WHY I HATE INSTAGRAM TRAVEL BLOGGERS

by Marissa Neitzel
April 2, 2019

Are all these “TrAvEl BlOgGeRs” lying to us? Um yes. When I am scrolling through Instagram and I see these PERFECT photos. They take photos in places that I’ve been to, and I notice that uhhhh that’s not quiiiittteee what it looks like. Why are there pink skies, sparkles and photoshopped stars? Did you hike to this destination in a dress and heels? And you photoshopped everyone out of it? I see these photos and it 100% draws me to this destination. YES I want to see all these colorful buildings in Mexico, even though the color was saturated using Lightroom. YES I want a photo in a flowy dress looking out over the city of Mykonos even thought thats not what you pack when traveling. YES I want a photo of me living my best life to post to Instagram because I want my followers to be jealous. But, it’s all fake. FAKE ASS HOES.

On the contrary, these bloggers get paid to promote a city, hotel or restaurant. So why wouldn’t they post an aesthetically pleasing photo of the best angles with as much eye catching detail as possible? I would. And if someone would pay me to do that, you bet my hypocritical ass would do it lol. #getmoneygetpaid. I’m also a graphic designer so I understand photoshopping the birds flying over head or photoshopping people out of the background. I GET IT. IT LOOKS GOOD. So why does it bother me so much?

Let me tell you my story…

When I went to Park Guell in Barcelona, I expected the park to look just like it did in EVERY SINGLE PHOTO on the internet. Look, I googled it.

And what do you see? The most vibrate, GORG colors. Then I went expecting what I see above and I was so disappointed. Every color was desaturated, faded, muddy. I bet once upon a time it did look like the google search photos above, but it deff doesn’t now.

This is what it looks like:

Now compare the SAME photo, angle and all to what you see on the internet.

Credit:/www.dangerous-business.com

See what I mean?

Now it didn’t ruin the experience for me, I was disappointed but I still thoroughly enjoyed the park. Heck, I’ve been there twice. So now I look through a skeptical lens when I scroll through Insta. It actually inspired me to start this blog because we aren’t all staying at 5 star hotels in bikinis not worrying about thigh chaffing. I try to be as boujee as possible, but realistic. Realistic Bouj. Thats my new slogan. You heard it here first, folks.

I decided to show you all the things that annoy me that Instagram bloggers do. And to bring awareness to the fact that a lot of these photos are extremely staged and your travel experience might look completely different than the photo you just scrolled by with the caption #blessed.

(I’m not trying to blast anyone or be mean so I’ve blocked out faces.)

Let’s start out small. I am fully LOL’ing at the fact that she is in a wedding dress. Did you have to pack this?

Again with the dress. There is a 98% chance if you were traveling to this castle, you will not be able to hike to this destination in this dress. IDK how she got there. Snow mobiled up the mountain. Stop. Quick change. Photoshoot. But ya know, do it for the gram.

I have a few reasons I don’t like this. One: I think she is photoshopped into this photo. She might not be but where the heck is her shadow?? Also, it looks fake. From her photo, the sun seems to be coming in from the top right which means she would have a shadow on the left. But the light on her body is coming from the front… where the sun isn’t. Which means her body has been photoshopped onto this beachy background or it is SO over edited it doesn’t make realistic sense. The color of the water is also changed. But people do that all the time so their photo matches their ~*~*~Flow~*~*~

Why I don’t like: The hot air balloons are photoshopped in!!!

I circled the balloons above that are identical. Copy paste copy paste. The solid color balloons are the same too but it’s easier to see with the striped ones. I bet there were like 4 in the sky and just cloned them cause thats what I would have done haha.

Seems like we have another case of good ol’ copy paste. Look at how many birds look identical…………

OH THIS BOTHERS ME. Photoshopping people out. I have been to Disneyland about 100 times. Maybe more. And unless these girls had some sort of early secret access there is NO way there is not a single other person there. LIESSSSS. I have been asked no less than 67 times to photoshop people out of the background of their photos. People EXIST… I don’t know why you HAVE to photoshop people out? More attention on yourself?

Another deceiving photo with NO people in it. You are trying to tell me that you got a photo in India, second largest country in the world, in front of one of the 7 wonders of the world, that attracts 8 million people annually, which is approximately 22,000 people a day, WITH NO ONE ELSE IN IT? I do see based on the shadows/light that this photo could have been taken at like 6am. So I guess it is possible. Though I’ve never been there at 6am to confirm or deny. ALSO, how is her dress doing that on the ends? It loos like it’s held up by strings.

Girl please. Not only did you not eat all that, like, where did all those flowers come from? Is that part of the room service? These photos drive me nuts.

Hi, ya can I order one of everything? Yes, six drinks for two people as well. And when you serve it can you sprinkle a variety of flowers on the table. It’s for the gram. Thank youuuuu.

Now, dis sum grade A bullshit. Do you see the blur at the top of the mountains. There is a “haze”? You can see it clearly on her arm that’s up in the air too. THAT’S PHOTOSHOP. She took her photo and photoshopped the sky onto it. And she did it poorly at that.

The newest craze. Picture at the end of a boat with a fake, over saturated sunset.

And you better wear a flowy dress. I just want to know when these bloggers go out on these boats at sunset for these photos is it literally just for the photo? Or do they enjoy the boat ride and spend time out there? These are the things that keep me up at night.

Of course I have to bring this up. ASS ASS ASS ASS. Did you know you can’t be a travel blogger unless you wear thong bathing suits and post pictures like these? I think it’s in their contract. Now our Instagram feeds are filled with women with banging bodies, ass out, in locations that are completely fabricated while we sit at home crying into a pint of Halo Top. Cheers.

So I figured I would round out this post with travel bloggers I LOVEEEE. Who are real and authentic. Their pictures are not only gorgeous but also NORMAL. I posted a few of my favorites below that I highly recommend you check out!
@destinationchaser, @merknmountains, @ellenextdoor, @kaptain.kenny, @passionpassport, @alexinwanderland

In the mean time I will continue posting authentic pictures on my Instagram (@gingerandivory) but the min someone comes at me with a $500,000 check you bet I will photoshop the sky into fricken outer space with me in a glitter bikini, ass out, birds everywhere and maybe an elephant cause yolo, with some random guy I’ll hire as my Instagram boyfriend. You will call me a sell out, but you can also call me rich.