I eagerly shared this tidbit with my wife to discover that I am late to jump on the bandwagon. Very late in fact. Ah well, looks like I am one of the last to know about this gem. So I'll bring up the rear on this with my Instagram app review for the tech secluded.
WHAT IS IT?
Instagram is a free app offered exclusively available through the Mac App Store and iTunes.
On the surface, it is just another photography app that offers a limited variety of finishes, most of which give a blurred or washed out appearance as if the picture aged from the 50's or 60's. Filters are applied after the fact, allowing for both spontaneity and thoughtful post-production. All-in-all, the controls are intuitive and can be fully explored within several minutes.
I found the resulting alteration somewhat gimmicky, and could quickly loose entertainment value (like CamWow after 5 minutes of play). For those seeking a wider array of visual effects, consider Instagram can directly import from the photo album. Apps like Leme Camera, Photo Toaster, and 100 Cameras in 1 (just to name a few) can be used in tangent, allowing for a wider range of expression.
Layering effects proved easy to learn, but time-consuming to master.
WHO WILL LIKE IT?
Dig a little deeper and Instagram offers a layer of social networking. Images are published directly to a feed, which means you can follow others as they can also follow you. Images are aggregated directly into the app in an easy to view photo stream. Contacts can be imported from various other social networks, including FaceBook, making it easy to connect with others.
Email. Facebook. Twitter. Flickr. Four Square. Tumblr. Yeah, who needs another social network, right?
The most brilliant aspect of Instagram are the toggles to push photos out into your other various social networks... simultaneously. As a social networking app, Instagram felt... well... networked. The integrated nature of Instagram enhanced the way I engage with my other networks; though I am disappointed there is no direct port to Blogger outside of a widget or badge.
WHY USE IT?
Check it out. From my standpoint, Instagram appears popular with the +25-something tech savvy mommy/daddy posters. Consider how the Noah's Dad blog utilizes Instagram as an added layer of social media. Or how my wife's Rivergirl 365 + 1 blog uses Instagram photos on the go to maintain her efforts to post once a day over the course of a year. Another half-dozen mommy/daddy friends are also using Instagram to publish to Facebook.
There is also the burgeoning moblog (mobile blog) and photography scenes. Actually, I'm quite impressed by what people are able to achieve given the fixed focal length of any mobile Apple product. For those who didn't know, the "zoom" feature only crops! Check out the works of my friends PraiseBoognish and HeadManSays who are really pushing the boundaries of technology and art. Quite astounding.
And ooh, check out my feed while you are at it. I'm trying to balance visual curiosity combined with those small, family moments.
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