The New Popular Page: Halloween

Truth is, I’m a Halloween hater for all the usual reasons. I’d much prefer to buy myself a bowl of candy and roast a pumpkin instead of carve one. But one highlight of Halloween is seasonal vibes taking over. It’s time to appreciate the falling leaves, incorporate butternut squash into every dish, and burrow in quilts at the end of the day all while Instagramming. Exploit those endless Golden Hours and photographic babies at family gatherings.

Here’s a compile of exceptional Halloween-inspired Instagrams today (sexy-costume free):

holsamanda: Happy Halloween! 🎃👻 // #fromwhereiread

kapumm: Treats only, no tricks today;)🎃 #halloween #vsco #vscocam #minimalism #vscoapp

jaclp: Happy Halloween 👻 #mexturesapp #vscophile #vscocamfeature #vscovibe #vscoism #vscoapp #vscolover #afterlight #vscodaily #instavsco #vscofilm #mextagram #vscogram #vscocamedit #vscomoment #vscoiphone #myvscolife

nazyxo: Zanzibar, Tanzania
Knock, knock… Anybody home?! 👻

dashable: Jenny Jumped Stockholm,Sweden Vsco•G3

morleyrobert: Happy Halloween from @awhlaurena! #vsco #vscocam #50moreportraits

maddiehayes: Happy Halloween from the cutest pumpkin around!

parkeretc: Trick-or-treat! #parkermae

yo_knee: Mellow Mushroom Pizza
whatta fun night to work. I’m dressed as an Indian & another server as a cowboy! Come say hey & eat some pizzzaaaa

czarinamv: Guess who won today’s Best Costume? It’s TinkerBielle!! 😜💚 #stagetitaforever

//

InstaPug: Beau Balek and Tofu

ondeathbeds: Happy dudes.

@OnDeathBeds

Dog Handler/Musician

Long Beach, CA

600+ followers

There’s no better feeling than to log on to Instagram and see pictures of dogs. If you disagree with that statement, you are a monster. Seriously though, #pugsofinstagram is practically a cult, and Beau Balek is the king of pug photos. Not only does he handle pugs on the daily, his pup Tofu is a majestic subject for photography. Here’s what Beau has to say about capturing precious moments of his Long Beach dog life.

ondeathbeds: Far fucking out. #pug #pugsofinstagram #space #picfx #joshuatree

What does your Instagram handle mean?

Taken from the title of a book by Wes Eisold (singer of bands Cold Cave/Some Girls/American Nightmare).

Describe your Instagram style.

I wouldn’t say I have a style really. More often than not, it’s a picture of my dog Tofu, but I guess I sort of use it as a photo journal in a way, but I don’t just throw any random photo up.

Name three of your most inspiring subjects or settings to shoot.

My dog Tofu (x3)

What’s your favorite Instagram upload?

What photo editing apps do you use?

Sometimes I will use InstaFrame for sizing, but nothing for filters, etc.

How has your life changed since using Instagram?

Not at all really, except that I may have made a few acquaintances just by mutual love for pugs.

Anything else you’d like to talk about?

How bout them Dodgers?

ondeathbeds: Oh, Tofu. #pug #pugsofinstagram

The New Popular Page: Outfit of the Day

jesskuuh: 🌼

The street style community is a dominant force in the interwebs. From fashion blogs to style inspiration Pinterest boards, there always seems to be a selfie involved. Lots of fashion and style junkies use these hashtags to share photos of their daily digs: #wiwt (what i wore today), #ootd (outfit of the day), #hotd (hijab of the day), #fashionblogger, #lookbook. Some rep brands hard by hashtagging #jeffreycampbell and whatnot.

Here are some of my favorite style shots uploaded to Instagram recently. Mirrored photos are popular, try using apps like Photo Reflection or Mirrorgram to get a similar effect.

izziechanmei: Today on Fashion Suicide. F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S-I-T-Y! #ootd #wiwt

austin_xo:🍦

fiercefantasy: Flexing in my backyard. #ootd #wiwt #solefest #fashionblogger #miamifashionblogger click to see the brands I’m rocking 🙂 #nastygal

monlinglee #colorindex #vintage #dc #alley

meganthropus: Laras and Beni wedding. Beautiful wedding. W/ my twin @farahsabiilaa ♥ #hijabchic #hijaboftheday #hijabeauty #hotd #ootd #bandung #bestfriend

stephanievalenzuela Outfit of the day: F21 top | H&M leather shorts | Air Max 90’s 😎 #ootd #wiwt #fashion #airmax #nike #blogger

zarrieff_nasir Goodbye Langkawi 🙂 #prettyboy #makeup #mens #mensfashion #fashion #fashionista #travel #langkawi #malaysia #malay #iphone5 #asian #asia #beach #yacht #ootd

