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| Little Boo enjoys a snack |
Over the last few months I've enjoyed seeing other people's Instagram pictures on Facebook and Twitter, so I decided to check it out for myself. Instagram is an application used with mobile phones equipped with camera and internet access, and the application offers a variety of filters to make pictures look more artistic.
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| Self portrait captured from image on computer screen |
Filters may alter the color to simulate a faded vintage photo. Brightness, contrast and saturation can be manipulated in a variety of ways, and the effects include a variety of edge treatments reminiscent of fine art photography. The rough black border in the picture of Boo (at top) is the same effect you would get if you printed a photograph the old fashioned way, with an enlarger and trays of chemicals in a darkroom. That particular effect is from printing full frame with a negative carrier that's been filed out. I did a lot of printing like that back in the day.
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| My living room, looking very retro like an instamatic photo |
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| Boo, faded portrait with film edges |
It was pretty easy and free to get Instagram set up on my iPhone. All I did was go to the app store and download it. Took just a few moments, and I was up and running.
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| Outside the Japanese Garden, Portland |
Ever since I was a photography student, I've enjoyed manipulating photos. While studying at Rhode Island School of Design, I took a class in Antique and alternate processes and discovered a wonderful book called "Breaking the Rules" by Bea Nettles, which led to much experimentation.
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| Time for a grilled cheese sandwich |
That's why Instagram is so much fun for me. I can almost instantly share artistic looking pictures with a sense of age and history, but I don't have to come into contact with any chemicals. No affiliation, just a fun app I enjoy using. To learn more about it,
click here.
I love all your photos! But I am especially partial to the ones with Boo. She is a sweetie!
ReplyDeleteOld fashioned:) It wasn't that long ago! I'm still in shock from how quickly digital took over from silver gelatine photography. I miss the darkness of the darkroom - but not the smell of the chemicals. I love the photo of your cat - very graphic.
ReplyDeleteCool! I love Instagram! It's a quick and easy way to show everyday life. And gives us another view of the artist as photographer. I like your pics! RISD I've heard wonderful things about that school. Someday, I want to visit Rhode Island. (I dream about uncovering some awesome bead/stampings/findings stash when I visit. hee hee) There were many jewelry manufacturers in RI back in the day.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I miss the darkroom much. Once computers and desktop publishing came to be, digital was inevitable. It took a lot to get a picture ready for publication before electronic media. I had that first Casio point-and-shoot digital camera in the early/mid 90s, and an early version of Aldus Pagemaker, now evolved to Adobe In Design CS. We've come a long way since just the 90s.
ReplyDeleteRISD taught me to roll with it, no matter what the tool, whether it's a paintbrush or a camera. So when Photoshop came along, I just started using it. :)
I have a quick question. Would you please email me: randyiris@gmail.com
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