Lately I have been using Instagram quite a lot. I go through phases with Instagram but I do like the immediacy of posting and viewing other peoples work. It reminds me of taking polaroids with friends then passing around the photos as they materialized. Only with Instagram you can share with people all over the world.

All of my Instagram shots in recent times were taken on the iPhone 4S using Hipstamatic App then processed on the iPhone with Snapseed. This is something of a challenge for me as my eyesight is not what it used to be and the iPhone screen is very small for editing however that is also part of the joy because you take what you get and into the world wide web it goes.

Following are a few of my recent Instagram photos.

Eastwood Mall – Manila Philippines

The iPhone is not the best camera for night time photography but with a bright enough subject and some strong colour you can still get satisfactory snapshot images.

Hong Kong Taxis

Familiar bright red Hong Kong Island Taxis outside Times Square in Causeway Bay. I find that bright colourful subjects work well with Hipstamatic and standout on Instagram.

Waiting

For this shot getting the bright background to not be completely overexposed was the challenge. With Hipstamatic the only option is to put the focus on the area you want correctly exposed. Not easy for getting good composition but if you move around a bit to find a suitable angle it can be made to work.

On The Phone

For my Street Photography where I mostly use the Fujifilm X-100 I almost always process in Black and White but I rarely do this for Hipstamatic photos or images I put on Instagram. This one was one of the exceptions. It just looked much better in Black and White. The conversion was done in Snapseed on the iPhone. I often use Snapseed to sharpen and add contrast to my Hipstamatic shots.

Grocery Delivery

This shot is a classic example of always having the camera app turned on and ready to take a shot. I was waiting for the traffic lights to change and this guy emerged from the buses so it was a reactive shot in a brief moment as he passed by.

Stanley – Hong Kong Island

Early morning shot with Hipstamatic. The app creates a nice vignette that works well in this case. Sometimes it ruins the shot other times it adds to the image. You take what you get just like the past with a polaroid camera.

Cheers, Philip