Musings: Hipstamatic - Why I like itLife in LoFi: iPhoneography | Mobile Photography / iPhone Photography News, Showcases, Reviews

Musings: Hipstamatic – Why I like it

Submitted by Marty Yawnick on September 20, 2010 – 11:40 am 15 Comments

Glyn Evans over on the iPhoneography blog posted his thoughts on very popular Hipstamatic app over the weekend. In case you don’t regularly check his blog, this is an excellent post that you should read before it rolls off the front page. Also, what is really, really cool about this post is the huge amount talkback from other iPhoneographers in the comments section of his post. I would venture to say that there are few things that polarize the iPhoneography community more than how they feel about Hipstamatic.

I also joined in the conversation there. My response is towards the bottom of the second page of comments on the post. If you give up and don’t make it past the first 20 comments, what I wrote — what I think about Hipstamatic is below, after the jump.

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A good post, Glyn. I’d like to add to the conversation.

I like Hipstamatic. There are times when I like the analog experience — the thrill of getting one, maybe two chances to capture the shot. I like the look of many of the filters. I have my favorite lens and film combinations and am willing to experiment photographically when I see a combination that I like and haven’t really tried out before. I acknowledge what you don’t like about it, but for me it isn’t an ender.

I like the looks that the app can give to an image. I like the noise, light leaks, tonal qualities and textures that it can add to a photo WHEN USED PROPERLY.

My problem with Hipstamatic isn’t with the app — it’s with the jillions of new users who think that all it takes to create art is to take a crappy snapshot and app it up with Hipstamatic. It’s still a crappy snapshot, only now it’s wearing the look of a nice filter. You can’t use Hipstamatic as a crutch in place of good photography.

However, many times, people just want to take snapshots and have them look a little fancy as they email them to family and friends. That’s cool. I don’t have a problem with that. Should we as iPhoneographers begrudge people of that? It’s a fun app. I say let people have fun with it.

One other very important point is that Hipstamatic is a large number of users’ first exposure to real iPhoneography. It’s the app that opens the door to the possibilities of the iPhone camera. Many realize that the iPhone is much more than just the regular cell phone camera that was on their old Nokia.

Once a user sees what Hipstamatic on the iPhone is capable of, they’re more likely to explore other iPhone photo apps. Many are open to recommendations of other apps. Many have a desire to improve their photography beyond bar snapshots with their buds. Many get that bug and get the desire to grow as photographers, to trust their eye and pursue their vision.

Not everyone, but I run across it more often than not. For that reason alone, Hipstamatic is a great app for the iPhoneography community.

I try to share my knowledge and experience with these fledgling photographers when I’m given the chance. It’s a lot easier to talk to someone about Picture Show, lo-mob, or FILM LAB when they have Hipstamatic on their iPhone. As a community, we should be giving good constructive criticism and direction to to those willing to share their images in a public forum.

We were all newbs once. Because of the iPhonegraphy blog, my blog LifeInLoFi.com, and others, photographers like us are ahead of the curve when it comes to apps like Hipstamatic. I tell you what — despite its flaws, I was giddy when i first started shooting with it. I still obsessively hit refresh on the App Store update page the day the new Hipsta model is due to be released. I still await with eager anticipation any new HipstaPaks they sell.

With a jillion copies sold, Hipstamatic is everywhere. So yes, I think as a community, we’re probably oversaturated with bad Hipstamatic images now. But many of these are from people who are either just shooting snapshots for fun or new photographers who are still finding their way.

But through the eye of a photographer with a good vision, I still think it’s a great app and it’s still possible to create good photography with Hipstamatic.

