The Best of #WWIM12SriLanka

Yesterday was a big day for Lankan Instgrammers. The World Wide InstaMeet (WWIM12) saw a gathering of a large crowd of excited IGers coming together to connect, explore, and celebrate their creativity.

Sunday’s InstaMeet featured something new as far as Instameets go. After meeting up at the Castle Hotel in Slave Island, InstaMeet participants shared goodies, chatted for a while and had the opportunity to partake in an informal discussion featuring a panel consisting of prominent Instagrammers and photographers like Malaka Pathmalal, Amalini De Sayrah, and Menika van der Poorten. IGers then took to the streets of Slave Island where they spent the rest of the evening watching canines perform circus tricks and strolling through colourful but narrow alleyways.

Following the InstaMeet, there have been some great photos making its way to the Insta-sphere under the official hashtag #WWIM12SriLanka. Here are some of the best of what’s out there.

We captured little snippets of the InstaMeet on our Snapchat (roar.lk). If you hurry, you could still catch the excitement on our Snapchat Story!

Amalini

I'll bring the parippu, someone volunteer the pol sambol and chicken curry – paan party for a week! : wood-fired bread loaves from a bakery in Peliyagoda, brought to stock the kadeys of Slave Island, #Colombo. #SriLanka #food #people #WWIM12 #WWIM12SriLanka

A post shared by Amalini De Sayrah (@amaliniii) on Oct 4, 2015 at 10:51pm PDT

Nusky Mukthar

A #puddlegram at #wwim12Srilanka #wwim12 #instameetsl #everydaysrilanka #everydayeverywhere #SlaveIsland #SriLanka #colombo #whpreflective

A post shared by Nusky Mukthar (@nuskymukthar) on Oct 4, 2015 at 6:27am PDT

Sachindra Umesh

quintessence : #wwim12srilanka .👶👵👴👦👧👩👨 #instagramers #instameetsl #moments #discoveringcolombo

A post shared by Shutterpilgrim (@shutterpilgrim) on Oct 4, 2015 at 10:06am PDT

Wanderlustgava

– new Colombo through old Colombo; we got the rare chance to walk through the upstairs halls of #castlehotel to peak out to the future or Colombo through dirty old windows. – #wwim12 #WWIM12SriLanka

A post shared by Gava Bolonghe (@wanderlustgava) on Oct 4, 2015 at 8:12am PDT

Amanulla Nizam

Since instagramers invaded Castle hotel the usual visitors had to wait outside for a while. Insta meet. Slave Island, Sri Lanka. #WWIM12srilanka #everydaysrilanka #wwim12sl #photooftheday #instago #instadaily #instameet #instameetsl #Srilanka #VSCOcam

A post shared by Amanulla Nizam (@amanullamn) on Oct 4, 2015 at 8:03pm PDT

Irangi Wadumesthri

The circus of life. #dogsofinstagram #srilanka #streetcircus #wwim12srilanka #wwim12sl

A post shared by Irangi Wadumesthri (@irangi_w) on Oct 4, 2015 at 7:30am PDT

Thyagi

Posers on a Sunday evening #wwim12srilanka

A post shared by Thyagi Ruwanpathirana (@thyagir) on Oct 4, 2015 at 5:33am PDT

Kinita

Getting my grand and misguided revenge on men who hoot at me on the street by taking insufferably hipster street photos of them. Take that! Side note: interesting juxtaposition of charming colonial structures smothered by hideous conglomerate ads. #metaphor anyone? #wwim #wwim12srilanka #colombo #srilanka #street

A post shared by Kinita Shenoy (@kinita.s) on Oct 4, 2015 at 11:30pm PDT

Nazly

. @mufarris caught Traingrammimg.. #wwim12srilanka #InstaMeetSL #Colombo #SriLanka

A post shared by Nazly Ahmed (@nazlyahmed) on Oct 4, 2015 at 7:21am PDT

Halik

The thing about poverty is that it is not simply about being in a state of not-having. It is about being in a state that perpetuates that not-having; a structure of violence that reproduces itself with every new generation. If you don't believe me, look into Nazar's eyes. This is him posing. Possibly smiling. To me his eyes scream 'misspent youth'. His bling and general demeanor are relics of his former glory; a brilliant, brief flash of skipping school, beeda hits, fun with the boys on the streets and then seeing that short dream vanish into the job of a day laborer, to be held for the rest of his life. Where did it all go? His eyes ask, forever gazing at a future that could have been. On the streets I see the next generation that will follow in Nazar's footsteps. Idle hands and minds, stuck within a society largely lacking in the soft and hard resources needed to boost them to a level of self-awareness capable of making them productive, both for themselves and to the world at large. This is the plight of the urban poor. Structurally oppressed. Economically exploited. Socially marginalized. And, in the case of the youth at least, blissfully unaware of it until reality hits; often too late. #Srilanka #streetphotography #wwim12srilanka #everydaysrilanka #wwim12

A post shared by Abdul Halik Azeez (@colombedouin) on Oct 5, 2015 at 12:12pm PDT

Himal

Holy contrast, Batman!

A post shared by Himal Kotelawala (@himalkk) on Oct 5, 2015 at 3:58am PDT

Amani

Manioc chips > French fries? 😏 #Srilankanstreetfood #wwim12 #wwim12srilanka #Galleface

A post shared by AMANI PILAPITIYA© (@amani.pila) on Oct 5, 2015 at 10:40pm PDT