Have you ever seen someone do something really cool on Instagram that made you want to do it, too? But then, maybe you thought you couldn’t be a copy cat.

Attending a B.Y.O.C. (bring your own camera) event at CAM Raleigh last month proved that having a similar photo backdrop, or even concept for a video, can result in completely different posts. Consider how these three videos, shot with the same backdrop and props, are different.

I chose to use Boomerang to give the impression that I was jumping all night while brightly colored pom-poms pelted me.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMaVcR0AkN5/?taken-by=blah2voila

My son used a slow-mo effect while he stood in a stream of the pom-poms, trying not to smile because, well, because he thought that would look cool. (And it did.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMbnTQFDTOQ/?taken-by=jdog615

And checkout Katie Stew‘s video that combines the jumping motion of mine with slow-mo. I love how Katie’s hair looks in this, and it is another example of how different people can do something similar without it necessarily looking the same.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMaiJCihNKd/?taken-by=k80stew

I’m not suggesting you rip off your friend’s most clever social media idea since the invention of, um, well, social media. However, if you see someone do something you think is cool, there’s nothing wrong with experimenting to see how you can make it your own. After all, isn’t that the fun of social media?

What’s your favorite social channel? Mine is Instagram, and you can see my photos and videos by following me. Leave me a like or comment if you think pom-pom pelting looks fun to you, too!