A year ago, I came up with the crazy idea to organize an Instameet to celebrate Minneapolis and its creative residents. When I saw that the date in June (6/12) coincided with the city’s telephone area code (612), it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
I say it was a crazy idea because I had never done anything remotely like it before and friends of mine not familiar with Instagram thought I was insane for getting together with a bunch of strangers from the internet. But anyone who understands the community-building power of this fascinating little app, knows that Instagram is as much about connecting with people as it is about photography.
What I dubbed the #612_Instameet was a huge success in its first year. KARE11 news even did a piece about it, officially putting our local Instagram community on the map.
This year, the 2nd-Annual #612_Instameet - planned and promoted by our organization, @Minnstameets - was even bigger and better than the first.
The crowd gathers at the start of the meet
View from the Stone Arch Bridge
Sunset from the bridge
Group shot taken by Pranam Gurung @gurungp_)