Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPwithlove Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPwithlove was to create photos and videos that show how love inspires you. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

Experience New York Fashion Week with Model Jasmine Sanders To see more from Jasmine, follow @golden_barbie on Instagram. These days, American model Jasmine Sanders (@golden_barbie) might feel like she lives on an airplane, but the constant hustle is worth it to be at New York Fashion Week. “I love coming to New York because it kicks off an amazing month of traveling the world with great people and seeing all the new, fun and creative designs in the upcoming season,” says Jasmine. Before she jets off for the next fashion show, you’ll find Jasmine enjoying a classic New York experience — pizza. “I have to get pizza every time I’m in the city!”

The Week on Instagram | 321 News Teen Vogue: How a Food Instagram Turned Into a Dream Job Bustle: What Is Type Mode On Instagram? Your Stories Just Got Even More Creative The New York Times: Hipster Culture and Instagram Are Responsible for a Good Thing Get Involved Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPwithlove. View photos from the last project, #WHPillusion. Around the Community Shifting Perspectives with Los Angeles-Based Brand @nosesso Making Moves with Dancer @yoe.apolinario Peeling Back the Layers with Artist @chebmoha

Larger-Than-Life Designs for the Biggest Party on Earth with @alexiahentsch To see more of Alexia’s designs, follow @alexiahentsch on Instagram. “I do something in the line between fashion and costume,” explains Alexia Hentsch (@alexiahentsch). The costume designer splits her time between London and Rio de Janeiro, where she was born. For the past two years, she has created custom pieces for Rio’s Carnival celebrations. “I love Carnival. I think it’s difficult not to,” says Alexia. “It’s a celebration of joy, which doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world on such a large scale. The whole country has checked out to go to a party. It’s kind of nuts.”

Seun Adigun is Taking the First Nigerian Athletes to the Winter Olympics The Winter Olympics (@olympics) are taking place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, February 9-25. Tune in as we spotlight competing athletes from around the world. Nigerian-American athlete Seun Adigun (@seun_msamazing) and her teammates are making history. They’re the first African bobsled team to qualify for the Winter Olympics. “It feels absolutely amazing,” says Seun, who was born in the U.S. to Nigerian immigrant parents. “It’s surreal on a daily basis.” Seun, the driver on her team of three, found bobsledding through track and field, which she’d competed in at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Years later, after countless hours of training on both dry land and the ice track, she’s taking her bobsled team to…

Peeling Back the Layers with Artist @chebmoha To see more of his work, follow @chebmoha on Instagram. Twenty-five-year-old Cheb Moha (@chebmoha) was born in Iraq, raised in Libya and Canada, then couch-surfed his way across Europe and the Middle East. He’s settled (for a moment) in the United Arab Emirates. “I have never encountered a place that was boring to me,” says Moha, whose first photos were made with an old film camera and a roll of expired film. “The pictures were really bad,” he admits. But he’d found a way of connecting with people around the world. “It’s a very intimate thing to ask someone, ‘Can I take your picture?’ It created a lot of friendships, a lot of relationships and opportunities.” From those…

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPillusion Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPillusion was to take photos and videos that create optical illusions. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

Meet the Tiny Adventuring Companions of @encolhiaspessoas For more stories from the Brazilian community, follow @instagrambrasil. (This interview was conducted in Portuguese.) Some say the world is small. For Renan Viana’s micro characters (@encolhiaspessoas), it’s gigantic. In 2014, the 28-year-old photographer found a box of miniature figures in an antique shop in Belém, Brazil. Renan customized each with paint, glaze and glue then started taking photos of them on wild adventures. “The miniature figures are my companions to discover new places,” he says. “I carry a few around in a little box, and whenever I go out, I set up scenes on my walks. But I plan more specific scenes in advance.” “Taking pictures of such little ‘people’ on the street draws a lot of…

