Wow. I don’t know what I was expecting when I sought permission to review Sara Tasker’s book, Hashtag Authentic. That’s not exactly true. I was expecting an opinionated, throw-a-hundred-darts-and-see-what-sticks approach to Instagram and hashtags. What I found was completely different. What I found was refreshing and thoughtful.

If you’ve sought to develop on online presence through Instagram or blogging, you’ve probably already read hundreds of articles and books and watched countless videos. Everyone seems to be an expert - and if you want to find success, you must follow his/her advice. All of it. And you must do it quickly.

Tasker’s approach is different in that she isn’t providing any quick-fix answers. In fact, she doesn’t provide any answers initially. Instead, she calmly and methodically asks you to think about what you are doing; what you like; what you hope to accomplish. I find that even her writing style is relaxed. Slowly and deliberately, she asks you to be intentional about your approach. She doesn’t ask you to spend any money. She asks you to devote time and brain power.

In the latter portion of the book, she does provide some answers - but again, it is more “think about this” than “your must do this or risk utter failure.” Through and through, there is a ton of useful information in this book.

If you do nothing else today, at least follow Tasker on Instagram (@me_and_orla). You’ll be glad you did.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

I’m still honing my overall voice and vision, but you can find my work-in-progress blog at www.Patch405.com.

I've been following Sara's instagram for a while so when I saw her first book on Netgalley, I had to request it and I wasn't disappointed as it's not only filled with interesting reflective points on photography, instagram and social media in general but it also contains so many of her gorgeous photographs.

It was a quick read with some fairly basic points at times but it was useful in outlining some techniques and ideas to improve photography and to increase instagram clicks. I also liked the very easy, almost calming writing style along with the various 'activities' pages throughout the book which helped me to look at the photos I was posting in a new light. I think it's a great book to go back to if you're feeling disheartened about your photos or instagram account (which is definitely the case for a blogger) and I will be referring back to this book but I think if you're looking for an in-depth, technical guide to improving your instagram or photographs then this isn't the book for you (if that's what you want then maybe her online courses would help). However I would recommend it if you're looking for general inspiration and tips as well as a beautifully put together book.

As an interior photography teacher, I consider this book to be a great source of inspiration for my students to get started with a more professional looking Instagram feed. I am a photographer with over 11 years of experience, And even with my professional background, I find Sara Tasker's tips inspiring.
I ordered a hard copy for my reference after reviewing this book (I got a copy through NetGalley). The photography, graphic design, and print quality are beautiful.

I've seen this book couple of times and i wanted to check myself. Luckly i found on Netgalley. This book was full of beautiful photos and usefull tips on instagram photography. It was really good. Definitely worth to check.

“Pictures transcend language barriers, cognitive differences and offer a different experience to everyone who sees them.”

HASTAG AUTHENTIC by Sara Tasker is the perfect combination of great photography, aesthetics and how to manage your Instagram account. Not only does Sara share her own journey, but she gives advice on how you can grow your social media accounts and upping your photography game.

As someone who loves photography and Instagram, this was an extremely helpful book. Sara explained assorted topics in detail and then gave some fun exercises. These exercises help you realize what you like and content you should focus on for your account, other focus on telling a story and sharing memories. The book format is clear and straightforward way, making it easy to navigate and read.

“Composition is the beating heart of any image.”

The book also features photos Sara took, and let me just say that they are amazing! I ended up just living in some of the photos. She really has a gift for capturing a moment and making the viewer a part of it. Her photography covers a variety of elements and themes, from lush settings to delicate hands. There is a simplistic aesthetic to Sara’s photos that leaves an impression.

If you are looking for tips to gain followers fast or get a ton of likes, then this book isn’t for you. Sara focuses more on the content and creating an online community. She touched on topics of likes and followers, but it’s brief. I think that is why this book is so great. Sara explains how to connect with people online and how to create everlasting friendship through photography. I look forward to taking my photography and Instagram account to the next level!


* Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was recommended to me by Renee from The Caffeinated Reader and although I didn't know what to expect, I went into it with an open mind. I am happy to say that this book was fantastic and it exceeded my expectations.

My relationship with photography started many, many years ago, when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I never had the greatest relationship with my maternal grandfather, what with him not being a huge part of our family, but we did have a few things in common, me and him, and one of them was photography. I remember looking at the family albums from when my mom and her sister were kids, and all those photographs were taken and developed by him. Since we're talking late 60s early 70s here, most of these photos are in black and while, with a few of them colorized during - I assume - the developing process. Ever since I first saw those portraits I knew I wanted to learn how to take good photos, but every book I've tried to read in the past about it felt stuffy and I couldn't ever manage to get through to the end, because it always focused on technical knowledge that I couldn't remember. So when I requested this book I expected much of the same, but at the same time I had high hopes because it mentions Instagram, and for some reason Instagram looks friendlier to me for photography sharing than any other social media account out there.

