Untitled
-
Year in Review: Instagram in 2012
2012 has been an exciting year for Instagram! From the addition of three new filters, and the launch of Instagram profiles on the web, to Instagram joining the Facebook team, we’ve gone through many exciting changes in the past year. Here’s a recap of some of the best moments for Instagram in 2012:
- The Lux feature was introduced in Instagram 2.0, allowing users to easily transform their photos.
- Three new filters were added to the Instagram filter family; Sierra, Willow, and Mayfair.
- Instagram for Android launched April 3rd, 2012, putting Instagram in the hands of millions of people around the world.
- Instagram joined Instagram! Our official account highlights beautiful photos, interesting users, and amazing locations directly from the community.
- Instagrammers participated in the 4th & 5th World Wide InstaMeets. In March Instagrammers headed out on a photo walk around their city, and in June people from around the world went on an adventure together.
- Instagram joined Facebook! Together we’re continuing to improve, evolve, and build a better experience for sharing photographs.
- Instagram 3.0 introduced a new and unique way to browse photos, called Photo Maps.
- Many users had asked for the ability to see their Instagram profiles on the web, so this year we rose up to the challenge and created a beautiful profile viewing experience.
- Throughout 2012 we made major improvements to the look and feel of Instagram, both in the mobile application and on the web by redesigning the Instagram blog, adding the ability for users to comment, like and follow from the improved web & mobile photo pages, updating the look of application and making improvements to the iOS camera.
In addition to these changes and improvements, we celebrated 2 years since our launch, and saw the community grow to 100 million users & share 5 billion photos.
We would not have had such a great year if it weren’t for the love, support, and feedback from our incredible community; we thank you for an awesome 2012, and we’re excited for what 2013 has in store!
-
The Week on Instagram | 59
News
- Have you downloaded the latest Instagram update? 25 languages + new filter
- Year in Review: Instagram in 2012
- 2012’s Most Popular Locations on Instagram
- Documenting 2012 Through Instagram
Get Involved
- Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPresolutions. View photos from the last project, #WHPmyhometown.
Around the Community
-
Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPresolutions
Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes & hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a photo announcing the weekend’s project every Friday.
This weekend’s tag was #WHPresolutions, which asked participants to capture photos that symbolized their resolutions for 2013! Every Monday we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.
-
Iceland’s Mysterious DC-3 Plane Wreckage
Want to see more photos? Visit the DC-3 Sólheimasandi location page on Instagram.
Iceland is known for its wonderfully photographic terrain, and most who visit describe it as something out of a science fiction film. The carcass of a downed United States Navy DC-3 plane in the midst of a vast black sand beach known as Sólheimasandur is certainly no exception! Many photographers who visit Iceland add this well-hidden landmark to their must-see lists.
While there’s extremely limited historical information regarding what exactly happened to the fuselage, legend has it that in 1973, during particularly unsavory weather conditions, an airplane ran out of fuel and was forced to make a crash-landing on a beach just west of a small town called Vík. Everyone on board survived, and the wreckage was abandoned in the black sand.
-
On the Ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with @michaelchristopherbrown
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fighting between the government of President Joseph Kabila and M23 rebels has been raging on for the past few months, and the prospects of war hang heavy over the country.
American photographer Michael Christopher Brown (@michaelchristopherbrown) is in the heart of the DRC capturing the conflict. He lives in an apartment in the city of Goma and has had a variety of assignments in the country, all of which he’s captured solely on his mobile phone. This month, Newsweek International published six pages of Michael’s mobile photos documenting the M23 and the city of Goma. Michael’s affinity for mobile photography stems from its simplicity, speed and authenticity:
I primarily use a phone because it is easy, small and fun … I do not even feel like a photographer and this makes the process more interesting. There is no pressure, there is less control and there is the excitement of a new way to make pictures … Of course, equipment can be important, but what is more important is the way a photographer interacts with the people he is photographing … Depending on the situation, a phone is often not seen as a camera and that can be an advantage.
Michael shares his photos to Instagram because it gives him “the ability to reach large numbers of people instantaneously, to have a dialogue almost in real time, as it has shortened the time from when images are taken to when they reach the public.” To see more of Michael’s photos from the DRC, follow him on Instagram @michaelchristopherbrown and be sure to visit his web profile:
-
The Making Of: @DannyHess Surfboards
The Making Of… Know any other Instagrammers doing something unique with their hands? Send us a note through Tumblr.
At the very west end of San Francisco, where the city meets the Pacific Ocean, Danny Hess (@dannyhess) makes custom surfboards, skateboards, and handplanes. Like the ancient Polynesians who invented surfing, Danny’s boards are made out of wood, which is uncommon for surfboards made today.
“Salvaged and responsibly harvested wood is by far the best material for engineering a light, responsive, and durable board,” Danny says. “I build these to last. My goal has always been to build a beautiful, functional board that you never have to replace.”
You can get a peek at the process of hand-shaping a wooden surfboard on Danny’s Instagram account, @dannyhess, and be sure to check out more of Danny’s work on his website: hesssurfboards.com.
-
Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (哈尔滨国际冰雪节)
Want to see more photos? Visit the 松花江 | Songhua River, 冰雪大世界 | Ice & Snow World, and 太阳岛 | Sun Island location pages on Instagram.
Every January, the city of Harbin in frigid northeastern China gets its moment in the sun. Tourists flock to Harbin and endure temperatures as low as -35º Celsius (-31º Fahrenheit) to see massive snow and ice sculptures built from the nearby Songhua River’s frozen surface. At night, lights illuminate the ice and snow inside and out with bright colors. While the sculptures and parks are open from mid-December to late February, this year’s festival had its grand opening today.
-
The Week on Instagram | 60
News
- Happy New Year from Instagram!
- King5: Instagram, mobile-phone photography take off in Seattle
- Jalopnik: Instagram Is Pretty Good For Finding Weirdly Cool Pictures Of Cars
Get Involved
- Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPwaiting. View photos from the last project, #WHPresolutions.
Around the Community
-
Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPwaiting
Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes & hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a photo announcing the weekend’s project every Friday.
This weekend’s tag was #WHPwaiting, which asked participants to capture photographs of places or scenes that represent waiting. Every Monday we feature some of our favorite submissions from the project, but be sure to check out the rest here.
-
Elsewhere: Previewing The Wild Card Round
Every year when the NFL playoffs start, I’m here to remind you that there are only 11 competitive football games left in the season, and the Pro Bowl if that’s your thing.
The first two rounds are always the most interesting to me. The wild card round is usually interesting because it features a bunch of teams riding momentum into the post-season, or division winners who need a home win to validate a successful regular season.
Next week is probably my favorite, because you can just feel the pressure of the number one seeds. What’s up, Atlanta.
For the first time in a long time, maybe forever, I do feel that these playoffs might play out a bit more straight forward than in season’s past, but we can get into detail on that next week. Do stop by NFL Off-Season throughout the playoffs, as I plan on writing previews and recaps along with the great work by the other contributors on the page. Also, give me a shout on Twitter if that’s your thing, it’s definitely mine.
Below are links to my previews for this weekend’s slate. Enjoy the games.
1. Bengals at Texans: Momentum and other things
2. Vikings at Packers: The Quarterback Is King