The Week on Instagram | 320 News Fast Company: Instagram ruled the Women’s Marches on social – and the dudes pitched in, too The New York Times: What if a Healthier Facebook Is Just… Instagram? Adweek: How Brands From Subway to Maserati Are Using Instagram Effectively Get Involved Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPillusion. View photos from the last project, #WHPsmile. Around the Community Celebrating the Grammys with @logic Today’s #WeeklyFluff: Meet Leia, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppy @kidsofimmigrants Celebrates Diversity While Inspiring Communities

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPillusion Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. This weekend, the goal is to take photos and videos that create optical illusions, like this hand-created eye trick from Aakash Nihalani (@aakashnihalani). Here are some tips: Play with scale and move around to find new perspectives within a single frame. For example, photographing a puddle low to the ground can turn it into an ocean. Let props help. A cleverly placed mirror or some sleight-of-hand card tricks can elevate a simple illusion to double take-worthy. Make magic by playing with both…

Today’s #WeeklyFluff: Meet Leia, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier Puppy Follow @leia.staffy on Instagram to keep up with Leia’s daily adventures. Hello, world! Today’s #WeeklyFluff is all about Leia (@leia.staffy), a 7-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier who lives in Sweden. “I would describe Leia as fearless, curious, happy, adventurous and extremely cuddly!” says Leia’s human, Ellie, who teaches children with autism and ADHD, and one day plans to certify Leia as a therapy dog. “Right now, Leia works with me as a school dog,” she says. “She helps the kids stay motivated in school and listens to them when they need to talk.” When she’s not in school, Leia loves romping around in nature. “She LOVES snow,” says Ellie. “She loves to eat, play and run around…

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPsmile Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPsmile was to take photos and videos of smiles. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

TUMBLR Celebrating the Grammys with @logic For more from Logic, follow @logic on Instagram. Tonight, the 60th annual Grammy Awards (@recordingacademy) are being presented at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Tune in to our story to get ready for the show with rapper Logic (@logic), whose song “1-800-273-8255” has been nominated for two #Grammys.

The Week on Instagram | 319 News Forbes: How To Build A Thriving Brand Presence On Instagram TechCrunch: Giphy builds transparent GIF library for Instagram Stories Business Insider: Instagram influencer posts doubled in 2017 Get Involved Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPsmile. View photos from the last project, #WHPwindows. Around the Community For @jenibrittonbauer, Flavor is Everything Finding New Limits in the Great Outdoors with @timmatsui Paper Plants Spring @scrinkl’s Remix of Our Logo to Life

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPsmile Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. Say “cheese!” This weekend, the goal is to take photos and videos of smiles, as in this featured photo by Jeremy Cohen (@jerm_cohen). Here are some tips to get you started: Capture moments of pure joy, like a selfie after you’ve finished a craft or a teammate after they scored the winning soccer goal. Think about the different smiles you see in your everyday life, from Mona Lisa smirks to tooth-bearing grins. Take portraits of loved ones and strangers alike whose smiles…

Chasing a Dream with @davizinhoradical To learn more about Davi, follow @davizinhoradical on Instagram. Out on the waves is where adaptive surfing champion Davi Teixeira de Aguiar (@davizinhoradical) feels the most free. “I started falling in love with the sport and competing in world championships,” says the surfer Rio de Janeiro who was born with amniotic band syndrome, a rare condition caused in utero. He has big goals for this year, including becoming a world champion and being a part of a Brazilian Paralympic team. “Everybody should chase the dreams with the biggest amount of faith, determination and will, because in this really short life, we have to give our best and motivate the others,” he says.

Paper Plants Spring @scrinkl’s Remix of Our Logo to Life We’re inspired by the ways community members make Instagram’s look come to life. Follow along on #myinstagramlogo and add your own ideas. “I like to work with paper texture and layers,” says Margaret Scrinkl (@scrinkl) of her #myinstagramlogo. “Paper plants give me a sense of spring in the artworks.”

