Instagram

Instagram. Yet another iPhone app that's become all the rage. Photographers, both professional and amateur have built enormous legions of followers by posting and sharing images transformed by Instagram's many easy-to-use filters. Its produced a genre of shutterbugs who describe themselves as street style photographers. I've used it myself and a simple click will take you right back to the 70's replete with terrycloth short shorts and knee high tube socks. Who thought looking like Larry Bird could be so easy?


In the 90's anyone with a Mac and the appropriate software was instantly a "desktop publisher" much to the chagrin of the creative industry. The universe quickly got littered with poorly designed communication that was better suited for the digital landfill. Software jocks were suddenly competing with trained designers only because the tools were readily accessible.


So when I read statements from Instagram users which include "Even the darkest and least remarkable photos are transformed into art with Instagram’s filters," I shudder. While it's clear that technology is starting to blur the line between substance and style, a squalid house will always be a squalid house no matter what color its painted.