lisa_emmer ootd! have my maths test today..wish me luck! 🍀 #igdaily #instagramhub #style #michaelkors #me #girl #instagood #summer #jj #instagramers #fashion #igaddict #love #instadaily #nofilter #all_shots #zara #light #picstitch #ootd #instamood #webstagram #pretty #bestoftheday #statigram #igers #iphonesia #picoftheday #wiwt #photooftheday

enumlikedenim: #ootd #ootdshare #ootdmagazine #hotd #potd #wiw #wiwt #lotd #outfitoftheday #hijab #hijabswag #hijabstyle #style #trendsetter #fashiondiaries #instastyle #igerscanada #floral #instagood #insta #love

carissasays: Today I am monochrome #ootd #wiwt

clarechanwm: Blogged about my last 2 days in Tokyo! http://www.mypinkpot.blogspot.com #outfit #ootd #hervelvetvase #ralphlauren #louisvuitton #givenchy

jtotheahey: By sisters’ request. “Pretty little angel eyes” (old song) hype on lookbook.nu/look/5022948 #sockhop #dots #dress #denim #jacket #wedges #satchel #wiwt #ootd #vintage #style #50s #lookbook #preppy #petstagram loltags

mrs_kli: 👟#good#morning#vans#cologne#sun#legs#brown#style#jeans#iphoto
#snapshot#instagood#picoftheday#instamood#instadaily#follow#igdaily
#iphonesia#instalove#webstagram#igaddict#igfame#instastyle#tbt#ootd
#botd#taptofollow#followme#bestoftheday

astridsylvest: #ootd #going #to #exam #nervous #dont #want #to #just #wanna #lay #in #by #bed #fuckingAT #AD

xkyd: Hello to my fat calves and 1/3 of my too bright #ootd . #Wednesday #wiwt #instasg #stripes #coltrane #jefferycampbell

evelinevon: Today’s outfit with my favourite white sunglasses. #best #pants #glasses #loafers #outfitoftheday

tasyanoni: Another daily outfit #iphonesia #instadaily #instaphoto #ootd thkyou @vncoshop

What’s your favorite hashtag to follow on Instagram?

The New Popular Page: From Where I Stand

aaput: 🍍 Tropical.
#whpfromwhereistand #fromwhereistand #fromwhereistandnow #fromwhereonestands #fromwhereistandblended #vsco #vscocam #vscophile #vscomoment @fromwhereistand

Like any other normal human being, I commonly snap-judge individuals by the shoes they are wearing. So you can imagine how fun it is for me to browse through the From Where I Stand hashtag on Instagram. Photos tagged with #fromwhereistand usually portray the location the shooter is at, but has less to do with prominent places and more with floor design, a hip ensemble, impressive heights, or adorable puppies. Either way, it’s a field day for those, like me, love to ponder shoe choice (or lack there of!).

kelsbe: Trompin around on a rainy spring morning, hoping that my frost bitten little flowers survive! #fromwhereistand #flowers #zinnias #hunter #aprilshowers

amber_waves_ofgrain: #yellow #dandelion #green #fromwhereistand #macro #focus

soupatraveler: Good Morning! Picked up a little garden goodness yesterday! #fromwhereistand #themugchronicles #anaussieslife #rodgersworld #adogslife #miniaustralianshepherd #urbangardener

ferrysienanda: #fromwhereistand 🌞

hey_gina: hey@instagram, we have all the time in the world. where shall we go? ]}

cebraderayas: #fromwhereIstand

tawwni: i love rainy days 💦

_heystephanie: Today is the kind of day to play it safe. But peeking over isn’t that #dangerous, is it? #projectlife365

robinmccauley: #fromwhereistand

wantheng: #fromwhereistand

_cmoney_: #fromwhereistand #willistower #searstower #willis #skyscraper #chicago #chitown

gregorywoodman: 💀 #fromwhereistand after I pushed @brenna_marriie and @erickimberlin #deadstagram

gijanice: #fromwhereistand…

sondrewright: Rainydayzz |#FromWhereIStand | 2013

hamtagger: Looking down at me looking up at myself.

Check out more #fromwhereistand photos shared on Instagram or in the Flickr community. There’s even a fromwhereistand Instagram account dedicated to sharing its favorite photos tagged with the hashtag.

What is your favorite hashtag to follow and contribute to?

App Review: PopAGraph Adds Action to Static Shots

eringobro: Potty shot #latergram #popagraph

Pop a Graph by Flambe Studios LLC, free

This free app allows you to mask an area of a photo, extract that area, and edit the area to be sepia, grayscale, or vivid. The user can also edit the unmasked area with the same settings. Paid versions allow blur, contrast, haze, vintage, and more filters. The app also allows playing with frames. The masked area may layer on top of a frame. Or multiple frames can be placed as tiles so that parts of the background are not shown.