Now you can add fun, expressive GIF stickers to any photo or video in your story. When you tap to add a sticker to a photo or video in stories, you’ll now see a new GIF option. Tap it to open a library full of hundreds of thousands of moving stickers powered by GIPHY. You can browse what’s currently trending on GIPHY or search their extensive collection to find a sticker for just about anything. From bouncing letters and twirling hearts to dancing cats and pizza in space, these animated stickers help you make any photo or video funny, interesting or creative. In the coming weeks, we’re also rolling out the ability to upload photos and videos of any size to your story — so…

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPwindows Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPwindows was to take photos and videos that highlight and utilize windows. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

The Week on Instagram | 318 News Racked: Instagram Ads Are Basically Infomercials for Millennials Paper: Meet the Woman Photographing the 2018 Golden Globes on Instagram Get Involved Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPwindows. View photos from the last project, #WHPmystyle. Around the Community Making Space for New Heroes and Heroines with @365ken Scenes from Around the Globe with @everydayclimatechange Celebrating Singer Camila Cabello’s Debut Album

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPwindows Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. Windows frame the world we see. This weekend, the goal is to take photos and videos that highlight and utilize windows. Here are some tips to get you started: Use a window to frame a specific subject, be it a lone tree outside the office or a ray of light coming into your kitchen. Look at the frame from many angles to find the most compelling one. Focus on the textures and details of a window — the curve of old glass,…

Meet Riley and Killer, Today’s Snuggly #WeeklyFluff Follow @morileymoproblems to make sure you never miss a moment from these two. Hello, world! It’s time for a very snuggly session of #WeeklyFluff, brought to you by Riley (left) and Killer (right) (@morileymoproblems). This dynamic duo of adopted doggies hails from sunny Los Angeles. “Riley follows Killer around. They play, they nap — it’s the cutest and most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” says their human Alicia. “Killer retained the alpha role as Riley got bigger and still maintains that title to this day.”

Celebrating Singer Camila Cabello’s Debut Album See more from Camila by following @camila_cabello on Instagram. “More fun and less stress” is Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello’s (@camila_cabello) New Year’s resolution — alongside making albums she loves. Tune in to our story to tag along with Camila in Los Angeles as she celebrates her debut album, “Camila.”

Scenes from Around the Globe with @everydayclimatechange To learn more, follow @jameswhitlowdelano and @everydayclimatechange on Instagram. After traveling and documenting the earth for decades, two years ago James Whitlow Delano (@jameswhitlowdelano) launched the collective Everyday Climate Change (@everydayclimatechange) and rallied a global network of photographers to share their images of the planet. His own concern for the environment stretches back almost as far as he can remember. “Rivers were catching fire,” says the Japan-based, American-born photographer, recalling a period in the United States where widespread industrial pollution had created disturbing scenes. “I knew that something was wrong.” In contrast to those memories, James holds optimistic on his journey. “In my lifetime — from rivers that had caught fire from so much oil being dumped into…

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPmystyle Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPmystyle was to make photos and videos that showcase your personal style. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

Making Space for New Heroes and Heroines with @365ken This post is in honor of #MLKDAY in the United States. To see more of Ken’s photography, follow @365ken on Instagram. In Ken McFarlane’s (@365ken) portrait work, two common threads weave through: strength and dignity. “What is often highlighted in our communities is not necessarily the only thing, the best thing or the things that we know to be true,” says the photographer, based in Philadelphia. Reclaiming representations of the black community is important to Ken. “I believe in giving agency or utilizing our own agency in reflecting ourselves in the larger sense,” he explains. “What Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others sacrificed allows me to have the mindset and the perspective that I…

The Week on Instagram | 317 News Los Angeles Times: Instagram or it didn’t happen? L.A. restaurants show how the app has changed their industry Refinery29: This Instagram Account Is Changing The Way You Shop Black Brands InStyle: Nicole Kidman Is Now on Instagram and Her First Post Is a Winner Get Involved Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPmystyle. View photos from the last project, #WHPspontaneous. Around the Community On the Golden Globes Red Carpet with Actress Laura Marano Photographer @christian_foto Captures Landscapes from a Bird’s-Eye View The Foods and Flavors of Singapore with @stylohotmilo

