Much of Instagram rests on the fingertips of unsung heroes: Instagram husbands.
The term “Instagram husbands” was brought to popularity last year via a satirical video about social media that profiled men who take photos of their wives or girlfriends for Instagram. The term basically refers to anybody who takes staged photos for someone else’s Instagram account, saving the subject of the photo from having to use selfie sticks or only post close-up selfies.
“Instagram husband is like the new version of a man having to hold a woman’s purse, to me,” Shawn Garman, the husband and photographer for many of style blogger Julien Garman’s Instagram photos, told HuffPost. “You are usually in a situation where [an] image has to be taken by you with tons of people around, and you feel a bit embarrassed that you’re standing there for a full minute trying to capture the right shot.”
Crucially, as Man Repeller points out, you don’t have to be a man (or even in a romantic relationship) to be an IG husband. Anybody can be one. So whether you want to be an IG husband, wife, life partner or soul mate, we asked several Instagram husbands (and one Instagram wife) how they live their best lives behind the camera. Each photo posted here was taken by the Instagram husband/wife we talked to.
Michele Free, photographer and wife of Andy Poupart, @StyleAfter50
How did Michele get roped into taking photos? “Pestering, pleading, crying. Eventually I gave in, if only to put an end to the begging! OK, I’m just kidding. ... Truthfully, I offered. I thought that perhaps a full-length picture would be a better representation of what he was wearing each day than a series of incomplete shots. I also noticed the remote trigger he used dangling in his hand in a lot of the shots, and I thought we could do better together.”
Carlos Cabrera, photographer and husband to Mexican Instagram celebrity Johnny Carmona
What does Cabrera find to be the greatest part about being an Instagram husband? “I LOVE photography so much, and I’m constantly taking pictures for him and for me. Johnny always wants very specific pictures of his looks and his daily life, [so] I take pictures of all of that and also of us together. In general IG is part of our life. The most important part is being together, that we connect, and how we share our interests and taste, textures, colors, forms.”
Shawn Garman, photographer and husband to style blogger Julien Garman:
Have there been any embarrassing moments out in public, or times when you thought maybe the photo was too tough to get? “I remember doing Julien’s first shoot for a big brand. The aesthetic she wanted was to create this dreamy, sunset imagery. But our shoot day was very overcast and cloudy, so we had to literally drive until we found the sun. When we did, we were losing light, so we hopped the fence of someone’s farm off the side of the road. We had to duck when we heard a car coming down the driveway. Not my proudest moment but the photos turned out great!”
Tips For Aspiring Instagram Husbands, From The Experts
“Patience. And be proactive in asking your partner if she (or he) would like an image taken of them.” ― Garman
“Be on the lookout for good photo ops: fun places, good backgrounds. ... Enjoy the moment together!” ― Free
“When you have an idea, talk to him and try to apply it to his IG. ... Spend good moments as a couple [and] continue your life together filling it with great IG moments.” ― Cabrera
