Photography reinvented?
Has the popularity of Instagram changed the way we look at the art of photography, an art form that stretches back many centuries? Kolachi asks some young and established photographers for their take on the new application

By A Abbas

“I do use Instagram. It’s wonderful,” says Iqra Shoukat, a freelance photographer whose portfolio ranges from the Pakistan Fashion Week and product photography for Imagine Ex, a creative advertising company. “I believe applications like Instagram will not hinder arts and photography. Sometimes you see something beautiful and you just want to take a picture and with apps like Instagram everyone can appreciate picture-worthy sights and moments. And why put boundaries on art? I think people using Instagram are actually open and critical about what constitutes a good picture.”

 

 

 

Preserving memories has always attracted man. From cave paintings that documented everyday living to pictures in newspapers, human beings like to have a reservoir of visuals that show them a new side to themselves. Taking photos turned into a modern art form with photojournalism following soon after. The sleek, digital cameras of today have their clunky ancestors from yesteryear to thank for. Now found in cell phones as well, the concept of making memories has taken on a new dimension. The instantaneous appeal of sharing pictures has attracted users by the millions.

In Karachi, public spaces like malls and restaurants are warming up to the idea of smartphone users sharing pictures on the go, and are making wireless internet accessible for all. Coupled with Twitter and Facebook’s “where are you?” feature, followers and friends can track in real-time the busy life you lead.

Picture-sharing was always one of social media’s main attractions. Facebook started out with its photo sharing application in 2007, and in the beginning it was clumsy and too slow to upload pictures effectively. In five short years, the application has gone through a makeover to what we see today. A step up from Facebook pictures has been Twitpics which is the picture-sharing software on Twitter. The advent of Instagram and Pinterest has added a new flavor to photo-sharing. In fact, Instagram’s popularity has attracted the attention of Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg who offered to buy it for one billion dollars. The deal is still under negotiations but it demonstrates the sway a small application such as this can hold.

Kolachi asked some young users what they had to say about this new phenomenon, especially the rise of Instagram.

“I've been an Instagram user since it came out initially in the apple market -- before it went viral, that is,” says Baakh Nusrat, so-founder of KarachiTips and a first-year student at Ziauddin University. “It’s already become really popular now due to the smartphone mania that everyone's been hit with. Everyone of a certain income level you see now has a smartphone be it Apple, Android or Windows. And everything you could possibly need has an app for it. I like documenting moments as it is a fun and quirky way of putting life's timeline together. And I've been well-connected on social media networks for as long as I can remember. Instead of telling everyone what I'm up to or how my summer break was, an Instagram share or Twitter update is definitely the way to go for me. And these tools make the whole process of recording life on the go more hassle free.” However, there is a downside to this. “It does sometimes make people forget the actual purpose. Posting a picture of your vacation summer house is totally acceptable but I don't want to see a picture of your face in 50 different filters, or the apple you just ate. Also, Instagram does not make you a photographer. So click the moments but don't overdo it,” is the advice.

Komal Ali, a student at Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts says that the reason she started using Instagram was that its digital filters made her less-than-perfect pictures look good. “Gradually, I came under the influence of Instagram addicts, who literally Instagrammed every picture. The tones of Sutro, Earlybird, Lo-fi, Brannan (the digital filters on Instagram) have now become the lens with which I view the world around me. Every picture that I take on the street or in the confines of my bedroom has to have a touch of one of these tones to look pretty. I think Instagram has become so popular because it is very handy and allows you to edit pictures instantly. It comes in most phones and can be          synchronized with popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. I think Instagram will eventually catch on in Pakistan as well because we do have a large pool of cell phone users who would love to use this app especially budding photographers. Personally, I like to use Instagram to document my life because I don't like carrying a digital camera with me at all times and Instagram does wonders to the pictures I take with my smart phone. So, I feel it's always very handy and a great way to share pictures.”

