For South Boston resident Susan Flaherty, “being inspired by others’ photographs’’ has always been as important as taking her own, which might explain why the 44-year-old interior designer is a staple at community gatherings built around Instagram. These so-called “Instameets’’ give Flaherty a chance to network with other photographers and to bolster her own profile (@suflaherty), a sprawling and sensational collection of shots she’s proud to say are diverse by design.
Q. You’re active in the Instagram community. What role do you find yourself playing there?
A. If I know we have an architect in our group who went to Wentworth, and we have a kid in high school who just got into Wentworth, I tag both of them and say, “Why don’t you have a conversation?’’ I match-make all the time. I’m constantly promoting other people who are creative, because I think this is all about spreading the love and the attention.
Q. Your bio includes the Dorothea Lange quote, “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.’’ What does that mean to you?
A. When a camera can narrow your focus, engage you in a way, and frame the world for you, it can highlight something for you. I put up a picture of branches recently; and if you pull back and see that area in Rochester, you might walk by this place — an abandoned building with branches and vines stuck to the wall. But if you frame it with the use of your camera, you can start to see details that are beautiful, that are distinct.
Q. All of your pictures are accompanied by pretty detailed quotes.
A. I like to pair quotes and words with my images, and so I’ve been told I’m incredibly nostalgic. I was an art history major. I love literature and poetry, and so I love to be able to search for a quote. It’s just as important as the image to me and being able to bring them together makes me really happy.
Q. Overall, how would you summarize your approach to Instagram?
A. I look for beauty and for interesting details wherever I go. My family will tell you I’m always running 20 minutes behind because I’ve pulled over somewhere for a photograph. If I’m lazy, I’ll be shooting in South Boston, where I live, but I like everything from things that are traditionally beautiful to abandoned buildings. Even shadow on brick — there are interesting things all around us, so it’s just a matter of finding them. My Instagram feed is known for being inconsistent. I don’t have a style or perspective I always use; I always try to approach every situation differently and get the most unique image I can. Sometimes I’m dangling from a parking garage, and other times I’m laying flat on the sidewalk.
Interview was edited and condensed. Isaac Feldberg can be reached at isaac.feldberg@globe .com, or on Twitter at @i_feldberg.