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPmystyle Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal this weekend is to make photos and videos that showcase your personal style. Our project takes inspiration from New York’s Museum of Modern Art’s (@themuseumofmodernart) exhibit, “Items: Is Fashion Modern?,” which features 111 items of garments and accessories that have had a strong impact on culture in the last century. Paola Antonelli (@paolantonelli), senior curator of architecture and design at MoMA, shared these tips for getting started with your submission: Think about the role fashion plays in your life —…

The Foods and Flavors of Singapore with @stylohotmilo To learn more about Jasmine, follow @stylohotmilo on Instagram. Twenty-four-year-old Jasmine Tan (@stylohotmilo) is a Singaporean design researcher and self-described foodie. “I love our multiracial demographic because that means there’s always so much to observe, listen and appreciate from the people and spaces around me,” she says. “And of course, we get such a crazy variety of food.” Jasmine always loved going out to eat — Korean kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), Japanese ramen and Singapore’s bak kut teh (pork rib soup) are some of her favorites — but she started cooking at home out of necessity. “My house is located in the extreme west of Singapore so I don’t get a lot of food choices, and as…

Photographer @christian_foto Captures Landscapes from a Bird’s-Eye View To see more from Christian, follow @christian_foto on Instagram. Christian Rodríguez (@christian_foto) is seeing the world differently. The photojournalist from Uruguay has eyes in the sky, with a drone-mounted camera, and his young son strapped to his back. “You can see the magnitude of the landscape,” he says, describing the perspective his aerial camera gave him while on a recent trip to Ushuaia, located at the southernmost tip of Argentina. “This region has rivers, peat bogs, melting glaciers and rich flora and fauna,” he adds. “In the end, a drone is a great tool, but the most important thing is the story behind the image.” For Christian, his most important story now is his relationship with his…

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPspontaneous Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPspontaneous was to take photos and videos that capture unexpected moments filled with energy and excitement. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

On the Golden Globes Red Carpet with Actress Laura Marano To see more from Laura, follow @lauramarano on Instagram. Actress and singer Laura Marano (@lauramarano) was 5 years old when she began acting professionally. “My mom owns a children’s theater, and my sister and I were always there,” says Laura, who was born, raised and still lives in Los Angeles. “I was always performing and taking voice and piano lessons because I loved it so much — and I was also kind of a ham.” Fast forward to this Golden Globes (@goldenglobes) weekend, and Laura is proud and excited to be co-hosting the red carpet before the awards show — and to have starred in a nominated film, “Lady Bird.” “I can’t believe I got…

A Night of Hollywood Glamour with Actress Dove Cameron To see more from Dove during Golden Globes weekend, follow @dovecameron on Instagram. We’re heading into the weekend of the 75th Golden Globes (@goldenglobes), an annual celebration of film and American television in Beverly Hills, California. Twenty-one-year-old actress and singer Dove Cameron (@dovecameron) is excited to kick things off tonight at a party for Hollywood’s young and up-and-coming stars. “I’m looking forward to seeing people I love there,” she says. “It’s the first big event of the new year!”

The Week on Instagram | 316 News Media: What were your best nine Instagram photos from 2017? Media: Five Critical Gen Z Instagram Tricks That Marketers Are Missing Media: The 7 Most Buzzed-About Golden Globe Nominees on Instagram Get Involved Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPspontaneous. View photos from the last project, #WHPresolutions2018. Around the Community Making the Impossible Possible with @tinycactus Meet the Bengal Cat Who Will Inspire Wanderlust What Goes Into the Simple, Clean, Complex Cutouts from @mr_riu

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPspontaneous Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. This weekend, the goal is to take photos and videos that capture unexpected moments filled with energy and excitement, as in this featured photo from Noel Besuzzi (@imoments). Here are some tips to get you started: Find humor in spontaneity — from a bird snatching someone’s midday snack to a friend pretending to skate along an icy street. Join in on the fun! Dance at a party, run in a race, help your family cook a meal — some of the most…