Ali also comments on the downside of ‘Instagramming’ every moment. “I do, however, think Instagram sort of impedes living the moments for the heck of living, Mostly, I don't immerse myself in the moment because I become too engrossed in the idea of Instagramming. The other day I spotted a popcorn seller. While my siblings munched on the hot popcorn and shared childhood memories, I was busy taking the perfect shot of the popcorn stall and adding just the right effects to it.”

For Abdullah Syed, founder of KarachiTips and an avid blogger, Instagram is the perfect way of recording his life. “The gap between staying in touch and work that our fast paced lives in the metropolis have created for us is being bridged in some ways by smartphones and social media. When we are always out and about, running around and getting things done, we rarely ever get the chance to zoom out and look at our lives and cherish little moments of joy. For me, my camera phone photos are nothing but an attempt to record as much as I can hold on to. Instagram helps me make and preserve those memories. From the days of the Kodak moment, my friends and I have evolved into a lifestyle where we have “Instagram moments” now. It’s new. It’s hip. It has a like button. Pretty much all that I need.”

Zuhair Abbas, a final year student at the Institute of Business Management (IoBM) has a different take on Instagram. “I think Instagram is pretentious, anyone with a Smartphone can take pictures and give a brown or purplish effect to them. Instagram is like an aspiring photographer’s training wheels; you need to remove them sometime. Also, every picture does not need to have the same types of filters put on it.”

So what are some of these young people’s favourite haunts in Karachi? It seems like Saddar is the top spot for unique shots. “Around the area of Saddar you can see the old transcend into the new, where the modern and the vintage meet.” says Nusrat. “It is always amusing to notice the little things when waiting at a red light”.

“Saddar is where I go for inspiration,” says Abbas, “The old and new architecture, the lusciousness of Pakistani spices and the eclectic mix of people in co-habitation is what draws me to this area.”

Syed loves to chronicle which ever restaurant he visits. “I like taking pictures at cafes,” he says.”The place complements the people I am with and the conversations that surround us, hence they take on meaning when I capture them.”

Another photo sharing service is Pinterest. The layout of Pinterest is like a pin board, where you can post photos or other media known as “pins”. Users have the option of sharing their pins via Facebook and Twitter. Pins are categorized by themes such as food, architecture or fashion. Given its layout and categories, Pinterest has gained popularity with women in particular. “Pinterest is like a quiet, beautiful person you can spend time with when you need a break from the other "talkative" social networks, Facebook and Twitter. It is a space I use to de-clutter my mind - get away from the endless conversations and bombardment of opinions.” says Ayesha Hoda, a communications coordinator at The Citizen’s Foundation, USA, “I have just started using Instagram simply because I got a smartphone and saw my friends using it obsessively. Both are great spaces to share photos but people may get tired of them after a while. I think going forward; these platforms will need to introduce new features in order to keep people engaged.”

When Facebook first started out, there was a furore over it privacy settings. Users did not want too much information getting out and people have even been fired over what they shared on their profiles. But that attitude is slowly changing. Users are eager to share and these little devices and the people behind them are more than happy to enable them to do so. With Pakistan’s ranking fifth in all of Asia in terms of mobile phone users, the future is looking good for the growth of these services.

Feeling like the star of your life definitely has its perks. It gives one a confidence boost and it can be fun There are those who disregard the idea of sharing each small detail but then there are messages as well about making every moment count. And the young and the restless Karachiites are eager to do so. The Instagram website says “It’s a  fast,          beautiful       and          fun          way to share your photos with friends and family. Snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr too – it's as easy as pie. Its photo sharing, reinvented.” An attractive proposition or cumbersome ego-flattering, you decide.

