I was recently introduced to another photo app for the iPhone from one of my favorite iPhoneographers, Mike Massie; Instagram. I am impressed by this photography app (especially since it’s FREE), but there are also some things I would like to see them improve on.
How this application works is that you take a photo on the spot from the Instagram app, or load an image that is already saved on your iPhone. You have eleven (11) filters to choose from to make your images into an artistic, square format. Once you alter your photo, you are then able to share the image on your Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Tumblr accounts. You are also able to checkin at your location via Foursquare.
When you share the image it creates a shortened URL to a unique page holding the image. On your mobile app, you are able to receive “likes” and comments from other Instagram users that follow you. This feature is only available on the app.
Here is my review on the Instagram iPhone app:
5 awesome ways you can use Instagram:
- Make your iPhone photos artistic with the square format and various filters.
- Receive “likes” and comments on your photos through the Instagram mobile app.
- Share each photo with your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr and checkin at locations through Foursquare
- Use your iPhoneography photos as a portfolio on Flickr, tagging each image to drive traffic to your profile
- Have fun, share and engage!
5 updates I would like to see with Instagram:
- Include view stats on each individual picture when sharing the Instagram link. Currently it is unknown how many people view the images.
- On the Instagram photo website, make it possible for viewers to see the photographer’s profile and browse all their photos. Currently it only shows the one image that is being shared at that time. Create custom profile pages.
- Make it possible to find other Instagram users to follow on the website instead of just the mobile application.
- When sharing the photos on Facebook and Flickr, ask which album the photo should be included within. Currently it only shares the link on Facebook and doesn’t create an album.
- Make it possible to save the photos to your iPhone without having to share each individual photo on one of the platforms available.
Have you downloaded the Instagram app? What do you like and dislike about it?