Instagram

Cabazon Dinosaurs

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:41:41 -0700

Meet the Cabazon Dinosaurs, roadside attractions that make for a great photo-stop on a drive through the California desert!

Photos by lbroad, beckeelenore, srcurran, halliep, dansamiljan, socalliss, parkdj808 & tamarlevine.

Weekend Hashtag Project: #streetartistry

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:51:19 -0700

Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes & hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a photo announcing the weekend’s project every Friday.

This weekend’s theme was #streetartistry, which asked participants to capture photographs of street art. Every Monday we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

Photos by @toso1979, @nwagner, @rowaneva, @chrisprad, @lysschr, @jungletimer, @licclevicky, @tanpg, @38ssiew, @sean_rees, @misskary & @travisjenkins.

The Week on Instagram | 26

Sat, 12 May 2012 20:02:00 -0700

News

Get Involved

Weekend Hashtag Project: #streetartistry. View photos from the last project, #buggingout.

Around the Community

Photo Feature: Tilt-shift for Android
Follow Friday: Travel
Spotlight: Israel
The Making Of: Fine, Fashionable Footwear
How I Shoot: Dodging and Burning, by Finn Beales

Photos

Photo Feature: Tilt-shift for Android

Sat, 12 May 2012 09:21:55 -0700

We’re so excited that our friends on Android can now experiment with tilt-shift, or selective focusing, on Instagram in order to create miniature scenes and give the appearance of depth of field!

Tilt-shift photography is a process that uses a special lens with the ability the physically tilt for plane of focus, and then shift to adjust the position of the subject. Since mobile photography doesn’t employ external lenses, the process typically refers to selective focus in order to simulate miniature scenes. Selective focus can also be used to create a shallow depth of field in order to place the focus on a subject then blur out either the foreground or background, creating the appearance of depth.

Since we’ve previously provided tips on how to best utilize the tilt-shift tool we wanted to showcase some fantastic photographs shared to Instagram utilizing this brand new Android feature!

Photos by @owenkam, @neilmenday, @alemarengo, @danthwaites, @menghengg, @mindgrains & @vininstagram.

Follow Friday: Travel

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:54:16 -0700

From hotels to pilots, there are plenty of ways to get your travel fix through Instagram photos. Here are a few of our favorite accounts!

@thestandard - Hotel

@virginamerica - Airline

@seeaustralia - Tourism

@bkindler - Pilot

The photo at the top of this post was taken by @nikosono

Spotlight: Israel

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:51:51 -0700

Since launching, we’ve seen Instagram spread from our headquarters in the Bay Area to every corner of the globe. In this series we’ll highlight top users from countries and cities with thriving Instagram communities.

Israel is as young as it is small. The coastal nation turns just 64 years old this year, having been declared an independent state in 1948. A full 70% of its 7 million inhabitants live in a narrow strip of land as little as 9 miles (14 km) wide.

Despite Israel’s compact size, the country manages to churn out some of the artsiest Instagrammers on the planet. Below are a few of our favorites.

@bashkin

@reabd

@aviadbn

@blackpentagon

@gali_roze

The photo at the top is by @alonik.

The Making Of: Fine, Fashionable Footwear

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:29:00 -0700

This week’s “The Making Of” takes us to Red Wing, Minnesota, where Red Wing Shoe Co.—@redwingheritage on Instagram—has been in production for over 100 years.

Red Wing’s Instagram feed is a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at the production—and producers—of their handmade footwear. And of course, they also provide plenty of finished product photos for their followers to ogle.

Know any other Instagrammers doing something unique with their hands? Send us a note through Tumblr.

Update: What’s New in Android Version 1.1.0

Tue, 08 May 2012 18:07:01 -0700

Hurrah! Instagram for Android v1.1.0 is now available in the Google Play Store! We’ve appreciated all of your feedback since our last release, and are excited to announce we’ve added the feature you’ve all been waiting for:

An image before and after applying tilt-shift.

Tilt-Shift

Our popular tilt-shift feature allows you to easily alter depth of field in your photographs. By adding a realistic blur to the setting around a focal point, you can emphasize the heart of your photos and even make some scenes look miniature. To get you started, here are some great tips on how to maximize tilt-shift.

How I Shoot: Dodging and Burning, by Finn Beales

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:09:57 -0700

How I Shoot is a series where we ask Instagrammers to tell us about their photo-taking processes. In this post, Finn Beales (@finn) explains “dodging and burning,” a photo-editing technique popularized by American photographer Ansel Adams.

Vantage Point: I generally look for a strong central focal point. A roadway, tree or something else that sits smack in the center of the frame.