What Goes Into the Simple, Clean, Complex Cutouts from @mr_riu For more stories from the Japanese community, follow @instagramjapan). (This interview was conducted in Japanese.) RIU (@mr_riu) prefers to express himself in black and white. “The way I work, I do not use any colored paper, any coloring or any glue. I think it’s about simplicity and cleanliness,” says the artist from Japan who creates complex patterns out of a single sheet of paper. Depending on the piece, it can take more than 30 hours before RIU completes production. But despite the tiring nature of his work, which requires a lot of concentration, according to RIU, it is precisely this concentrated feeling of fatigue that leads to the feeling of accomplishment that follows. “I hope…

Meet the Bengal Cat Who Will Inspire Wanderlust Make sure you never miss one of Suki’s trips! Follow @sukiicat on Instagram. Hello, world! It’s time to meet today’s adventurous #WeeklyFluff. Suki (@sukiicat) is a beautiful Bengal cat who resides in Canada. This high-energy, fierce feline is amazingly adaptable, making herself at home and posing for the perfect shot wherever her humans take her.

Making the Impossible Possible with @tinycactus To see more of her work, follow @tinycactus on Instagram. Sunrise. Sunset. For artist KangHee Kim (@tinycactus), these are the sweetest spots in a day. “I never get enough of them,” says the 27-year-old artist from South Korea, who lives in New York City. “It’s impossible to witness the perfect scenery every time, but longing to see a better one the next day leaves me with a hope. I think they are natural healers and rewards we get every day. That’s why we start a day with one and the other is closure.” KangHee fills her profile with “Street Errands,” a series of surreal, collaged photographs. “One day, I was waiting for the right moment to photograph. Suddenly a…

Ringing in 2018 with @joselourenco’s #myinstagramlogo We’re inspired by the ways community members make Instagram’s look come to life. Follow along on #myinstagramlogo and add your own ideas. Tons of tiny beads and careful tweezer precision allowed artist José Lourenço (@joselourenco) to construct this festive #myinstagramlogo. For 2018, José, who lives in Lisbon, Portugal, dreams of a “fairer world” and has a hope, specific to the Instagram community. “My hope is to continue to have the same joy I always have had when I open the application. I hope to be able to meet and interact with a larger number of people and make new friends — some of my best friends I met through Instagram.”

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPresolutions2018 Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. We’re on the cusp of a new year. This weekend, the goal is to take photos and videos that capture the feeling of fresh starts and new goals, as in this featured photo from Vanessa (@gypsyyogalove). Here are some tips to get your creative juices flowing: Reflect on 2017. What were your successes, and what were your challenges? How can you represent those in a single frame? Show us your long-term resolutions for the new year, like mastering a tricky yoga pose,…

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPcelebrate Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPcelebrate was to take photos and videos that celebrate the holiday season. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

The Week on Instagram | 315 News Elite Daily: Instagram’s ‘Recommended For You’ Section Is Being Tested & You’re Going To Love It USA Today: These life hacks will help you survive the holidays eMarketer: eMarketer Unveils First-Ever Worldwide Instagram Forecast Get Involved Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPcelebrate. View photos from the last project, #WHPstripes. Around the Community In the Kitchen with French Pastry Chef Cédric Grolet Spreading Cheer with a #flowerflash in New York City At Home for Hanukkah with @chefeitanbernath

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPcelebrate Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. This weekend, the goal is to take photos and videos that celebrate the holiday season, as in this featured photo by Anna Salynskaya (@i_love_inspire). Here are some tips to get you started: Whether you’re giving gifts, spending time out in nature or dancing the night away, capture moments that feel unique to this festive time of year. December brings with it a slew of parties and family gatherings. Document an entire meal or soiree — challenge yourself to tell the story of…

Exploring Alaska with @cricketinthethicket Follow @cricketinthethicket to see more of this shiba inu’s Alaskan adventures. Hello, world! It’s time for a very special edition of #WeeklyFluff, starring 10-month-old Cricket (@cricketinthethicket). This sassy shiba inu resides in Alaska — which is exactly where he belongs, according to his human Gabrielle. “Cricket really likes it when we do our glacier hikes; he’s a notorious glacier-licker,” says Gabrielle. “He loves the sticks that he finds out there. He’ll carry them around proudly, even if they’re much too big, and drag them behind. That makes him really happy.”

