So, Im not going to lie. I like instagram. A lot.

I know that the photography purists are out there sitting on thier high horse, noses turned up in condemnation to us lowly sell out instragram users, and thats fine with me.

Because here's the thing-  it doesn't matter what camera you've got in your hand, it matters what you do with it.

It matters what stroy you tell.

No matter how that story is told, it is beautiful. Beautiful, because the whole idea of freezing a moment of time is brilliant. I don't care how its done!

Now, I would agree that using a film camera with manual settings is going to produce an incredible image that I would possibly respect more than an instagram shot.  I'd respect it more because I know just how much patience and knowledge it took to properly pose, focus, expose, and develope that image... much more complicated than choosing with my thumb what instagram filter I like (although that can be a dilema)

But instragram IS great for capturing so many moments throughout our short days that otherwise may not have been frozen, due to lack of time, lack of knowledge, or lack of equipment in the first place.

iphones have provided a decent point and shoot camera for millions of people! 

I know I don't carry around my massive SLR with me everywhere I go,  nor do I have time to manually focus moments I want to quickly capture wth my Canon a-1 film camera... therein lies the beauty and brilliance of our iphones, and... instragram.  

Now that I've waved the instagram banner and tooted the iphonography horn, let me also share a couple guidelines I've placed on myself in order to preserve my love, respect, and knowledge of "the purist's" form of photography.

-----GUIDLINES------

1. If a film or digi slr camera is present and accessable for a potential photo opp., USE IT FIRST.

Do NOT pull out your iphone when clearly there is a present better option... snap film or digi first, THEN iphone. 

2. MAKE PRINTS! In this world of pixels and screens, image printing is dying. We get lazy and our priceless memories are left stuck on a very mortal device. Our phone can be stolen, lost, or destoyed at any time and yet we shamefully view it as our personal indestuctible hard drive storage.

NOT GOOD! PRINT THOSE IPHONE PHOTOS before they are lost.

Also, there is something to be said about memory and touch. To be able to touch your memory, fold it, write on it and stain it with tears is incomparable.

A few great companies that specialize in iphone photography and instagram printing-

Prinstagram (variety of instagram print products)

PostalPix (app that sends instagram prints to printer for you)

Blurb (love thier photobooks)

Postagram (postcards out of instagram photos)

Casetagram (make your own iphone case out of instagram photos)

CanvasPop (instagram shots to canvases)

3. When using instagram, follow a few people who's feed inspires you. Visit the popular page every once in a while and follow people who's perspectives drop your jaw in amazement. This helps inspire me and its a reminder that creativity can shock and awe in ANY form!

A few people I do not know but enjoy thier inspriation- @josevilla, @alotofbradshaw, @jeshderox, @iso50, @robinmay... just to name a few.

Following these people helps break up the constant images I see of babies (guilty and proud of it)  cats, puckered red lips, shoes, half eaten lunches... oh an now living in Ft. Collins-- beer.

I wish that my own instagram was not full of some of those things, but it is. It is full mostly of the faces I see everyday. 

I keep it private. I don't want to welcome criticism from the big bad purist photography community when all I want to do is snap bad iphone photos of my daughter napping.  :)

So there you have it. I am pro instagram and iphonography...I love it...

as long as its fitted with some proper reins.

Remember----  FILM FIRST, MAKE PRINTS,  and GET INSPIRED!