</rant>

=M=

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Marty Yawnick

Marty is a self-employed graphic designer in the Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex. He is an avid Rangers baseball, Chicago Cubs, Packers and Highbury Arsenal fan. In addition to capturing random moments with whatever camera is close by (usually his iPhone), his other interests include coffee, film, music, and traveling in seats 5E and 5F with his fiancé.

http://flickr.com/photos/paranee Miki

Excellent Marty! I definitely agree with everything you say, especially about how accessible Hipstamatic is to non-professionals to easily prettify up what is otherwise a quick mobile phone shot. It pains me when I see dedicated photographers take large chunks out of Hipstamatic simply because it has become the "everman's" camera of choice. Some people can do wonders with it, others just use it for fun. That doesn't mean it's the anathema of the photography world or that it should be castigated because it's a one trick pony that draws too close to the results otherwise achieves by skilled post-processing.

I guess this is the mobile photography's version of film versus digital?
Jon Betts

My only problem with it is that it doesn't work with the photo album. There is no right way or wrong way to use it. It uses itself. Agree about posting self-control but that is a problem we all have as I have just demonstrated
http://twenty200.com Rob

I love Hipstamatic because they got several aspects of photography right. I mean REALLY right. Hipstamatic is a one-click point and shoot. So many photography apps want a user to click, click, click and click again for every photo. Click to "Save / Discard." Click again to move the photo from a lightbox to the camera roll. More clicking to add effects after the fact. Could you imagine using a real camera if, after every shot, the camera stopped you by serving up pop-up after pop-up notices asking you if you wanted to save or discard photos? And asking if you wanted to save them in a different folder in your memory card?

With Hipstamatic, you set everything up ahead of time, and then it's a one click operation to take a photo, just the same as you would if you were using a real camera. Sure, I wish the viewfinder were bigger, and yeah, I wish it were faster, but Hipstamatic is so much fun to use that I still think it's the best photography app, hands down.

My only gripe about Hipstamatic is: I wish there were an option to turn off the borders. After a few shots, seeing the same border gets repetitive.

Bottom line, I think Hipstamatic is a bargain of a bargain. I've bought a ton of apps, but none have brought me more joy than this one!
http://twenty200.com Rob

By the way Marty, everything you said about Hipstamatic helping people discover photography is true. I'll even take it a step further by pointing out that the reverse is also true. Hipstamatic helped me to rediscover the joy of photography. It was the first app I bought when I finally got an iPhone. I thought I'd hate the limitations of a cell phone camera, but Hipstamatic, with its tiny viewfinder and one-click shooting, forced me to rethink photography (for me, it meant rethinking what I take photos of). I had so much fun with that app (and a few others). My iPhone as a camera makes me feel like a kid again. It's just so much fun to use.
Stacy

I think there will always be some elitists who don't want anyone new trying out fun iphone photography. They were there first, and are "serious artistes" and god forbid someone just have fun taking pictures with an iphone.

Not everyone wants their image to hang in some gallery somewhere. Some of us just like to have fun.
http://www.iphonia.fr Yann Lebecque

You're absolutely right : I started to use Hipstamatic back in february, after trying the excellent Lo-Mob (a french app, btw ! ) and it really made me discover the fabulous world of iPhoneography. I start musing the web, and I found two wonderfull websites I visit everyday since, your and iPhoneography.com. I downloaded a lot of apps since, and I'm in love with photo now, after using several "standard" cameras. The iPhone is "the best camera", as says a well known app, and I never leave home without it. Just for that reason, I have to pay a tribute to the wonderfull Hipstamatic, even if I don't use it so often. And thanks to all the genious behind the apps we use !
http://soundcloud.com/drew-english Drew

Great reply Marty. I am a devout follower of your blog and Hipstamatic was ABSOLUTELY the catalyst for me to get into iPhoneography and explore other apps, techniques and moreover, has really helped my artistic eye come to light.

I agree, so many people over use this app which has really over saturated the "LoFi" experience for so many. However, like you said, a great shot is a great shot…and a poor one a poor one. Nothing will ever be able to change that and I continue to be amazed by the art that is being created by myself and others on these little cameras that also make phone calls that live in our pockets and purses!
Benjamin

Nice article Marty

It's nice to see a positive opinion about Hipstamatic from a 'proper' photographer/artist for a change.

