The creative inspiration of Instagram was from a photography class taken in Florence at FSFA.
Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, often reflects on a pivotal moment from his semester studying abroad in Florence through Stanford Florence Abroad. During that semester, Stanford sought to offer a photography course for its students and engaged FSFA co-founder Charles Loverme to teach the class to their students.
The course was held at FSFA's facilities and limited to a small group of seven students, creating an environment of close mentorship and ongoing conversation. Over the course of the semester, Charles developed strong relationships with each student—often stepping out with Kevin during lunch breaks to grab kebabs and talk at length about photography, process, and seeing.
It was during these exchanges that Charles began to notice something: Kevin, already technically accomplished, was becoming overly focused on equipment, settings, and the precision of his high-end camera.
One day, Charles made a deliberate intervention. He took Kevin's camera away and handed him a simple plastic camera instead—a Holga.
"You're too focused on all the technical details and camera gadgets," Charles told him. "I want you to see and feel Florence through the lens. Use this Holga instead."
The Holga is a low-tech, plastic camera known for its beautiful imperfections—soft focus, vignetting, and light leaks. Kevin was skeptical at first, but he soon discovered the power of its simplicity. He had been chasing technical perfection, but the Holga taught him to see the world differently.
Kevin continued working with the Holga for the rest of the semester, beginning with black-and-white film and gradually moving into color, cross-processing, and print toning. Much of this work took place through close, one-on-one instruction with Charles, who guided Kevin through each process in the studio. The experience stayed with him long after the course ended.
It ultimately influenced Instagram's signature aesthetic—those retro-style, filtered images. The Holga's square-format 120mm film even inspired Instagram's original square photo format.
This shift in perspective—focusing less on technical precision and more on storytelling and emotion—helped shape Instagram's founding vision: making photography accessible and creative for everyone.
At FSFA, we believe moments like this happen through genuine connection and personal guidance. This kind of one-on-one attention and transformative interaction simply wouldn't be possible in a large class setting. We're dedicated to working closely with each individual student—to nurture their unique vision, support their creative journey, and help them discover what makes their perspective truly their own.