Hashtag Authentic is more than just a how-to book for photography and growing your channel on Instagram. It's a book about the creative process, how to take a simple idea and make it amazing, how to select which hashtags to use, what are the best free and payed editing apps to use, and even ideas on what to photograph. I loved the exercises a lot, because they went beyond "take a pretty picture of a tree and share it" and instead they talk about the reason behind a photo, what you're trying to show, what are the various elements in a photo, what is your desired style of photography, and stuff like that.

I mentioned that the book is about so much more than photography, and it is. It's a book that encourages you to take that camera and use it, even if it seems scary. It's a book that encourages readers to stop being camera shy and think about why exactly you don't like to have your photo taken. Honestly, this last one made me realize how in the pre-social-media part of my life, back when the Internet was just a fancy word that meant a rather distant technology that mainly rich people had access to, I had no problem with being photographed. But once social media started gaining more and more notoriety, and once it became apparent that the photos can and do get used in slightly inappropriate ways, I slowly started to appear less and less in photos. And I love the example Sara gives from her own life regarding the photos with her infant daughter and how she wished she had more photos with both of them from when her daughter was a baby. That's the perfect example as to why you should remember to not hide from the camera.

Another thing that I loved about this book is that in the beginning Sara talks about the difference between film photography and digital photography. I used to be rather good at film photography. Not knock your socks off good, but I took decent photos. My passion were trees, and I loved playing around with different cameras. I had a Kodak one, that was really good, but I also loved the results I got from less-than-great cameras, like a lipstick-shaped one I won in a contest when I was about 14. Now I probably wouldn't even remember how to put the film in the camera to be honest, which pains me. But what Sara said was all true. I remember the care with which I put in the film to try to not damage it, how I had to know how much I had to turn the dial in order to get to the next photo, how to check how much photos I could take, and then the excitement of waiting for it to be developed. It sounds tedious, I know, but it had a romanticism that digital photography lacks.

Since this is a book about photography and Instagram, there's also quite a few discussions on how to use Instagram to showcase your photography in a way that is attractive. I never before thought to plan my feed or to try to understand why some feeds appeal to me more than others, but now I find I pay more attention to that aspect of my Instagram browsing sessions. There's also a discussion about your personal safety, with tips and tricks Sara uses.

The most important lesson for me in this book however has nothing to do with photography or social media. Instead, it's about empowerment and courage. Sara mentions how you should stop procrastinating and just do whatever you want to do, even if you think you don't have that expensive equipment everyone seems to be using. She encourages her readers to make mistakes, which is the most important and powerful thing I've ever read. Maybe it sounds stupid, but I've never before encountered a book where mistakes were discussed as learning curves and opportunities. And I honestly needed that.

I won't go on further, even though I could, because I really hope you guys pick up this book and read it. It's a fairly short book, but it's full of valuable lessons, and I hope you guys will find it useful. As you can probably tell, I really loved this book and it helped me find my courage to pick up my camera again and use it beyond what I do for bookstagram.

A useful book with lots of advice. This will be one of those books that I will come back to time again.

Hashtag Authentic is the perfect novel for anyone out there trying to work on their Instagram presence or image. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing it as a personal account, or trying to get a business going. This novel will help your organize your thoughts, come up with a plan and feeling, and keep you on track.
Sara Tasker is a trustworthy expert in the field, so you won’t be wasting your time with her book. She’s the perfect Instagram coach, as pointed out in this book’s bio. But it’s true, she really does know what she’s doing, and she had no problem laying out the whole process from beginning to end.
This novel covers everything, from the cultural relevance of Instagram, to photography basics, to how to think about arranging your photos, and how to capture everyday parts of your life. From there she progressed into other subjects, such as finding your personal style, how to include nature, pets, family, and whimsy, things like that.
The novel also covers a lot of the more technical elements of arranging photos, such as composition and lighting. She even includes tips on using the camera within your phone – something a lot of traditional photography books will overlook.
Finally, the book also includes tips and advice on your actual Instagram account. Everything from how to include stories, to captions, and how to define your own version of success.
This book is an amazing resource to anybody that is trying to up their Instagram game. I think it’d be a fun read for those that have a personal account for fun, and vital for those trying to make a business out of their Instagram page.