I know alot of serious photoshop users who hate on the app because of how easy it is,which is very ironic I think.Amusing too.

I must admit that when people started posting hipsta shots on facebook and then receiving massive amounts of compliments,a childish jealousy and annoyance arose within me because I knew no careful post processing was involved aha.

So I can understand the elitist hate towards it.

But this article has summed up nicely how I feel about it now.

Cheers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdviphone FDV

I very very much agree with what you said…Hipstamatic it's a very cool app and it's easy to get a well processed pic…but the composition it's up to you and no app can do a wrong picture right!!

Congrats Marty!!
MartyNearDFW

Hi, Jon,

Agreed. It would be nice to have access to the Photo Library, but as an old film guy, it's not a dealbreaker for me. I like the experience of choosing my "lenses" and "films" to compliment the subject.

=M=
hmmmm

I'm not sure I understand this post.

Who are "we" that can "begrudge" anyone of using their iPhone how they want? Are we "real iPhoneographers"? If so, what does it take to become one? A popular blog like Marty or Glyn have? Or maybe "real iPhoneographers" never take "crappy" photos. I'm sure Marty never does.

I think Glyn's post was pointing out some technical and feature related reasons that he doesn't like the app, but this seems to be a complaint about unwashed masses thinking they are artists. Certainly, art is in the eye of the beholder. One person's "crappy" is another person's art.

As you state: "we were all newbs once". How would you have felt if someone called your newb work crappy?
MartyNearDFW

Hi, Hmmmm (test@test.com)

Thank you for visiting and for sharing your opinion here. My post wasn't meant to insult anyone. It was intended as a positive post. It was written to illustrate the things I like about Hipstamatic as an iPhoneographer and a blogger.

My intent was to remind "real iPhoneographers", as you put it, that we were all new and inexperienced photographers at one time. I meant in a positive way and that we should share our knowledge and experience to help others find their vision.

And an experienced iPhoneographer can still take crappy shots just as an inexperienced one can take excellent shots. Like most other iPhoneographers, there are also hundreds of crappy pictures on my hard drive.

=M=
http://flickr.com/rogeriosm rogerio

Great thoughts, Marty. Just put out what I had in mind but somehow couldn't figure out myself.
http://flickr.com/rogeriosm rogerio

I would also like to point out and share something I found out recently.

I stopped using Hipstamatic for a few months. I felt that there were lots of pictures looking the same all over, as you guys pointed out.

Now I realized Hipstamatic can be useful sometimes. Especially for me, for some particular reasons:

1. I solely do 1×1 square. So when I take a picture I always have to crop it afterwards.

2. I aways have to resize a picture when I want to send it to someone over email.

Hipstamatic has been very useful in situations when I'm with family or friends and I have no intentions of taking serious photography nor have any serious post-processing thoughts in mind. It saves me the the trouble of cropping and resizing — by choosing regular quality — and I can easily snapshot freely.

And by the way: in regular quality Hipstamatic is very fast. If you guys want speed, keep in mind that you're using an app that is processing image, not only capturing it.

I always shoot with Helga Viking and Blanko Film, which is a very discrete — and yet nice — combo.

This "snapshot frame of mind" I think is what is behind the motivations of the creator of Hipstamatic. That's the way I see it. That's the way I use it.
http://twitter.com/kentkangley @kentkangley

I am the very person you posted about. I didn't even know about photo apps for my iPhone when I discovered Hipstamatic by chance. I decided to try it, I loved it, and I'm a devoted fan.

Using Hipstamatic made me look at other photo apps like Instagram, Camera+, Pudding Camera, Scratch Cam, KingCamera, Cameramatic and about 30 more. I started reading this blog and Glyn's iPhoneography. I started taking my photography more seriously. I'm working to improve my skills as a photographer. It's wonderfully rewarding to me. This is the most fun I've had with photography in 30 years, when I bought a Canon AE-1 as my first camera. And it's all due to the simple fun of Hipstamatic.