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From Riyadh to Kathmandu with Tasneem Alsultan

To see more of Tasneem’s work, follow @tasneemalsultan on Instagram.

Tasneem Alsultan (@tasneemalsultan) has her #EyesOn the people of Nepal — and a new respect for their resilience after the devastating earthquake that struck in 2015. “I see hardship,” the photojournalist from Saudi Arabia says. “They’ve had years of struggle — from war, poverty and even natural disaster — but there’s a sense of pride and humbleness.”

As an exhibiting photographer at Photo Kathmandu (@photoktm), Tasneem brings images of Saudi marriage traditions to Nepal’s only international photo festival where images are installed in public spaces of the city’s winding streets. Just as her photos confront misconceptions about Saudi women, Tasneem marvels at the unexpected in Nepal: women toiling on construction sites in Kathmandu alongside their children. “My project here, amazingly, has made Nepali visitors realize that we’re similar.”

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knitmeapony

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Honey Over Ink for Hebrew Typographer @e_known

To see more of Enon’s work, follow @e_known on Instagram.

Enon Avital (@e_known) reached for a bottle of honey, not an inkwell, when he wrote a message of good wishes for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. “At the beginning, I was doing traditional typography — just ink on paper, pencil on paper. Nothing like I’m doing now,” says the New Jersey-based designer and web developer. But eventually Enon looked to more unconventional materials — everything from kiwis to pencil shavings — and turned them into Hebrew typography. “I like the pieces I can eat at the end. That’s always fun,” he says.

Rosh Hashana begins this week and focuses on leaving the old behind and embracing the new. “We drop all negativity,” says Enon. “When the community as a whole asks for forgiveness and resets, we are all refreshed. That is what Rosh Hashana is all about.”

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Source: instagram

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Vicarious Yelling Station

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Source: miguelmarquezoutside.com

instagram

Introducing Photo and Video Replies to Stories

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Starting today, you can reply to stories with a photo or video. From selfies to Boomerangs, now you can be even more fun and playful when you respond to friends. To reply with a photo or a video, tap the new camera button while you’re watching a story. You can use any creative tools in the camera, including face filters, stickers and Rewind. Replies also include a sticker of the story that you can move around and resize.

When a friend replies to your story with a photo or a video, you’ll see it in your inbox. You can tap to view it and also see a sticker of the original story that’s only visible to you. As with disappearing photos and videos in Direct, your friends will know when you’ve taken a screenshot or replayed a reply.

Today’s update is just one of the ways we’re working to make Direct the best place to have fun, visual conversations with friends on Instagram.

To learn more about photo and video replies, visit the Instagram Help Center.

These updates are available as part of Instagram version 10.28 and above for iOS in the Apple App Store and for Android in Google Play.

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Going solo

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Today I’m embarking on my first solo trip. I frequently travel “alone” for work and leisure, but always with an event or friends at the destination. This trip is different because there’s nobody I’m meeting on the other side, nor much of a plan other than “show up.”

I normally dread doing activities like dining out and seeing movies alone, but usually find that it can be quite pleasant and often preferable to do so.

I’m also traveling without my laptop—another first. In keeping with my goal of not spending leisure time on the computer, I’m leaving it behind in favor of an iPad and Kindle with which I hope to accomplish lots of reading and writing.

Regardless of whether or not I love it or hate it, I’ll learn something new about myself. And that’s all that really matters.

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what-a-misunderstanding

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My next chapter

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Today I’m excited to announce that I’ve joined Google.

When meeting with current and former Googlers, I continually find myself drawn to their intelligence, passion, and enthusiasm — as well as a universal desire to share it with others. I’m also impressed by Google’s commitment to enabling these same talented people to tackle some of the world’s most interesting and important problems.

I can’t wait to contribute my own experience from a dozen years of building online communities, and to begin the next chapter of my career at such an incredible company.

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