People say that the worst part about being single is not having a date to bring to weddings, a go-to travel partner or a reliable Netflix and Chill companion but I think we all know the real worst part about being single is not having a significant other to act as your personal Instagram photographer 24/7.
Instagram husbands have been on the rise for quite some time, with even Jay Z stepping up as the ultimate poster child this summer while snapping pics of Beyoncé on vacation. [Side-note: for those who are unfamiliar with the term, an Instagram husband is essentially just a partner responsible for capturing those perfectly staged "candid" photos that make for great Instagram #content].
As a single, 20-something New Yorker, I've never had the luxury of forcing a significant other to stage photos of me casually walking by Instagram-friendly brick walls, sipping cappuccinos at the cutest new coffee spot or candidly crossing the street in my newest outfit—until now.
Luckily for the eternally single me, TaskRabbit (the same service that allows you to hire someone to clean your apartment, shop your groceries or act as your stand-in handyman) launched a feature where users could hire their own Instagram husband—just in time for the fashion girl's mecca Insta content opportunity: New York Fashion Week. So naturally, I decided to test-drive the new feature for a couple of days in-between attending shows.
My destined Instagram husband was Michael Ostuni, a real-life photographer whose work is typically a little more legitimate than staged Instagrams—like weddings, family portraits and engagement shoots, for example. Meeting Michael was what I would imagine any arranged marriage would be like at first: a little awkward and very "what are we supposed to do now?" But soon I found a store window and fire hydrant to pose dramatically in front of and boom: the magic began.
I was so used to acting as my own Instagram husband (I know, I'm booking a therapy session right after this), that I never thought about the awkwardness of having someone else take embarrassing "candid" photos of you. It turns out that directing an Instagram husband in action is a lot harder than expected, especially when he's not fully versed on the go-to blogger photo set-ups and secrets to Instagram gold. But despite people on the street stopping to stare, we continued to snap photos because it's 2016 and now it's essentially an unwritten rule of the U.S. Constitution that you have to "do it for the 'gram."
Michael took candid photos of me checking emails in-between shows, so I could let my followers know that I'm super #busy:
Michael Ostuni
And street style pics with my fellow BAZAAR.com editors, Julie Kosin and Erica Gonzales.
Michael Ostuni
Some important photos highlighting my accessories of the day:
Michael Ostuni
And even the fashion girl's classic favorite "hailing a cab" photo that didn't look at all staged.
Michael Ostuni
For those looking to up their Instagram game, the new Task Rabbit feature is incredibly convenient and guaranteed to get the likes and new followers rolling in. For those who aren't actually fashion bloggers or aspiring models, morphing into your own Instagram model is undeniably and completely embarrassing. But all in all, despite the awkwardness of the situation, I got a few good Instagrams and at the end of the day, what more could you ask for?
Lauren Alexis Fisher is the Senior Editor at Cosmopolitan, overseeing digital content across fashion, lifestyle, beauty, sex, and culture. Previously, she was the Market Editor at Harper’s BAZAAR and has written for publications including WWD, Bustle, and W Magazine. When she’s not busy taste-testing her way through every dirty martini in New York, you can follow her on Instagram for bad jokes, good outfits, and annoying vacation pics.
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