January 12, 2012

Keep on Rollin'


If you don't own an iPhone or have just been living under a rock, then you may not have heard about a wonderful package of app-joy called Instagram. I, along with ten million other users have uploaded over 150 million photographs onto this web-based application site. Something I didn't know about the program: the name actually pays homage to the Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid cameras because these devices took photos in a square shape. 
Instamatic camera circa 1970s
Shutter Talk
  The basic premise Instagram is as a photo-sharing application that converts your iOs photos into square-shaped masterpieces. There are a dozen "filters" that can be applied that can turn drab scenery images into slightly-overworked slightly artistic pieces. Though the filters are non-customizable, they are fun and funky. It's uncanny how some filters just seem to *fit*.


Wiki-showing the 15 filters that is available in Instagram 2.0-released September 2011.

The app has also expanded into a photoblog with weekly contests and features and created quite a community for itself. This blog is one of my favorites to frequent. After much protest from Instagram users, each user's own Instagram images can now be viewed online. (Mine.) Of course, Instagram was also keen enough to link up with Twitter and Facebook, so you can show off your skills on your own social network.

For all you Apple-haters out there, there are ways to get the Instagram-effects without owning an iPhone/iTouch/iPad.

Just for fun, I leave you with some Instagramming of my own (I apologize for the poor framing and crop as it was taken while I was running around in Central Park..)



1. Original 2. Filter 3. Double-Filter (just run a filtered photo through Instagram again, and experiment with color, lighting, etc!)

P.S.
I think one of my original goals for this site was to have it be a place to display the random photos that I take, especially those taken on my iPhone. Unbeknownst to me is that there is a made-up name for that sort of thing called Phoneography (aka mobile photography aka smartphone photography). Care to share your favorite Phoneography photos?


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