The money shot needs to be better than a selfie, which is why the old “Honey, will you hold my purse?” has left many husbands holding the phone, writes Marchelle Abrahams.
A couple of years ago a video surfaced on YouTube called Instagram Husband. Produced by The Mystery Hour in 2015, the video went viral and released an avalanche of Instagram Husband sympathisers.
Humorous and over the top, it introduced viewers to the likes of Jeff Houghton. He starts off with “Behind every cute girl on Instagram is a guy like me, and a brick wall.”
The TV presenter from Springfield in the US who lives with his wife Michelle has now found Instagram fame with almost 3 000 followers on the photo-sharing app.
One of his comments was: “In the scene on the stairs when she says ‘Higher babe, higher’, I was on the rail of the staircase slipping and nearly falling. I wasn’t wearing proper Instagram husband footwear that day.”
All infinity Jeff’s have enjoyed hosting #enactusexpo2018
A post shared by Jeff Houghton(@jeffhoughton) on May 21, 2018 at 4:46pm PDT
And then there’s Trey who had to delete all the apps on his phone to make more room for his wife’s photos.
Many Instagram husbands are on the verge of becoming tortured, blubbering messes.
It’s a whole sub culture with Tumblr pages and Instagram feeds dedicated to their struggle.
One Tumblr page (instagramhusband.com) even offers help to men who have found themselves on the receiving end of temper tantrums and public outbursts.
Behind every beautiful Instagram woman is the #instagramhusband @lswbalayage
A post shared by Jared Wehrle(@jared_wehrle) on Jul 18, 2018 at 3:48pm PDT
But there are those that pride themselves on being Instagram husbands and take their work very seriously. There’s no shame in wanting your partner to be the best version of herself she can be, especially when it comes to social media likes.
One such Facebook page is Boyfriends of Instagram. With more than 53000 likes, it’s a hit with its followers. The behind-the-scene photos show the lengths some men will go to for the money shot.
But as funny as it may sound, there are some who are hailing these unsung heroes of social media.
But why? Love? Fear of being in the dog box? Or just a general feeling of wanting to see the person in their life happy?
Whatever the reasons, know this: you are not alone. Even celebrity hubbies have been bamboozled into taking pictures from time to time. It’s a known fact that Jay-Z, Kanye West and John Legend have also fallen victim.
When you’re each others instagram husbands 🤓 @jessijean_cross @julia.marie.xo
A post shared by ♔ MIC MCT(@micmct) on Jul 24, 2018 at 3:44pm PDT
Whether this is a job that’s recently been thrust on you or you’ve been doing this for a while, there’s always room to up your game. Techie website UnBox has a few suggestions:
Be proactive and patient
Be part of the process rather than just being there to indulge your partner. Learn to appreciate those moments with your partner.
Experiment with angles
Yes, she may ask you to take and retake photos until she’s absolutely happy with the results. Take it as a learning experience that will speed up the next photo-shoot, and you can even direct her to the angles she’s preferred in the past.
Scout for Instagrammable backdrops
Keep an eye open for good backdrops for your photographs and don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path to find them.
Don’t just take photos, build memories
Take these moments to build memories with your partner and don’t just do it for the “likes” you may get on networking sites. Use it as a bonding experience and an exercise in communication.