Instagram is a free mobile application that allows users to take and filter photos, add captions and locations, and share the photos on social networks. The app has grown popular for its intuitive interface, retro filters, large engaged community, and ability for users to follow others and see popular photos. Major brands are also using Instagram to share events, promotions, behind-the-scenes content, and engage audiences.

1. Instagram
The “social photography” smart-phone
application defined and explored.
Presentation © 2011 » Starmark International • Instagram © Dogpatch Labs. • All Rights Reserved

2. So what is Instagram?
Instagram (IG) is a free ‘social photography’ application
originally designed for the Apple iPhone. Its purpose is multi-
modal:
• To take, crop and filter photos with a predetermined
amount of ‘in-app’ effects.
• Title, geographically denote and tag the photos, if desired.
• Allow users to upload their photos to social sharing
applications such as:
• Facebook
• Tumblr
• Flickr
• Twitter
• Foursquare

3. Social Photography
Simply stated, ‘social photography’ are websites and
applications that allow people to post, comment and share digital
photos. Popularity for these tools has grown exponentially over
the past decade.
Since that time, three very monumental changes have occurred:
1.Digital photography (being inverse reciprocal) has allowed
countless people to create an endless stream of
photographic content, A.K.A.– “UGC” or user-generated
content.
2.Digital photography and its social sharing counterpart have
single-handedly deconstructed the business of traditional
photography as we know it.
3.Social media has created an inexpensive level playing
field for users to self-publish, distribute and share their
creations.

4. Social Photo Landscape
Of course, with all successful application’s the landscape is
littered with choices.

5. So why Instagram?
There are many reason why users
have adopted Instagram as their
social photo application of choice but
a few points always come to the top:
• Intuitive interface
• Fun “lomo” (vintage) filters
• Easy to follow and be followed
• Large active community
• and it’s free... for now.

6. Instagram: Camera
It all beings after opening the
application and you choose the
center button that then brings up the
camera function.
Taking a photo is quick and simple
with just one touch.

7. Instagram: Move & Scale
Once you’ve taken your photo, you
can zoom in and out of the image
using the iPhone’s dual-touch
functionality. Once it’s where you
want it, click the “Choose” button
and away you go!

8. Instagram: Filters
Once you’ve cropped your image,
you can then play with various
predetermined filters within the
application to achieve various looks
and quality levels.

9. Instagram: Sharing
From there, you can then assign a
title to your photo.
You can also choose to define the
location of the picture using your
phone’s GPS abilities.
And lastly, you can choose what
social distribution points you want for
your photograph to take.
Important note: Instagram itself
takes and harbors your photos on its
own servers for your own gallery of
photos. This is important as this is
where people actively participate in
discussion surround IG photos.

10. Instagram: Feed
The “feed” button allows you to scroll
through photos of people that you
have selected to follow. Instagram
also ports in new photographers to
your feed occasionally to expose you
to new talent.

11. Instagram: Popular
Photos that are rapidly “liked” within
the application can be chosen to get
placed on a temporary popular page.
Here, a user can see an ever
changing list of photos deemed
popular by the applications internal
algorithm.

12. Instagram: News
With the “news” button selected, a
user can quickly see what photos
their followers are looking at, and
commenting on. This is an easy and
brilliant way to pull you into exploring
talent outside of your followers as
well as see what photos within your
own work are being viewed.

13. Instagram: Search
Here, you will notice that you can
select the ability to search all the
photos contained within the
Instagram community.
You can then select from users’
screen names or actual names. Or
you can search by #tagged
keywords.

14. Instagram: Results
So as quickly as I can think of a
keyword, I could be meeting
someone with my same likes and
interests along with a photographic
representation of that subject.
Thoughts for clients:
• Travel destinations & Hoteliers
• Exclusive content
• Brand impressions
• Products in use
• Reviews

15. Brands Using Instagram?
Are major brands using Instagram? Yes. What are they showing?
Anything and everything including (but not limited to):
• Live events
• Promotions
• Behind the scenes
• Breaking news and viral content

16. Instagram Photography
It’s easy to say they’re just cell-phone photos. But having been
exposed to photography as an art-form and professional practice
all of my life I can tell you there’s something special here.
Photographers, lomographers and digital photographers can all
agree “that the best camera is the one you have in your
hand.”

17. @streetstylish

18. @kino_in_paris

19. @jfalconer1

20. @stardreamer

21. @ryocoryocoryoco

22. @mattphotos

23. Instagram: The API
Software developers can choose to create what are called
“application programming interface” (API) systems to allow
external developers to tie into their software through a common
developmental vocabulary. This allows developers and designers
to make and expand on the application using the primary
software as the backbone of their outcome.

24. The Instagram Empire

25. The future looks picture perfect
70
52.5
35
17.5
0
Instagram
FoodSpotting
Foursquare
Hashable
Uber
SWAGG
Beluga
SCVNGR
Whrrl
Kik
Gowalla
% Based on positive feedback with application user base

26. Thank you!
Presenter: Justice Mitchell
Instagram: justicemitchell
Twitter: @justicemitchell
Blog: justicemitchell.com
Facebook: justicewmitchell
Presentation © 2011 » Starmark International • Instagram © Dogpatch Labs. • All Rights Reserved