 

 

Figuring out Instagram’s filters

l         Amaro: This filter gives pictures an aged appearance due to its pronounced light expo                sure effect.

l         Rise: Adds a golden tint, softening any harsh defects in a picture.

l          Hudson: Create an icy, chilly effect with this light altering filter.

l         X Pro II: Creates the effect of artistic drama by making colours look more vibrant and               juicy.

l         Sierra: Makes landscape shots look dreamy and ethereal.

l         Lo-Fi: Makes colours look highly saturated and enhances warmth in a picture.

l          Earlybird: Invoke memories of sepia tint pictures with this golden-red toned filter.

l         Sutro: Create a dramatic photo with this filter that adds highlights and shadows.

l          Toaster: Drench pictures in Toaster’s sherbet tinted hue, which gives pictures a burnt                    effect.

l          Brannan: This filter saturates deep colours and softens neutrals creating a 19th century           sepia effect.

l          Inkwell: A simple black and white filter

l          Walden: On photos with lots of light, this filter heightens the effect while adding more             light.

l         Hefe: Similar to Lo-Fi, but with a tad less exposure, Hefe adds vibrancy to photos.

l          Valencia: Lends pictures that faded, period feel.

l          Nashville: Gives pictures a soft, pastel hue.

l         1977: Creates a rosy, 70’s feel to modern photos.

l         Kelvin: Mimics the effect of the late afternoon light for a soft, warm glow.

 

 

Photography reinvented?
Has the popularity of Instagram changed the way we look at the art of photography, an art form that stretches back many centuries? Kolachi asks some young and established photographers for their take on the new application

By A Abbas

“I do use Instagram. It’s wonderful,” says Iqra Shoukat, a freelance photographer whose portfolio ranges from the Pakistan Fashion Week and product photography for Imagine Ex, a creative advertising company. “I believe applications like Instagram will not hinder arts and photography. Sometimes you see something beautiful and you just want to take a picture and with apps like Instagram everyone can appreciate picture-worthy sights and moments. And why put boundaries on art? I think people using Instagram are actually open and critical about what constitutes a good picture.”

Though not an Instagram user, Vernin Uchong, owner of the Facebook page, Vernin Uchong Photography is also open to the idea of Instagram. “It is a fun and easy-to-use little app for photographers of all levels. It keeps people clicking retouching and sharing special moments on the go. I do not think apps like Instagram will detract people from taking a good picture. In fact, they will get more people interested in the art of photography          enabling them to experiment by observing others work.

“If you don’t have the skill then neither the best SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera nor any amount of filters will make your pictures look good,” opines Essa Malik, a publication designer at the Express Tribune. “I do not think Instagram brings down the quality of the art of photography. As with any good photograph, composition and lighting are important and this goes for Instagram as well. Adding filters to a bad picture will only marginally improve it.”

Sobia Rahman, a budding photographer whose work has been featured in You and Glamstop Magazine, believes that the art of photography goes beyond applications like Instagram.  “The art of taking a good picture was never with software or a good camera; it is in the heart of the photographer,” she told Kolachi. “I never take new technology as a threat, the better the software or camera the better the photo. As a photographer, I wouldn’t be true to myself if I say that these applications are bad - that will mean being rigid to change and keep me from accepting something new and that is not an attitude to take. People who say such applications are like cheating do not actually have a problem with the application or software. They are actually insecure about their own talent. The question a photographer has to ask oneself is do they love photography or do they love their own photography. It is an ongoing battle; a few years ago it was Picasa versus Adobe now it’s Adobe versus Instagram, or old film cameras versus digital SLR cameras. As a photographer, anything that improves a badly taken photo has got my vote.”

So for many photographers, Instagram has got a positive vote. On the other hand, there are those who belive that Instagram does not constitute ‘high art’. “I believe Instagram is presumptuous kitsch,” says Zuhair Abbas Merchant, an avid photographer. “I prefer using photo editing software to make a photo look good, not layering filter upon filter on a smartphone photo. It gives all your pictures the same look and after a while it gets repetitious, it seems as if you are viewing them through a jar of purple jelly. Using Instagram will not make you a photographer overnight.”

Sharing pictures and a new medium to do so are the attractive features to a new crop of photographers and smartphone users who are seeing enormous potential in this application. Though some say that they will not make you a photographer, maybe the point is to share those special moments and have fun whilst doing so.

   

 

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