Becoming the Subject of Your Own Life with @delphinediallo To learn more about her life and work, follow @delphinediallo on Instagram. Photographer and activist Delphine Diallo (@delphinediallo) has been unpacking her identity her entire life. Born in Paris to a French mother and Senegalese father, she now lives in Brooklyn, New York. “I have always been fascinated by improving my understanding of consciousness through the years,” says Delphine. “All my work is about study.” And her self-portraiture is central to that study. “Self-portrait is the door where your spirit reveals itself in different forms: the eyes, the attitude, the complexity of the person can be discovered through self-portraiture,” she says. In her work, she feels called to frame herself and her subjects as the protagonist…

Spreading Cheer with a #flowerflash in New York City To keep up with all of Lewis’ flower flashes, follow @lewismillerdesign on Instagram. After finishing big events, florist Lewis Miller (@lewismillerdesign) often found himself wondering: How else could he reuse all these flowers? “I was walking down the street one day and I saw a typical New York City trash can, overflowing with garbage and spilling onto the sidewalk,” says Lewis, who’s run his floral business for 15 years. “And I thought, wouldn’t it be fun if that were all flowers?” So, the #flowerflash was born, and in the wee hours of the morning after an event, Lewis and his team load up their van and head out to trash cans, bus stops and lampposts throughout…

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPstripes Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPstripes was to take photos and videos that capture stripes created by colors, textures and surfaces. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

2017 on Instagram: Building and Fostering Communities of Support Follow along on #IGYearInReview as we reflect on the most memorable Instagram trends of 2017. “I don’t know who I would be or what I would be doing if I wasn’t making art,” says Quil Lemons (@quillemons). The 20-year-old student and artist based in New York City creates work that sheds light on his community. “As a black creator, it’s vital that my work explores the many facets of the African-American diaspora,” says Quil. “I think my work allows black men to feel pretty — to be themselves.” On Instagram, he’s found community. “I don’t think I could exist without the support that Instagram provides,” he says. “In urban communities, access to resources for sharing and…

The Week on Instagram | 314 News The Verge: Instagram Gets More #Interesting National Geographic: Exclusive: Instagram Fights Animal Abuse With New Alert System Refinery29: Instagram Is Making Its Biggest Changes To Profiles Since 2013 Get Involved Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPstripes. View photos from the last project, #WHPclassic. Around the Community Together, These Twins Tumble and Soar Through the Air @nornea’s Forest Adventures with Her ‘Real-Life’ Unicorn 2017 Trend: The Eyelid as the Canvas of Choice

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPstripes Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. This weekend, the goal is to take photos and videos that capture stripes created by colors, textures and surfaces, as in this featured photo by Sara Harvey (@4theloveoftoys). Here are some tips to get you started: Head outside to see what stripes nature has to offer, like the natural lines of your local flora or the way streams create bands through a landscape. From repeating red lockers in the hallway to the way office buildings cast shadows at high noon, there are…

Five Dogs, One Pig: Meet @piggypoo_and_crew Love #WeeklyFluff? Follow the hashtag to stay connected to the community. Hello, world! It’s time to meet the Vietnamese potbellied pig and the five rescue pups who make up @piggypoo_and_crew. From left to right, there’s Rika, Slick, Nya, James, Bashe and Chowder. “When I look at my crew, I see the reflection of who I am in them,” says their human Shelby, who lives in Southern California. “Their happiness, their safety, their health, their whole lives rely on me and I will never ever let them down.”

