: the lights of the skyline fascinated me. I had no plan, no pressure — I photographed simply because I enjoyed the moment. It didn’t matter whether the light was perfect or the angle “Instagram worthy” — I was present. Looking at these old images today, I can already see elements of my current style:
Composition: diagonal lines, depth, structure, and a preference for the rule of thirds.
Minimalism: calm, reduced scenes that feel consistent and harmonious.
Timeless editing: subtle colours, no over-the-top effects, a quiet aesthetic.
Looking back helped me understand that my photographic style has always been there. I didn’t just copy photos from other photographers on Instagram — I had already developed my own way of seeing the world. This was an important realisation, because I never wanted to be a copy. But besides the technical aspects, something else became clear:
My emotional memories of those moments were often more meaningful than the photos themselves.
Photography without Instagram pressure
I remember trips where Instagram didn’t matter at all. In Hong Kong, I photographed the skyline and a monastery. In Australia, I visited the Great Ocean Road without knowing how famous it was. The highlight for me was attending the Australian Open — just documenting the moment for myself.
These experiences are valuable today because they were created without pressure and purely for me. They reminded me that true satisfaction doesn’t come from external validation but from being fully present. When I started searching Instagram for “hotspots” in 2020, I gradually lost this carefree mindset. I began chasing spots. Our holidays were still good, but they could have been more relaxed. Instagram was always in my mind, pushing me to prioritise sunrises instead of a calm breakfast in the hotel or Airbnb.
Fazit
My Instagram detox brought me back to my photographic roots and showed me how fulfilling photography can be without external pressure. Looking at my old photos, I see how different photography used to feel — a personal passion and creative expression without expectations. Today, I’m working on finding that original mindset again. Photography should belong to me — not to likes or algorithms. I’m grateful for the insights of the past months. Leaving Instagram led me to beautiful places, but it also changed the way I see photography. Now I want to combine the best of both worlds:
the freedom and joy of the past with what I’ve learned today. With these insights, I’m starting a new chapter in my photography — free, authentic, and aligned with who I am.
Three tips to find out whether you have your own style — or if you’re just copying
1. Compare old and new photos:
Look at photos you took before social media. Do you see similarities in composition, colours or mood? If yes, your style was already there. If not, your current style may be shaped by trends.
2. Ask yourself: Would I take this photo even if nobody ever saw it?
If the answer is yes, then the image comes from within you — not from a desire for likes or approval.
3. Experiment without guidance:
Go out for a shoot without checking social media beforehand. Let your intuition guide you. If the results excite you even when they’re not “trendy,” you’re on the right path toward your own style.
