I have a question. I was actually gonna make a video about this and post it to my Instagram Story but figured I would just ask here. If I post a great photo that I took of a model or made an eye catching REEL, it may get some likes, might have some engagement with folks commenting but that's about it. A lot of my photos are barely hitting 100 views. My REELS do better actually. According to my Insights my reels are getting pushed out there and get way more views/likes than my photos are getting. The people that follow my account are other photographers and a lot of models. I do have a good amount of Non Photographers and Non models that follow my account too.

Now here is the crazy thing, the models I work with could post the exact same photo I posted and for whatever reason could double or triple the amount of views that same image gets if she posts it. Why is that? I've noticed this with a lot of my work. I know the models have their own "fan" base and all which consists of other models and photographers, stylists and MUAs and regular people just like I have but its not even close. I might get 20 to say 70 likes per image give or take and if she posts the same image, she could get well over 1,000 views/likes and 300-500 or more comments and shares. How do I get that amount of eyes on my work? I post often, I post the same type of content for the most part. Maybe I need to target a new audience or something?

To some photographers this isn't a big deal. I used to be one that could care less how many views or likes my images were getting until I recently noticed a clear difference when the model posts the same exact image to her Instagram account. I am  just tryin to figure out why that is.

It's the same reason why a female model that posts a photo in their MM portfolio can get thousands of views, lots of people adding to their lists and tons of comments while the photographer that posts the same photo gets slightly more than 'bupkis'.

have you considered growing a pair of breasts and taking that medical advance with you in a time machine to be 24 years old?

Instagram is promoting reels over still images, so that's why your reels get more views.

I think part of the reason people may not comment and like is because there are so many re-post accounts that are filled with stolen images that people are trying to support the actual creators. I saw your account and you do seem to put comments in that would make it obvious to some that it is your work, but maybe make it more obvious? I see a lot of reels that have voiceovers that say " I am a photographer and this is my work" so not sure if that could help? Also maybe add some behind the scenes stuff including yourself?

My account was stuck around 8k followers for a long time and then I posted a few reels here and there and now suddenly I'm over 11k. It doesn't even seem to matter if they are cat videos. Lol.

"... It doesn't even seem to matter if they are cat videos."  So Totally! Love MoRina inference here... Spot on...
btw, my significant other binge watches Kitty Cat videos... lol I have to admit they are entertaining...

All kidding aside Chuck Purnell... In answer to your query on IG "Likes"  Has it ever occurred to you that those "Likes" are directed toward the IG Account holder and maybe not so much the image and/or reel?

Many photographers I collaborate with as a makeup artist are primarily using IG to avoid paying their local model agency's fees to book experience talent. Also likely because their "Books" arn't strong enough to solicit work from high end paying clients... In those scenarios the team's fees are passed through to the client... Hope this makes sense.  But then again they are commercial photographers who's "Books" don't include soft porn which can greatly limit their ability to be invited to become a "Testing Photographer" for talent in their local model agency's "New Faces Board".

I can only speak from my experience Chuck and I primarily work with agency (and/or) agency worthy talent (also with professionally trained ballerinas). Same with my Team members who are seriously looking for publication i.e. "Named Credits" which on the commercial side of the image equation are far more valuable than a myriad of IG likes. 

It's all about the genre you choose to work in Chuck, and by all means please pursue the promptings that come from within, to do otherwise will likely not be in yours or your teams best interest. That said, I personally LOVE fashion and beauty genre, and this is my target audience.  What is your target audience Chuck?

Please take heart though, because those highly popular female model IG accounts are like the morning dew so beautiful in dawn's early glow but soon quickly fade away as they grow old.  Photographers on the other hand age gracefully... Peter Lindbergh was still shooting for VOGUE etc. until his final days. And his final renderings were just as magnificent as the efforts of his early years.

Enjoy your photographic journey Chuck, and stay the course but maybe keep an open mind on the direction of your narratives and/or genre(s) you are pursuing.  Cheers!

A great working relationship or solid friendship with a punctual, friendly model that promotes you when it counts (e.g. for collaborations with others, jobs, events, etc.) is worth more than a million likes!

What is this “Instagram” I keep hearing about?

Is it like a new MySpace?

Chuck,

You might (or should) ask for "equal billing".  Especially since you created the image or reel.  You own it.
Unless the model hires you for a shoot and compensates you; the image belongs to you.
If the model is monetizing it without your consent (or has compensated you for it); then you would be entitled to the lion's share of the revenue.

Food for thought for photographers hiring Instagram or OF models and them taking YOUR images and making a financial killing with them.

Because I look at work that I did not make myself.

I've noticed that the photographer hardly gets any likes - compared to when the model posts the same or worse shot. And I've been noticing this since say 2014 (or thereabouts) when I started using Instagram. It seems to be the the nature of the beast and all the changes to the algo have made not the slightest difference to this phenomenon at all. Makes me wonder if people are going to Instagram for something other than the photography.

Is it really that important? Instagram is useful as a platform for communication, you can post a few pictures there as well if you want.