It has definitely been awhile since I’ve had the chance to blog. My day job has kept me busy, and by busy, I mean that I have little if any social life. That still doesn’t mean that I don’t keep a camera on me at all times. In comes Instagram.
I’ve never been one for camera phones. Even back when I had my old Motorola RAZR (the flip one) I hated the cameras. Lately, smartphones are being made with more and more pixels. There are even phones that are now having a low-light aperture (f/2.2). It would seem to make sense to have apps that can edit photos on your phone.
I have a little confession to make. I don’t know why I’d feel like this is a “confession” if any, but here goes. I’m not an Apple person. I know that most photographers are, but I have grown to despise the exclusivity of their products. I dislike that you have to buy their products and only their products. It’s smart business, but bad for consumers. As they say, two heads are better than one. It doesn’t make sense to allow one company to deal with innovation. It should be numerous companies. With that said, I’m all about PC (Windows). I’m all about Android. I’m all about Nikon. I’m all about PS3 (for you gamers out there). I try to stay away from the path that’s beaten down by the followers. I try to think for myself. All of these things screamed at me when Instagram popped up on Google Play.
I approached this app with caution. I had been using pixlr-o-matic to do most of my mobile photography, and I’d just upload it onto Facebook. It was cool, but that was a very complex way of doing things, to say the least. You took the image, you choose the filter, you choose the border, then you choose the file save size, and finally, you could upload to whatever social outlet you desire. For the time being, that was enough. I was happy. It did everything I wanted.
About a month or two before Instagram came to Android I had read an article on a website that said that Instagram was in the works for Android. I couldn’t help but pay a little attention with all the iPhone people having and taking “hipster” photos all in a stir over this news, so I waited patiently for the release of the app.
The day of the release, Marta and I were waiting for our awesome friend, Bonnie, at Mobella Events at Starbucks. The moment the app was released I felt a little joy. I couldn’t help it. I’m a nerd that loves new technology. Almost immediately I started taking pictures of things. I couldn’t help it. It took less than thirty seconds to set up my account and link all of my social networking sites. It was almost begging to be used. I might as well start the list before I get deep into explaining my love for this app.
About a month or two before Instagram came to Android I had read an article on a website that said that Instagram was in the works for Android. I couldn’t help but pay a little attention with all the iPhone people having and taking “hipster” photos all in a stir over this news
1. Ease of Use
I’m pretty sure it’s easy to see why Instagram is popular. It’s easy to use and easy to understand. It’s easy to make great pictures and lightning fast. I can’t help but sit in awe at how awesomely easy it is to use this app. You go into the app, take a shot, add a filter (and Lux), and you’re set to upload. Simple as that. You can choose all your social outlets with a few clicks and BAM! you’re there. To say that this app is pretty fast is an understatement. This app is really fast. At first, it was almost too good to be true.
2. The Social Side
I’ve found it amazing that I’ve been able to find different photographers from all over the world. People that I probably wouldn’t have even considered to look twice at. There are hobbyist out there that have amazing eyes and even more amazing composition. Regardless, I love the fact that I have my own set of people following me that don’t need to be tied to Facebook. Personally, I think it sucks that Facebook bought Instagram. At the same time, I like that Facebook hasn’t made it mandatory that you have to join Facebook in order to use Instagram. It makes a big difference in my eyes. Not everyone has a Facebook (though we like to believe). You aren’t tied down to just upload to one thing. You aren’t forced to join anything else but Instagram for what it’s intended to do. To make and share awesome photos.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice
I’m a photographer. I look at myself in the mirror and say that every day. I practice my photography as much as I can. At times, it’s tough to lug around a huge DSLR at casual outings. In comes my small DROID RAZR. Armed with an 8MP camera, and custom focal points, it’s quite hard not to want to take photos with this thing. Add Instagram to the mix and it’s a whole new ball game. I find myself wanting to use my camera on my phone more than not. I look at things differently while I’m out and about. It’s refreshed my eye. I want to practice my composition. I want to get shots of random nothings that look awesome. Photography is taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary.
4. The Love
Everyone wants to be liked. Photography is a form of art. When someone looks at an image that you took and likes it, a little part of you is grateful. Well, at least that’s the case with me. When someone likes my image, I feel a little joy from it. I feel a little love from it. I can’t help it. My photography is how I see the world and how I interpret it. It’s awesome when someone says, “Hey I think that’s awesome.” It’s very easy to get that attention here. With hashtags and user tags, you can make sure that you’re seen by others, which only makes me want to use Instagram even more. I have had the app for a little over a month and I’ve taken about 114 photos. That’s 3-4 individual photos a day of random nothings. I can’t help it. I just love it so much. 🙂
All in all, I have to say that this is one of the best things that has happened to mobile phone photography. It’s added an element to the mix that makes sharing easy and fun. Not only that, but you’re tailored to share more. You can’t help but post more with more and more people liking your photos and following you. It’s a huge photographic venture and everyone is invited. Feel free to follow us on there.
Rudy-@rudyandmarta
Marta-@martaandrudy
Until next time,
Rudy
P.S. Here’s the first ever picture that I took using the Instagram App on Android.
.jpg)
