Photo: @mikehrichards
Being responsible for an aesthetically pleasing Instagram account can be a difficult task, so we’ve got to commend Mike Richards for trying. Unfortunately, trying is not the same as succeeding.
Recently, the Caps forward set his profile to public, allowing fans to take a closer look at his glamorous life. Wait… I’m getting confused with Alex Ovechkin’s Instagram. Richards’ is just filled with pictures of fish and dogs. Oh, and two championship rings, with a third to add to the collection after this postseason. So, only a little glamorous.
Let’s start with the basics. Almost 1,900 people follow him, which isn’t a great number for an NHLer, but because his account was just taken off private, we can give him a free pass. His ratio is still pretty bangin’ though, as he’s only following around 260 people. Just by looking at his recent pictures, we can determine his Instagram was made public sometime before March 23, where his picture gained 380 likes, but after January 30, with his two posted photos receiving 96 likes and 170 likes. Science.
In all honesty, I wouldn’t be too critical of Mike Richards’ account if it weren’t for his horrendous filters. Personally, I recommend VSCO and maybe FaceTune if you’re feeling extra gross that day. Richards, on the other hand, seems to take full advantage of Instagram’s built-in features. I spent a good 10 minutes trying to recreate his signature coloration, for the chance you’d like to imitate his theme (please don’t).
Nashville filter: 100
Lux: 100
Brightness: -17
Contrast: -26
Warmth: -100
Shadows (light blue): 16
Highlights (green): 25
Here’s my own rendering of it, just in case you were wondering what it would look like on non-NHL players (spoiler alert: not good):
If Richie’s pictures don’t have a bluish-green layer over it, they’re most likely unfiltered or overly contrasted. Oh, Mike, I have so much to teach you.
At first glance, his photos look like any typical dude’s photos. His feed is packed with hunting and fishing pictures, his family (dog included), and stereotypical water and sky photos. But digging around, I found a few that especially sparked my interest. (This is also a good time to encourage everyone to like Richards’ first ever Instagram post from May 2012 because he only has four likes currently, and wouldn’t it be fun to be that crazy stalker who accidentally likes their crush’s photo from 204 weeks ago? Except it would be on purpose and not a crush.)
When the L.A. Kings, Richards’ former team, won the Stanley Cup in 2012, his account was filled with Cup (and fish) pictures, and I fully expect all Caps players to follow in Richie’s footsteps — pictures of the Cup, not fish. He made sure to document his time at the White House, and even got to shake President Obama’s hand, which is pretty damn cool in my book.
Here’s Richards saying what we’re all thinking at times:
And Richards being relatable once again (huge shout-out to NoVa and Maryland drivers):
Honorable mention:
Overall Instagram rating: 6.5/10. (For reference, Brooks Laich’s Instagram is what would constitute as a 10.) There’s room for improvement, but not too shabby. My suggestions are to go a little lighter on the filters and to expand the subject of his posts. He’s a busy hockey player, though, so we’ll excuse him for now.
