For a while now, I’ve been against the idea of the fake Photoshop-action apps people use on their mobile phones, but since Instagram has come along, I’ve changed my tune a little. I still feel that photography is slightly cheapened by just selecting from a few predetermined filters with a couple of finger taps (which goes for pretty much all photo apps), but it was the social aspect of Instagram that seemed to make all that okay. Sure you’re still shooting though a crummy camera-phone lens (until the technology catches up), but at least this way everyone is using the same tools on an even playing field. And then you get to share everything amongst one another to see what they choose to do with it. Making it more about having fun and community. Which is not so bad if you look at it for what it is.

Anyway, I hope this doesn’t subtract anything from my film photography, but if you’d like to check out any of my Instagram shots, you can find me @awestbrock, or I’ve gathered a few into a Flickr set.

Also, if you want to read another great take on the rise of Instagram, check out this post done by Mullen’s own, Edward Boches. He has insightful thoughts on pretty much everything under the advertising sun, and he’s a super nice guy to boot. Plus, he’s a fellow road biker, so there’s one more reason to give him a listen.