After reading this book, you will be looking at your pictures in a whole new way. Now with the advance of technology, we take pictures every day any moment of the day for just about anything, but we do not always internalize the meaning of this activity. The book inspires us to take a moment and think about the purpose behind our pictures. Is it to record the moment? Are we trying to communicate something? If that is the case, what are we trying to say? So, we want to keep on taking pictures but some us might be interested in adding more meaning and purpose to this hobby. At first, I went through the whole book in one go, just taking in the contents and the pictures. Then I took my time exploring the different chapters and I realize that this book is to be enjoy at a slow pace trying out some of the exercises and suggestions. The book is divided into four major parts. The first looks at finding inspiration and acquiring a photographic style. The second part goes into detail about technical ideas such as composition, the importance of light, choosing photographic subjects, using phone cameras, phone apps for picture editing, and capturing the moment versus creating moments. The third part of the book focuses on the idea of telling our own stories though the pictures we take. Recording our daily life; from major undertakings such as family trips to small moments like drinking coffee in the morning. How all these come together and become or life stories. The last part talks about how sharing our pictures can bring rich new possibilities for more inspiration and more purpose. This is a beautiful book, but also a very helpful book for those of us that would like to do more with our daily picture taking. I received a free copy via NetGalley.

Inspiring and essential reading for the creative, photographer, or instagram lover. Sara's storytelling, images, and creativity will transport you to a kind, warm, mystical place where anything is possible.

This is a beautifully laid out book. The design and photography is stylish, minimal and completely effective. As a blogger I found it incredibly helpful, but can see it will appeal to people who just want to improve, their instagram feed or create interesting content.

I will be buying a hard copy of this as a reference guide. I love it!

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, my review is my own opinion.

Ever wonder why your Instagram fails to thrive when everyone else's grows? Than this book could help you. "Hashtag Authentic" can teach you exactly what you're doing wrong with your pictures, and exactly what you need to do to make them better. From photography tips, to caption and hashtag help, and even layout for your page, it really has everything you could ever need.

With beautiful pictures, the book shows you what to strive for, and positively reinforces not only lessons, but also your future career, or hobby, of photography. I feel like I just took a high school class about it, but I really just read a short book. I'm refreshed, and ready to start taking the pictures that I want to take.

If you need an easy to follow book that points you in the right direction, than this is the book for you. Its a fast read, but it's packed full of information, and it doesn't read like a textbook.

Thanks for reading!
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I really enjoyed Sara Tasker's book, Hashtag Authentic. I'm not very good at using social media, and as a freelance writer, I need to learn more. Instagram, with some 400 million active monthly users, seems to have emerged as particularly important for those who are looking for followers that may lead to paying work.

Although the word "authentic" is in Tasker's title, once I started reading her book, I expected to find a lot more about using social platforms to grow a business, become an influencer and/or make money. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she's really encouraging us to express our true selves and record our daily lives, so we're creating blog posts and images from the heart.

That's not to say that her book isn't filled with practical, useful ideas and applications. It is.

Highly recommended for anyone who needs help and encouragement in the interactive world.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from White Lion Publishing and NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. I loved this book!!! It is real information that has practical use in today's world. Congrats to Sara making this book and putting herself out there for the world to see and how you yourself can make it happen as well on Instagram. I am reading it again because there is some information and real-life packed into each page, I needed to read it again to make sure I didn’t miss anything. If you want to make it on Instagram with photos and life this is the book for you! It will be money well spent!

4.5 stars.

I've been a follower and fan of Sara Tasker's Instagram (@me_and_orla) for a while now. The calming composition and captions of her photos remind me to take a moment to breathe and appreciate the world around me, and that's the power of human connection.

This is a beautifully written and very helpful guide for the age of social media, offering insight on visual storytelling, smartphone photography, the balance between authenticity and aesthetic. There are thoughtful exercises to help you figure out your style and what messages you want to convey, what distinguishes the photos that appeal to you (and therefore your ideal target audience). Whether you have 10 or 10k followers, the evergreen tips in this book are good for checking in on your process and developing an authentic online community.

I tend to hang out in relatively niche corners of Instagram. As such, I came to Hashtag Authentic completely unaware of Sara Tasker and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/me_and_orla/">her Instagram feed</a>. Never heard of her, and her images don't show up in my Explore feed. But the description of Tasker as an "Instagram coach" twigged my curiosity enough to make me want to read this.

