Not since Edwin Land invented the Polaroid camera has photography become both redefined and reenergized all at the same moment. Instagram, the smart phone application, has taken today’s phenomenon of instant digital photography and social media to a new zenith, enabling amateurs and professionals alike to share their images with a global audience. From the ubiquitous modern-day self portrait “selfie” to urban life and the beauty of nature, Instagram has provided a forum for posting and viewing a seemingly endless archive of images of our time. From tweens to retirees, would-be snapshot creators and professional photographers alike are creating their own images and following countless others, creating an online community that is pushing photography forward into a new era.
Text and images from The Instagram Book, edited by Steve Crist and Megan Shoemaker, Ammo Books, http://ammobooks.com. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
