The One About Instagram

For any of you that know me personally, you know I work with a bunch of guys who really do not get my infatuation with Instagram.  That's okay.  I don't get their fascination with boobs or Starcraft, so I guess we're even.  What I have heard them say is why would you want to take a perfectly good photo and make it look old, dirty, and blurry?  What is the point to that?

My view of Times Square

As a species we enhance things all the time.  Just using drawing as an example we went from cave drawings to paper drawings that suffered from a lack of perspective.  Then, along came Filippo Brunelleschi in the early 1400's and poof we have linear perspective.  Since then it's been built on by others and now we have some amazing 3D CGI to show for our enhancements.

Market Street bridge
at sunset

Getting back to Instagram though, the popularity is driven by a number of things.  One is nostalgia, the viewer may recall the days of Polaroids and black and white film, or just like the feel of being a part of a different era.  Another is the ability to move the viewer away from reality.  Depending on the filter applied, or the blur and how much of it there is, the image can become very abstract requiring imagination from the viewer to give it a meaning.  Lastly it's a way for the viewer to connect with the image, or the photographer in feelings, memories, or even experiences that the photo is depicting as well as share their own photos with others to do the same.

Carlisle, PA mural of Molly Pitcher

Instagram isn't for everyone, and that's okay.  Turns out I'm still not a fan of boobs or Starcraft and that doesn't make me a bad person either.  And to answer their question of why do I want to do that to my perfectly good photos: by running it through those blurry, dirty filters, I've made that image mine.  It means something to me and I want to share it with others so they can enjoy what I see in it.

If you'd like to see more of my Instagram photos, you can look me up (drsizer), or the last few are always on the widget here on my site.

These are my favorite photos I've enhanced with Instagram so far.  The first is a vacation photo, the second is just from my drive home, and the last is a bit of home for me.  That caboose has been a fixture of the town I grew up in for as long as I can recall.

Boldt Castle Power House

Yellow Breeches Creek

New Oxford, PA Train Station

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MPC Day 20

Another day, another instagram!

Today's post - A Before and After

I call it, Venti & Empti

Iced coffee with SF Cinnamon Dolce.  Just in case you wondered what I like.

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MPC Day 19

So, after breakfast while we were in Atlantic City, we strolled out on the veranda of the hotel to watch the waves roll in for a bit.  We were also amused by a seagull.  (I know, this is the second seagull photo this month) He was sitting on one of the reverse domes and eyeing the people below.  AKA, scouting for food.
A lady came along, sat on one of the benches on the boardwalk and was happily feeding pigeons for a moment before this fellow realized the pigeons were eating 'his' food.  Off his perch and down to flop the pigeons he went.  He scared them off, ate up the crumbs and returned to his spot, carefully watching over his domain, lest it be invaded by pigeons once again.

Funny!

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MPC Day 18

Today was Corner of your home.
I wasn't at home today, so I was forced to make due with my home away from home.  My mother's birthday present this year from us was a trip to Atlantic City, NJ to stay at the Taj Mahal.  It just so happened she picked this weekend to go, and huge gamblers that we are, we shopped all day, pigged out at dinner and went back to room and were in bed before midnight.
That's right.  My version of Jersey Shore, minus the Snooki.

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MPC Day 17

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Guess what the word today was? Sadly no, it wasn't beer.
Why we celebrate a Roman-Britain man, pressed into slavery and dragged to Ireland so he could herd sheep, eventually escape to go back to Britain and become a priest by drinking beer and wearing green, I'll never know. I am, however, ok with the process.

I still miss regular beer some days, but Redbridge isn't bad.

Leprechaun Socks!

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MPC Day 16

The word of the day today is Sunglasses!
I can't tell you how tempted I was to revive the 80's and do an 'I wear my sunglasses at night' shot.  But, I also know how my evenings tend to go, and I'm hanging out with Shandy tonight, so I think things worked out the way they should.

The Cole Haan's, chillaxing on my desk.

Also, because I couldn't get it out of my head after mentioning it, Sunglasses at Night.