Shooting: I shoot with the iPhone native camera app and usually expose my pictures to a mid-tone, bringing back areas that I want to highlight during processing. There’s often a lot of detail in the sky, as well as the shadows, and it’s a shame to lose this. Double tap an area on the screen that is closest to the midpoint between black and white (i.e gray). This will give you the best exposure for all the elements in the frame.

Editing: For this photo, I made edits using Snapseed. First, use Tune image > Ambiance at about 30% to put some life back into the picture. Next, choose the selective adjust tool and add points to areas of the image that you want to enhance. I generally work with the light already in the picture. It’s a simple process of brightening the highlights and darkening the shadows, always working to isolate the subject at the center of the frame. This technique is called dodging and burning, and the legendary Ansel Adams was a master of it (although he used chemicals to get the effect as opposed to a swipe of the finger!).

When you’re finished editing in Snapseed, save the photo and then apply an Instagram filter that tones the image according to your preference. In this case, I used Sierra.

Weekend Hashtag Project: #buggingout

Mon, 07 May 2012 09:55:14 -0700

This weekend’s theme was #buggingout, which asked participants to capture photographs of bugs. Every Monday we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

Photos by @shutterbugbri, @drewdomkus, @deepskywonders, @amy_leee, @arctologiste, @famousjody, @unicornpoop, @eprimasatya, @lukepenketh, @undertheopensky, @sheribisbee & @worksology.

The Week on Instagram | 25

Sat, 05 May 2012 21:15:00 -0700

News

Get Involved

Weekend Hashtag Project: #buggingout. View photos from the last project, #socialtravel.

Around the Community

Photo Feature: Kentucky Derby
Follow Friday: Athletes on Instagram
The Making Of: Beautiful, Hand-Crafted Bicycles
Photo Feature: Neon Museum, Las Vegas
Who I Follow: @nickdewald’s Favorite Users

Photos

Photo Feature: Kentucky Derby

Sat, 05 May 2012 08:33:19 -0700

The Kentucky Derby takes place today in Louisville, Kentucky at 3:24pm PST. This thoroughbred horse race spans for only one and a quarter miles, or two kilometers, and is known in in the United States as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” as a result of its extremely short duration.

Spectators have been sharing their pre-race preparation photographs of traditional Derby items such as as mint julips and lavish oversized hats, as well as photographs behind-the-scenes from Churchill Downs, with Instagram.

The Kentucky Derby is also known as “The Run for the Roses” due to the blanket of 554 red roses draped over the Kentucky Derby winner, as presented by the Governor of Kentucky, every year. As a result, the rose has become the race’s official flower.

Whether you’re at the race in-person or attending a Kentucky Derby viewing party, be sure to tag your photographs with #kentuckyderby!

Photos by @karynkelly, @carriec, @lookingforlaura, @thejeanniemai, @natalienicole03, @audreylasalle, @madi_frame, @jadthegent & @jauntingjill.

Follow Friday: Athletes on Instagram

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:12:00 -0700

From boxers to surfers to sprinters, there’s an incredible group of top notch athletes sharing their photos on Instagram. Below we’ve gathered together a sampling of our favorite accounts. With the Olympics just around the corner, be sure to stay tuned to them and our other notable athletes as they prepare for London 2012!

@tonyhawk - Skateboarding

@serenawilliams - Tennis

@kaka - Soccer

@af85 - Track

@kellyslater - Surfing

The top photo of Kevin Durant (@trey5) was taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder (@okcthunder).

The Making Of: Beautiful, Hand-Crafted Bicycles

Thu, 03 May 2012 10:02:00 -0700

The Instagram team obviously loves photography, but we count a number of cycling enthusiasts among our ranks as well. Rarely do these two passions—cycling and photography—collide in such spectacular fashion as in the case of @stanridgecycles.

Stanridge Cycles—owned and operated by Adam Eldridge—is a Columbus, OH based builder of custom, hand-crafted track, road, and city bicycles. Through his Instagram feed and blog posts, Adam exquisitely documents the complete fabrication cycle, leaving his followers with a deep appreciation for the craft and artistry that goes into each bicycle.

Afraid that following @stanridgecycles won’t be enough for your hand-built bicycle fix? Check out @feathercycles (from the UK) and @averycountycycles (from Denver, CO) too!

Know any other Instagrammers doing something unique with their hands? Send us a note through Tumblr.

Neon Museum, Las Vegas

Wed, 02 May 2012 07:57:00 -0700

Ever wonder what happens to all those neon signs that line the Las Vegas Strip when they’re taken down? They end up at the Neon Museum! The Neon Museum is a non-profit in Las Vegas dedicating to preserving Las Vegas’s iconic art form, and it’s a must-visit spot for great Instagram photos!