2017 Trend: The Eyelid as the Canvas of Choice Follow along on #IGYearInReview as we reflect on the most memorable Instagram trends of 2017. While Ellie Costello (@makeupisart_x) paints magical scenes on her eyelids, it feels like she plants them. “I never ever plan a look and then go and get the flowers,” explains 20-year-old Ellie, who lives in London. “I always get some flowers first, then envision the look around the flowers. I find that creating as you go along always allows your creativity and imagination to run a lot more freely —I like just letting the magic happen.” Ellie is part of the beauty community on Instagram who made the eyelid their canvas of choice in 2017. “It is great when you can…

@nornea’s Forest Adventures with Her ‘Real-Life’ Unicorn Starting today, we’re introducing new ways for you to discover your interests on Instagram, with the ability to follow hashtags like #equestrian. For 19-year-old Menea Johansson Djärv (@nornea), dressing up means felt hats, capes and a unicorn horn for her beloved pony Norina ?. As a child growing up in Sweden, she was inspired by vivid fairy tales and medieval markets. “It was beyond exciting to see adults dress up and pretend they lived in a different time,” she says. Now, cloaked in nature, Menea creates her own #equestrian daydreams that reflect a real-life kinship with her creatures. “I want [my horses] to see me as a best friend they can trust and respect, just like I do…

Together, These Twins Tumble and Soar Through the Air Starting today, we’re introducing new ways for you to discover your interests on Instagram, with the ability to follow hashtags like #gymnastics. Some twins finish each other’s sentences, Marcos and Alejandro Ponce López (@impact.brothers) finish each other’s flips. After seeing break dancers perform in their hometown 14 years ago, the duo from Torre del Mar, Spain, dedicated their lives to becoming professional acrobats. What’s been their biggest #gymnastics accomplishment to date? “Everything we have learned has been self-taught. Hand to hand [where one performer, balancing on the hands of the other performer, does a handstand], was very complicated for us, since it is a very complex discipline. We have some friends who know this discipline. One…

Today we’re introducing the ability to follow hashtags, giving you new ways to discover photos, videos and people on Instagram. Now it’s even easier to stay connected with the interests, hobbies, passions and communities you care about. Every day, millions of people share photos and videos and tag them with relevant hashtags. #onthetable, #slime and #floralnails are just a few examples of hashtags that represent the many interests and passions of our community. To make these posts even more discoverable, we’re introducing hashtags you can follow. Following a hashtag is just like following a friend. To get started, search for a topic you’re interested in or tap on a hashtag from any post. You’ll see relevant hashtags displayed in your search results along with related…

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPclassic Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPclassic was to create photos and videos that display a timeless quality. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

2017 Trend: The Year of Rainbows and Unicorns Follow along on #IGYearInReview as we reflect on the most memorable Instagram trends of 2017. “People eat with their eyes, so who wouldn’t want to eat a rainbow? Or a unicorn?” asks Amirah Kassem, the baker and founder of Flour Shop (@flourshop). Five years ago, Amirah couldn’t afford a website and started her business on Instagram. “For many years that was the only way to place an order,” explains Amirah. Last month, she opened her very own brick-and-mortar shop in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. Her number one inspiration when dreaming up her bright and playful treats? “My childhood! There are so many things we tend to forget as adults — like how fun imagination…

Beauty Content Creator @cherylraissa Forged Her Own Path To learn more about Cheryl, follow @cherylraissa on Instagram. (This interview was conducted in Indonesian.) “Your skin is a canvas and treating it well will get you the best results,” says beauty content creator Cheryl Raissa (@cherylraissa). The 24-year-old from Jakarta, Indonesia, started working as a beauty content creator in 2010. “It’s been a long time, but I’m still learning, too,” she says. “My work opened up an unexpected path for me. I have traveled to various places and venues as a speaker about entrepreneurship in the digital age.”

