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Cameras used to require one hand to press the shutter and the other to hold a heavy old-fashioned flash. Modern photography could not be more different—you just tap the camera icon on your phone.

Recently, the use of smartphones has dramatically increased, and one the most beloved features of our Apple and Android products is the camera. With a click or a flip of a screen, one can instantly access a relatively high-quality camera. This increased accessibility has allowed every smartphone-wielding individual the opportunity to be a photographer.
 

For those who have been living under a rock for the past three years, Instagram is an immensely popular iPhone and Android app inspired by the Polaroid cameras of the late 1900s. According to PC World magazine, in January 2013, Instagram reached 90 million users.
 

Instagram builds off the growing population of everyday photographers, including many Palo Alto High School students, to form an extensive photo-sharing social media network. Users can share their photos with one another, as well as save them onto their phone.
 

“I use Instagram because it’s a way to express myself and keep memories,” Paly junior Jacki Seymour said.
 

The newsfeed, a list of 2x2 photos from the people you follow pops up upon opening Instagram. Like Twitter, this gives one the opportunity to see snapshots of friends’ lives.
 

“I use Instagram as a way of showing people what I’m doing, as well as seeing what they’re doing,” sophomore Zoe Tierney said. “Some people get really creative, and it’s fun to see that side of your friends.”
 

Like all social networks, privacy is an important aspect. While Instagram’s privacy policy has drawn flak in recent months, they do allow one to moderate one’s followers, an option many at Paly take advantage of. However, there are also benefits to leaving one’s profile public.
 

“I left my account open because I don’t mind others appreciating my photos,” Seymour said. “The benefit is the ability to share the memories and the beautiful moments with everyone not just your followers.”

 

​Sub Apps

Take a look through your Instagram newsfeed and most likely you’ll come across some type of collage. Maybe it is a quadrant of someone’s cat, or two photos stacked together of an ice cream cone. Though there are numerous iPhone and Android collage apps available, one of the most prominently-used options is PicStitch. A free and popular well-developed app, PicStitch allows users to craft collages with adjustable frames accommodating up to 9 images per collage.

 

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Photography captures moments, though an Instagram photo has this way of capturing special moments and brings them alive. And if that is not enough, a website called Printstagram specializes in printing Instagram pictures in a variety of methods. From mini books to stickers to Polaroid look-a-likes, Printstagram is a fun way to print your photos. 

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Editing apps like Snapseed or Camera+, among others, allow users to apply a variety of filters and adjust the brightness and contrast of photos. There are also apps that allow users to crop their photos and put them on a white background prior to uploading to Instagram.

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Overall, with the popularity of Instagram, the number of compatible apps available on the app store has skyrocketed and mobile photography has become increasingly popular. Apps are now available to edit photos in practically any way imaginable.

 

​Online Web Profile

Most recently, Instagram launched their online presence. Each user now has a web profile, where they can view their profile, and an online newsfeed of all the photos of the people you follow. The only difference from the online web profile from the app is that the pictures are better.

 

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“I don’t use [the online profile] as much as [the] Instagram [app] because I’m on my phone more often,” Tierney said. “But it’s actually a much better way to view the photos and I prefer the formatting online.”
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Another online platform is Statigram, a website that allows Instagram users to see their newsfeed, comments, and photos. However, it also calculates statistics like users’ first followers, most-liked followers and most popular pictures.

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Though the demand for an online presence was there, it is limited and nothing to write home about.

"I use Instagram as a way of showing people what I'm doing, as well as seeing what they're doing."



Zoe Tierney

Sophomore