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MPC Day 15

The word of the day was Car.
At one of the roads I turn onto each day there is this old car sitting for sale.  It looks to be in restored, pristine shape and I couldn't help but stop and photo it today.

Model T

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MPC Day 14

I don't think the Aussies have caught on to Pi day, or today would have been pie instead of clouds.

Clouds

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MPC Day 13

A Sign.
That's what it is today.  Unfortunately there were no buy one pair of shoes, get one free signs anywhere to be found, trust me, I looked everywhere.
Instead I found a different kind of sign.  One that was a little more abstract.

Just because they aren't holding a sign, doesn't mean they aren't thinking it.  

Bring us French Fries!!!

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MPC Day 12

Forks?!  Who photographs forks?  Spoons, I totally get that.  Sometimes you need extra spoons.  It happens.
Maybe I should have photographed the lasagna I made over the weekend, and the tiramisu, both eaten with forks, causing me to need an extra spoon or five on Monday.  Curse you tomatoes, cheese, and eggs!
Instead, today you get what's left of the huge oak tree just off the veranda.

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MPC Day 11

The first words I typically utter every morning are usually slurred with sleep and sound vaguely like 'Good Morning Munchkin'.  Since the day he was born, my youngest likes to be what I wake to each morning.  I can't say I'm complaining because he really has a sunny disposition.  From the cute gurgles and playing with his toes like they're some sort of toy to are these your jeans or mine, mom?  Every morning really is amusing.  It would be more amusing if it wasn't so early though.

Oh - and today's challenge was Someone you talked to today!

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MPC Day 10

The word was LOUD today.
I was out at a friends birthday party tonight, and for a room full of people eating and drinking it was barely a dull roar.  Then again, I still had my cold and the ears were still plugged too, so it sounded more like a party in the other room.  Either way, Happy Birthday Donna!

Now, the loud thing is in the room next to me at the office.  I was told it would be quieter than just having the servers sit there.  It's not.  It's quite loud and obnoxious.  Pretty though, and the blinky lights are kinda mesmerizing...

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MPC Day 9

Today's word was Red.  For any of you not in the U.S. of A. you may not be familiar with the idea of wearing red on Fridays to support the troops of all the armed services, deployed or not around the world.  Everyone has their own opinion on politics, and you're welcome to it, it's not important in this case.  What is important though, are the men and women that have sworn to protect and defend us at all costs so that we can have our freedom.

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MPC Day 8

Today's post - Window.
This one is my office window.  I see fun things out of it usually, like garbage trucks and people who may or may not be up to nefarious things.  I tend to think its more important use is that of a shelf.  And yes, if you look closely that is indeed a water color of a hermit crab.

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MPC Day 7

Something I wore.
For any of you that know me, you know I love shoes.
These aren't the most expensive pair I own.  They aren't even heels.  They're plain and black, but they go with everything and sometimes, that's important too.

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MPC Day 6

5 PM.
Yeah, I really wanted this to be a glass of wine with my feet up somewhere.  If and when that ever happens again, I will be sure to photo that too.

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MPC Day 5

Today's challenge was to find a smile.  I found a cute furry one.

Tucker's Smile

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MPC Day 4

Today's object to photograph was: Bedside.

Due to the bed being so high, we don't have nightstands.  We have shelves.  They're boring.  I keep exciting things on mine, like a book, an alarm clock and my glasses.  Instead, you get to see the side of my bed.

Bedside

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MPC Day 3

Another day, another photo!  Today's subject was your neighborhood.
With the cold I've been fighting, I didn't want to trek about the neighborhood searching for the best photo I could.  What you see today is looking up the street from the front porch.  My view of the neighborhood from the front door we rarely use.

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MPC Day 2

The word of the day was: Fruit.

Seriously - what was I going to do with this?  I was not going to photograph fruit in a bowl.  I have a thing about still life with fruit.  Hate it.  Loathe it really.  So, I looked in the fridge and I had the option of oranges or apples.
Orange you glad I didn't do this to an apple?

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