Does anyone else here find instagram offensive

Kbarredo · Apr 11, 2012

Lately on facebook I have been seeing lots of instagrammed photos. I understand people just have fun messing around with all the vintage looking filters. Today I almost lost it on a friend though. She put up a pic of her cat. It just looked like a quick snapshot by someone who has never studied the field of photography. But of course it had a vintage over saturated filter from instagram.
People started commenting on how awesome it looked and she actually had the nerve to say " Yeah I have a natural eye for photography". I almost lost it on her today.
The reason I hate instagram is it takes away from the art of photography. People stop looking at the message, the lighting, the mood, the composition, and the emotion that is put into a photo. Instead they start looking at the cool effects. Its like saying a movie is good just because it had lots of explosions. Now don't get me wrong there have been some awesome users of instagram. Those people realize that instagram is just a tool that has its place and not a crutch that can turn poorly composed photos into decent ones.
It takes the beautiful, artistic, classy and charismatic woman that is photography and turns it into a bar star that hides under 2lbs of makeup and makes out with other women.

vipgraphx · Apr 11, 2012

I think you are looking into it to much. Life is to short to worry about those petty little things. To add to that times are changing and that is life. Photography is nothing but an expression of ones self behind the lens. What people want to do with it is totally fine with me. They are entitled to say what they want as it is our first amendment and add filters as they choose. I am sure those same people are not taking any business away from a paid professional photographer so who cares......Unless someone pays another person to do a wedding with instagram photography then those pros better start learning how to use iphones and vintage looking filters....but, offensive no way.....

Nikon_Dude · Apr 11, 2012

I use instagram. Most of my pictures that originated from my DSLR do not get touched by instagram's filters. Many that I took with my cell phone end up looking better after applying a filter, especially with that button at the top, not sure what it does but looks like it compensates for exposure and adds some contrast.

What pisses me off about instagram is that it forces you to crop your all your pictures, to a square. You can throw composition out the window.

chuasam · Apr 11, 2012

If she wants to have fun with Instagram, why shouldn't she be allowed to have fun. It's still photography...and better yet - it's fun.

Helen B · Apr 11, 2012

It looks like a last resort for the talentless. No wonder it is worth so much money.

Derrel · Apr 11, 2012

Kbarredo said:
Lately on facebook I have been seeing lots of instagrammed photos. I understand people just have fun messing around with all the vintage looking filters. Today I almost lost it on a friend though. She put up a pic of her cat. It just looked like a quick snapshot by someone who has never studied the field of photography. But of course it had a vintage over saturated filter from instagram.
People started commenting on how awesome it looked and she actually had the nerve to say " Yeah I have a natural eye for photography". I almost lost it on her today.
The reason I hate instagram is it takes away from the art of photography. People stop looking at the message, the lighting, the mood, the composition, and the emotion that is put into a photo. Instead they start looking at the cool effects. Its like saying a movie is good just because it had lots of explosions. Now don't get me wrong there have been some awesome users of instagram. Those people realize that instagram is just a tool that has its place and not a crutch that can turn poorly composed photos into decent ones.
It takes the beautiful, artistic, classy and charismatic woman that is photography and turns it into a bar star that hides under 2lbs of makeup and makes out with other women.

A most excellent rant dude. And to think, Facebook just payed one billion dollars for Instagram. Huh.

cgipson1 · Apr 11, 2012

Helen B said:
It looks like a last resort for the talentless. No wonder it is worth so much money.

Very well said, Helen!

Forkie · Apr 11, 2012

Some people do like films just because they have explosions.

But seriously, what's the difference between using Instagram, Gimp, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoTools (I just discovered this one!), downloading actions online etc., etc.? It's just another editing tool and if it gives you the effect you want on your photo, then run with it!

I wonder if the Instagram forum has a thread complaining about photographers that use DSLRs being elitist/purist/pedantic/snobbish/spoil sports/party police.

Let them eat cake.

Village Idiot · Apr 11, 2012

Not everyone has the money for more than a P&S or cell phone and there see to be a lot of younger users on instagram. I'm not worried about my business and I could care less if they how good of a photographer they think they are. It's all art of some type or another and the more people that appreciate the arts the more chances we'll have of keeping programs like that in schools that would rather spend all their money on sporting programs to be able to bring in lots of money rather than have classes like photography and art.

Hell, even the local boys and girls club used to have a photography class with medium format film cameras. That's more than I ever had in high school.

bentcountershaft · Apr 11, 2012

Instagram is the photographic equivalent of a guy in a mid eighties V6 Camaro doing donuts in the rain. It's fun for the ignorant, leave them be.

Jeff92 · Apr 11, 2012

bentcountershaft said:
Instagram is the photographic equivalent of a guy in a mid eighties V6 Camaro doing donuts in the rain. It's fun for the ignorant, leave them be.

I just loled like an idiot at work. Thanks for that
Also, like most other things, I believe the instagram phase will come and go much like anything else. Phone cameras have had special camera apps with filters for a while now. Instagram is just the latest fad. Be happy it hit android a few week ago and not a few months from bow because the android instgram wave will settle soon and it will eventually lose it's "trendy" status and just become annoying

MTVision · Apr 11, 2012

Kbarredo said:
Lately on facebook I have been seeing lots of instagrammed photos. I understand people just have fun messing around with all the vintage looking filters. Today I almost lost it on a friend though. She put up a pic of her cat. It just looked like a quick snapshot by someone who has never studied the field of photography. But of course it had a vintage over saturated filter from instagram.
People started commenting on how awesome it looked and she actually had the nerve to say " Yeah I have a natural eye for photography". I almost lost it on her today.
The reason I hate instagram is it takes away from the art of photography. People stop looking at the message, the lighting, the mood, the composition, and the emotion that is put into a photo. Instead they start looking at the cool effects. Its like saying a movie is good just because it had lots of explosions. Now don't get me wrong there have been some awesome users of instagram. Those people realize that instagram is just a tool that has its place and not a crutch that can turn poorly composed photos into decent ones.
It takes the beautiful, artistic, classy and charismatic woman that is photography and turns it into a bar star that hides under 2lbs of makeup and makes out with other women.

Your going to see it even more since Facebook just acquired instagram!