Here are results of me tinkering with the app:

Underwater sepia scene

black and white skyline

Pros

• Zoom in by pinching the photo for more precise masking
• Able to go back to any level of editing (masking, filters, frames) and change settings instead of starting all over
• Photos look more active when popping out of a frame

Cons

• Difficult to mask on iPhone screen, easier to edit on an iPad
• Free app gives extremely limited filters and frame options

When you surf Instagrams hashtagged #popagraph, there you’ll find mixed results of creativity (and lacking captions!). The app is in its infancy and users are still not sure of their favorite ways to use it. Some PopAGraph photos look heavily edited and unreal, which I’m not particularly drawn to. But sticking to a few of the editing options instead of all of them result in pretty and simple photos, especially when there is a subtle pop of color. Here are some of my favorite examples of photos edited with PopAGraph:

yamilasofia: #popagraph

_catheegee_: #popagraph

katrin_miheeva: #popagraph

akatnice: #popagraph

jcb121290: #popagraph

kharibaoli: #popagraph

What are some ways you make your photos pop?

App Review: Pixelate It With pxl

eringobro: Nothing like the feeling of warm sand beneath your feet. #Latergram edited with #pxl

pxl. by Rainer Kohlberger

$.99

Upload a photo (taken with any device) and pixelate its composition using Kohlberger’s app, pxl. There are nine composition shapes to chose from, and the pixelated shapes can range in resolution. Or if you’re feeling really crazy, Kohlberger suggests you try the “shake” feature. When you shake your device, the app will choose random composition. Remember to turn the shake feature on in the app’s settings before you sit there and shake your phone like a maniac and cry “it’s NOT working!”

Here are some of my before and after pxl-fied photos of my own:

Stained glass mermaid window in Alameda, CA

Pixelated stained glass mermaid window in Alameda, CA

 

Phone call in Dumbo, NY

Pixelated phone call in Dumbo, NY

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, CA

Pixelated Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, CA

Pros:

• fun to play with composition and shape options
• easy to use interface
• can push finished product via email, Twitter, Facebook, photoalbum

Cons:

• can’t push finished photo straight to Instagram
• doesn’t work for all photos (I found myself editing photos before pixelating them. High contrast photos with minimal colors seem to work best.)

These are some of my favorites pulled from Instagram:

quitenormal: #pxl #design

plastikman: #pxl

kmhiggs: #moonrise #kingdom #night #pxl #edit #horizon #newage #newera #liveforever

kersskerner: Josh as a #pxl rendering

bearfoxchalk: Side profile #pxl

ryangscofield: Stick figure. #Hartley #pxl

If you want to check out more photos edited with pxl, check out pxl’s tumblr.

InstaPhotographer: Scott Borrero

scottborrero: Someday we’ll learn to Fly : A c-c-c-c-combo jumper shot using #fastcamera and combined in #photoforge2

@scottborrero, San Francisco, 2200+ followers

Professional Photographer

Describe your Instagram style.
I would say I’m more of a minimal surrealist than anything else. I create images that usually pop with color but also have subdued tones. More of a people photographer but I have discovered a passion for landscapes through Instagram.

Name three of your most inspiring subjects or settings to shoot.
1. Levitation/Jumping/Movement pictures
2. Sunsets
3. The Ocean

scottborrero: Steadfast : While you slept – my mind wandered

Who’s your favorite Instagram user to follow?
I have two favorites. They are the dynamic duo of Skyler, @tatum22 and Scott, @diegoscott83. From the first time I started taking Instagram seriously as an art form they have been a huge inspiration. They are the creators of #meditation_levitation which is by far my favorite tag.

What kind of photo will you always “like” when it shows up in your feed?
I love any shot with movement, static images are just that– static. While that can be a powerful artistic tool I prefer images in motion. Even my landscapes usually have a sense of motion when I shoot with the Average Camera Pro app.

scottborrero: Bridging the Gap : The hardest thing in life is knowing which bridge to cross and which bridge to burn. And burning bridges is never fun… Unless you’re a pyro, that is 🔥 – Here’s a shot of #thatsfbridge we all know and love, #squidgram style – Cheers!

What photo editing apps do you use?
Haha a better question would be which app haven’t I used? I’m familiar with Snapseed, AfterGlow, AfterLight, VSCO, Diptic, Over, Mirrorgram, Art Studio, etc. I’m kind of a tech nerd when it comes to apps so I love to experiment with all of them, even using multiple apps to edit one image. I also use several capture apps like Camera+, FastCamera, Average Camera Pro, Pro HDR, Slow Shutter, and the even the native Camera for that HDR at times.

