Chasing Davies: Instagram(ming)

April 13, 2012

Instagram(ming)




Since the release of the Instagram for Android app, I've been instagramming away.  However, not without a couple disappointments. For one, the android app does not have the tilt shift/blur tool, which was what I was really craving.  Secondly, you can (or at least I haven't figured it out) crop after you take the photo in the Instagram app.

Before the Android Instagram app, I was using Mytubo to get pretty much the same photo effects, including a blur edge filter (tilt shift).  But lacking within that tool was the audience and social sharing capabilities, so I was happy to make the switch to Instagram.

So, I sought out some ways to remedy the Android Instagram pitfalls:

1. Download the Photo Art app.  This app has a lot more tools and effects you can apply to photos, including a blur tool!  You can even pick the level of blurriness and by using your finger, "paint" the parts of your photo you want blurry. For example - I took a photo of my new ring (wearing here), opened the photo through the Photo Art app first, blurred all around my hand/fingers to make the ring really pop, saved, then uploaded* the new edited photo to instagram and applied a filter to make the photo warmer.

*You can upload a photo from your phone "gallery" of photos by touching the smaller button directly next to the camera button in the picture taking mode.  The upload button looks like a mountain and will take you to where all your photos are stored.  By downloading and using Photo Art, your pics saved from that app will have it's own folder (automatically created) - at least that's how it's working on my phone.  


2. Take photos with your regular old boring camera.  Don't worry, you will get to make that regular photo cool later.  After you snap your pic, got to the Instagram app (or if you want to run it through the Photo Art, or some other cool app first, do that), upload the photo as directed above and you will automatically have to crop!  

Are you on Instagram?  Let me know in the comments so I can check you out!
Android users - What do you think of Instagram for Android? 

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