Photos by @logos728, @sv1, @40_in, @karaannbanana, @petitserif, @rockstarmomlv, @labeaufrand, @alphabetarm, @cshimala, @robgwilson, @toomuchfire, @apocryphanow, @mygulrealsun & @li150girl.

Who I Follow: @nickdewald's Favorite Users

Tue, 01 May 2012 08:02:29 -0700

One of the best ways to expand your community on Instagram is to take a look at the folks your favorite Instagrammers are already following. In this series, we ask some of our favorite Instagrammers to name a few users whose photos they love seeing every day.

Instagrammer Nick Dewald (@nickdewald), a photographer and architect based in Cincinnati, Ohio, shared some of his favorite users with us, and we’re pleased to pass them on:

@whitestwalker

92% amateur. 99.8% taken and edited with iphone. 2.7% popular. 41.2 % earlybird. 64.8% english level. 88.1% IG addict. 53.3% statistics are not true.

@travisjenkins

Buildings and sky, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mostly filtered through Valencia.

@rodsilveira

Colorful photos from Brazil.

Weekend Hashtag Project: #socialtravel

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:40:17 -0700

This weekend’s theme was #socialtravel, which asked participants to capture photographs of public transportation, or transportation shared with others. Every Monday we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.

Photos by @chansky, @amersly, @vanss472, @seriesofclicks, @mattbooy, @artfuldesperado, @livitup85, @dellwood_barker, @oldbaby, @alef79, @e_lime & @peache.

The Week on Instagram | 24

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:48:55 -0700

News

Get Involved

Weekend Hashtag Project: #socialtravel. View photos from the last project, #landmarked.

Around the Community

Spotlight: Paris
Follow Friday: Tattoo Artists on Instagram
The NFL Draft on Instagram
The Making Of: The Boat of Your Dreams
Photo Feature: Coachella
Hashtag Highlight: #emptychairsproject

Photos

Spotlight: Paris

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 08:03:46 -0700

This week’s spotlight takes us to the City of Light, one of the most beloved places on the planet. Paris’ slew of vistas, iconic buildings and parks are ripe for stunning photographs. As the capital of France, the city will also be at the heart of May 6th’s hotly contested presidential election between @nicolassarkozy and François Hollande.

We’ve gathered together a group of Parisian Instagrammers that share their view of the city with us day in and day out:

@piarieu

@kerhouarn

@hernancampa

@juanjerez

@caroline_dreams

The photo at the top of this post is by @vutheara.

Follow Friday: Tattoo Artists on Instagram

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:35:00 -0700

Tattooing has been around for many centuries spanning numerous cultures throughout the world. The art form may still have a few remaning taboos surrounding it, but its popularity has been on the rise and many artists are gaining notoriety for their craft. Tattoos may not be your cup of tea, but there is certainly no denying the beauty and skill behind this artform.

Here are just a few of the many tattoo artists from around the world sharing the progression and final results of their work on Instagram:

Instagram

Cabazon Dinosaurs

Weekend Hashtag Project: #streetartistry

The Week on Instagram | 26

Photo Feature: Tilt-shift for Android

Follow Friday: Travel

@thestandard - Hotel

@virginamerica - Airline

@seeaustralia - Tourism

@bkindler - Pilot

Spotlight: Israel

@bashkin

@reabd

@aviadbn

@blackpentagon

@gali_roze

The Making Of: Fine, Fashionable Footwear

Update: What’s New in Android Version 1.1.0

How I Shoot: Dodging and Burning, by Finn Beales

Weekend Hashtag Project: #buggingout

The Week on Instagram | 25

Photo Feature: Kentucky Derby

Follow Friday: Athletes on Instagram

@tonyhawk - Skateboarding

@serenawilliams - Tennis

@kaka - Soccer

@af85 - Track

@kellyslater - Surfing

The Making Of: Beautiful, Hand-Crafted Bicycles

Neon Museum, Las Vegas

Who I Follow: @nickdewald's Favorite Users

@whitestwalker

@travisjenkins

@rodsilveira

Weekend Hashtag Project: #socialtravel

The Week on Instagram | 24

Spotlight: Paris

@piarieu

@kerhouarn

@hernancampa

@juanjerez

@caroline_dreams

Follow Friday: Tattoo Artists on Instagram

Eva Schatz - Salzburg, Austria

Nick Chaboya - San Francisco, California

Jo Harrison - World Traveler, from England

Kris Magnotti - New York, New York