What this book is:
A gorgeous primer on the hows and whys of Instagram. Tasker teaches basic lessons in photography for social media. (If you're familiar with how to use a camera--if you already know what an f stop is and the rule of thirds--you'll breeze over about a quarter of this slim volume.) She offers recommendations on editing tools, and also discusses a little of the business of editing, both in terms of individual images (go easy on the filters, everyone) and
also one's grid in general.

Tasker's voice is generous and kind, never smug. It's all very down-to-earth, and that will make it easier to hear her message. She's your favorite cousin, here to urge you to be yourself and never mind your follower count. But her message is advice one might cull from any number of sources over time, or might learn on one's own over time. (Raise your hand if you went through an unfortunate phase with blink tags in the early days of the internet, and had to unlearn that behavior.)

What this book is not:
In the middle of one of a how-to on image composition, Tasker mentions moving items out of frame for a better shot, and I was seized with a question about what that meant for the word "authentic" in the title. Why authentic?

I took a couple of pictures for Instagram earlier this week. I discarded the first few iterations because a dried spill on the table showed in the foreground. The later shots were angled upward a bit to keep it out of frame. Which is authentic? My dirty kitchen table?

There's an unexplored truth underlying the book: we decry seemingly perfect lives as presented on social media but we don't actually want to see imperfect lives on social media. We lambaste parents who share images of their children mid-tantrum. We grumble about the relative who shares their every ache and pain online. In a medium like Instagram, we zoom in on beautiful pictures and gloss over the rude and difficult. We don't want authenticity.

Tasker urges people to share their failures and messes, but... you know... pay attention to how it lays out in your grid.

Despite all this, I did find this to be a lovely book. Tasker's photography is attractive, and I would not hesitate to make a gift of this to a teen who wants advice on "how to Instagram".

At the time of this review, the hardcover edition of this book is less than $1 more than the Kindle edition. The hardcover is well worth the additional expense. Much of the content of the book is visual, and e-ink would not do it justice.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me in order to facilitate this review.

I am a huge fan of instragram!! I have always loved photograhs especially natural ones and instragram has given us all a new updated version of our old photograph albums.

With most photos now being taken on our phones I was very interested in this book in an attempt to improve my own photograhs .

The book itself contains stunning photography and Sarah’s honest advice and options are really insightful.

As I love to share my personal life and love of books through instragram , I agree with Sarah when she emphasises the importance of enjoying your feed, engaging with others and using your own voice without comparing yourself to others .

Definitely a book to dip in and out of and hopefully improve my photography as a bonus . Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this delightful book .

Hashtag Authentic by Sara Tasker blew me away because of the expectations I approached it with. Sara Tasker is not just a success on Instagram because she takes a lot of photos, but because she knows her stuff and she shares a lot of her experiences, insights, and knowledge in this book.

A lot of people pick up their phone and take pictures, uploading them to Instagram without any thought to story, framing, light, or any of the technical processes that come along with it. Hashtag Authentic has sections that discuss these things and exercises for the reader to actually work through some of these elements, taking a mediocre picture to a great picture.

In addition, there’s discussion regarding the types of photography-related and/or photo editing apps that you can can download to make your photos even better. Most of them are free but the differences come in user friendliness.

All of this extremely useful information is accompanied by Tasker’s lovely, thoughtful photographs and experiences.

If you’re an Instagrammer who wants to take things to the next level, I highly recommend Hashtag Authentic. It goes well-beyond the typical “I became famous by doing this” kind of memoir to a fusion of experience and handbook with lots of guidance as to how you can take pictures like these yourself…except in your own authentic way.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Helpful and highly readable, this book gives you the basics of phone photography and the basics of instagram. The author taps into her own experience to encourage and inspire readers to share something of their own worlds with others. Inspirational to those who work with content and social media.

If you've read the blurb then you at least know what this is about, if you're not interested in Instagram or tips about it then I wouldn't recommend this. If you are, then I would highly recommend this, Sara has a really nice writing voice and I have a sneaking suspicion she'd write a pretty good motivational speaker book. She's truthful, she admits though these pictures represent her life and times in it, that they are of course adapted to the photo that she wants (like the waterfall picture where chaos is ensuing in the background which I found entirely relatable). She's taken her experience and tried to help others who are looking for their Instagram/Social media voices. I found it a quick pleasant read and as someone who is trying to interact more with a certain community via Instagram, I found this helpful and even bookmarked a few pages to go back to! I've rated this on how useful and enjoyable I found it, it's not meant to be a literary masterpiece and she gives you exactly what she says she will as far as content goes.

I received a free copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for my HONEST opinion. Getting this for free had no influence on my review. I just call them as I see them.