What hashtags do you use?
#justgoshoot #justgoshoot_ampt #instagood #instagramhub #instaaaaah #instadaily #jj #jj_forum #fartoodope #all_shots #hot_shotz #unitedbyedit #photoforge2 #mextures #ampt #amptcommunity_w #igers #igerssf #igmasters #igdaily #photooftheday #bestoftheday #sf #sanfrancisco #skyviewers

I use these tags because they pertain to my images and groups that I follow/am a part of on Instagram. Hashtags are the best way to get your name out there and have your images viewed so I have no shame in using the max of 30 haha. They are also a valuable way to stay connected with your friends by tagging and creating tags to share a certain set of images.

scottborrero: Head over Heals : Please don’t mistake my confidence for arrogance, I’ve read enough literature to know that hubris never got no one nowhere 👌- #backflipstagram by yours truly, captured by my good friend Kevin @kevinslotemaker he’s a great photographer and a real pal so be sure to stop in and show him some love, cheers!

How many photos do you upload per day? 
I upload usually two to three a day.

How has your life changed since using Instagram?
I can honestly say I am happier and more creative since joining and taking my posting seriously. The friends I’ve gained are worth it enough, but the adventure is where my heart lies. I’ve explored parts of SF and the Bay Area I never would have, had I not been inspired by the Instagram community to go out and explore. Every time I shoot, I try to go someplace new or revisit a familiar place and photograph it in a way I have never looked at it before. I’ve also been sponsored by a iPhone case and lens company and even got my first piece of fan art the other day! All that from a free app? But really Instagram is much more than that, it’s a creative playground, it’s a source of inspiration and its just plain fun.

scottborrero: Double Dragons 🐉🐉 : Getting sideways for the #WHPleanwithit @instagram contest – A #gorillapod #griptight shot featuring yours truly and the Durler himself @robbydurler

*Editor’s Note: InstaZine is dedicated to all that is Instagram culture to the utmost sense being all photos featured were taken by and edited with a mobile device (in this case, Scott’s iPhone). Immaculate shots such as Scott’s are accessible to any Instagram user who choose to invest in or play with the capturing and editing apps Scott listed above. So go out and try it!

App Review: Over’s Typography, Dblcam’s Selfies

eringobro: Serious appstacking cause I like to party #sf #bernal #fromwhereistand #dblcam #madewithOver #textography

Photo editing and picture capturing apps are exploding in the App Store because app developers want to help Instagrammers have the most creative and innovative photos to share. Many professional iPhoneographers are really into appstacking: the process of applying multiple filters from different photo editing apps to create a desired aesthetic in their photos, usually to share on Instagram. I learned all about appstacking from Instagram superstar Koci Hernandez aka @koci.

In the photo above, I utilized three apps outside of Instagram. First, I captured the image with dblcam. Then, I edited the photo with Vintique. Last, I added text with Over.

OVER ($1.99): Instagram captions are limiting. But with Over, Instagrammers have exponential ways to tell a story. With two dozen fonts, lots of basic colors, and the ability to use multiple layers of text, your story-telling ways are turned upside down. Some use Over to add a corny quotation to text, or use multiple font sizes to give extra depth to the photo. 

eringobro: San Francisco. #sf #madewithover

fishdevon: #overgram #bestofover #headphones #itunes #apple #mac #quiet #imac #swiss #helvetica #bold #type #typography #text #graphicdesign #graphic #design

@dorinelallouche

Pros:

beautiful fonts, icons, and lots of colors

variety of all cap or lower case fonts

option to add multiple layers means the user can have multiple fonts on one photo

option to push straight to Instagram

option to save images to edit in other apps

Cons:

can’t choose opacity of font

can’t rotate layers of text

some fonts don’t have special characters or accent marks

DBLCAM (free): A proclaimation in the world of #selfies. Let’s face it, people love to take photos of themselves. The dual camera feature in iPhones and Androids enables iPhoneographers to subtly snap a photo of his/herself on a good hair day. dblcam is an upgrade for #selfies. The app snaps a photo with one camera, then with the second. The app then splits the photos and creates a square with two halves. Now followers know where you are and what you look like. That’s like, 2x more cred than a single Instagram can usually give you.

eringobro: The Bay below #sf #shapes #fromwhereistand #dblcam #vintique #latergram

gheghe: Haha! #dblcam is quite fun!

goorbit: #PNW made with #dblcam

Pros:

the upgraded way to take a selfie

interface for searching through gallery is clean and easy to use

automatically combines two photos into one image

Cons:

when pushing straight to Instagram, the user can’t choose how to center the photo

to crop/rotate/align photo, must save to camera roll then open in instagram app

tough to frame the second photo because its taken automatically, before the user has time to center

What are your favorite photo editing apps?