Until recently, there were no winners of social media. Until, at least, 32-year-old creative director and self-confessed 'man about town' (or city) Patrick Janelle aka @aguynamedPatrick (over 161k followers) was crowned CFDA's Fashion Instagrammer of the Year.
Patrick started using Instagram in 2011 - when he moved to NYC and wanted to document his life around the city - and all his images are taken on an iPhone (rather than transferring from camera to iPhone.) After nine months on the app, he was made a suggested user - which bumped him 'from a few thousand followers to tens of followers'. After winning the CFDA Award in June, he received invites to men's fashion week in Paris. In other words: he's a bonafide member of the fashion cognoscenti now. And all because he's '10/10 obsessed with social media!' (He's also on Facebook, Vine, Twitter and SnapChat if you want to find him there too.)
The key to Patrick's success? 'I share my life with my followers,' he explains, when The Debrief clocks in with him to discuss his square by square success. 'I post in real time and I'm honest about what I am doing and why.' His pictures are perfect specimens, of course - but they're also varied snapshots of city life.
Unsurpisingly, Patrick had a ton of tips to turn you into pro Instagrammers. Of course, for some people, Instagram is about a drunken blurry picture and not accepting anyone that you don't know well enough to share knickers - in which case, these tips may not be for you. But for any Insta enthusiasts, keen to craft an account of artwork, Patrick's tips could be a good way to reel in those likes.
Take beautiful pictures - but engage, too
'What's the point in beautiful pictures if there's no story to tell? Instagram is about people and a community and the real way to gain a following is to make friends. Follow people who inspire you, comment when you have something to say, and engage with people who comment on your photos. Your following will grow naturally. My favourite accounts to follow are: @dschwen, @asenseofhuber, @andrewkuttler, @monlinglee and @thuglifeforevs.'
The reign of Lo-FI is over; you don't need to be a filter fiend
'I don't rely on filters at all. I use a suite of editing apps to achieve the look I'm going for: VSCOcam, Afterlight, and Snapseed. The most important is Snapseed. My images would not be possible without it. I take all images full frame - and on my iPhone only - and only crop within Instagram.'
But do rotate a roster of (battery draning) apps
**'**Some apps that I'm currently playing with: AvgCamPro for making water look super smooth, CortexCam for getting some really vivid detail in photos, Camera+ for taking self timer photos, Touch Retouch for removing unwanted elements in a photo (shhh, don't tell!)'
Ignore the re-touch politics
'I just admitted to using Touch Retouch. But usually that's for removing a spot or small element in an otherwise clean area of the photo. I personally would not Photoshop my images to change the shape of a person's body. But I pass no judgement on anyone else.'
Try and take photos in natural light
'I'm about the natural light, hands down. I rarely use a flash.'
Carry a spare battery pack
**'**I take so many photos. Every day, everywhere I look, I see something photo worthy. Only a fraction of those images make it on my feed. My phone runs out of battery. Constantly! I carry my Mophie battery pack with me everywhere I go so I have a backup charge.'
Still need some tips? Patrick explains his most popular pictures.....
'I think this one is all about the setting. Gorgeous house, insane flowers. But being in the photo myself gives the setting scale and context. The photo would be great without me - but keeping it personal takes it up a notch.'
'Let's be honest, people love a hamburger - let alone a whole tray of them. This photo is at once messy and graphic. The food is realistic but the metal and suited arm reaching into the crate gives a contrast that elevates it from a food shoot to a* fashion* shoot.'
'Who in the world doesn't like ice cream? This photo caters to everyone's sweet tooth... Stripes and ice cream are a perfect summer combo. There's just the right amount of melting, too, to show that its hot outside.'
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.