The Week on Instagram | 313 News The New York Times: His Eye Makeup Is Way Better Than Yours Adweek: 25 Million Businesses Are Now Using Instagram Forbes: How We Scored Our First Clients Through Direct Message On Instagram Get Involved Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPclassic. View photos from the last project, #WHPinspired. Around the Community The Wonderful World of 5-Year-Old Fashion Influencer @zooeyinthecity Storytelling Through Dance with @ashleylewofficial Education, Awareness and Action with Wildlife Conservation Photographer Paul Nicklen

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPclassic Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal this weekend is to create photos and videos that display a timeless quality. Whether you’re nostalgic for a past era or inspired by traditions that stand the test of time, share what classic means to you: Look for local scenes that conjure up familiar feelings — like a family picnic, a cozy coffee shop or a commuter dashing through the city. To make details ageless, be deliberate about what you do (and don’t) show. = Don’t take any gesture or…

**Meet @arnoldstaffzenegger, a Patient and Strong Pup from Norway Follow @arnoldstaffzenegger on Instagram to keep up with this pup’s evolving style. Hello, world! It’s time to meet our #WeeklyFluff: the cleverly named Arnold Staffzenegger (@arnoldstaffzenegger), a Staffordshire bull terrier hailing from snowy Oslo, Norway. Though he’s only 1 ½ years old, Arnold is not only strong like his namesake, but incredibly patient, posing for his family in all manner of outfits.

The Wonderful World of 5-Year-Old Fashion Influencer @zooeyinthecity To learn more about Zooey, follow @zooeyinthecity on Instagram. Meet Zooey Miyoshi (@zooeyinthecity): a kindergarten student and 5-year-old fashion influencer. On her third birthday, her mom, Mai, started an account all about Zooey. Fast-forward two years and Zooey and her family — originally from Tokyo — live in Los Angeles where they adventure, play and take tons of photos, highlighting Zooey’s sweet and edgy styles, often accompanied by her staple expression of hiding behind a pair of sunnies. “Zooey has always had this no-emotion face,” says Mai of Zooey’s signature look. “Sunglasses also help when taking photos. Most of the time, she is not looking directly at me, which sunnies help hide. #momtip.” As for the future,…

Introducing Stories Highlights and Stories Archive Today we’re introducing two new tools that let you hold on to your favorite moments from Instagram Stories and share them in ways that help you express yourself. Stories Highlights is a new part of your profile where you can express more of who you are through stories you’ve shared. And to help you build highlights, your stories will now automatically save into a private Stories Archive so you can easily relive them whenever you want. Stories Highlights Over the past year, Instagram Stories has become a key part of how you express yourself — but there hasn’t been an easy way to keep your stories around for more than 24 hours. Now you can more fully express your…

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPinspired Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags. For a chance to be featured, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project. The goal of #WHPinspired was to make photographs and videos of the people, places and things that inspire you. Each week, we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

Storytelling Through Dance with @ashleylewofficial To see more of Ashley’s ballet journey, follow @ashleylewofficial on Instagram. How does ballerina and high school freshman Ashley Lew (@ashleylewofficial) get through days that can start at 5:45 and keep her going well past dinnertime? “When I dance, I just forget about the world around me, honestly,” says Ashley, who spent last year studying full time at the Princess Grace Academy in Monaco. “Telling my story through my dancing is really important to me. One of the biggest challenges is not giving up.” Despite the sacrifices she’s made, Ashley’s passion for dance introduced her to a community that shares her enthusiasm. “So many people, we connected on Instagram, and then we get to actually meet each other. I just…

Education, Awareness and Action with Wildlife Conservation Photographer Paul Nicklen Starting today, when people search for a hashtag associated with harmful behavior to animals or the environment, they will see a content advisory screen. We are committed to fostering a safer, kinder world both on Instagram and beyond. After 17 years with National Geographic, wildlife conservation photographer and cinematographer Paul Nicklen (@paulnicklen) felt compelled to start something new. “I wanted to see immediate impact through photography,” explains Paul, who co-founded SeaLegacy (@sea_legacy), a collective of visual storytellers who document the biggest issues facing our oceans today. “My goal is to use my camera to connect people to the species of animals that need our help.” On #WildlifeConservationDay, Paul offers this message: “I want people to…