The Tip Jar: Get 'Gramming

Over the last year, I feel like my photographic eye has really improved. I attribute this partially to my progressive transformation into an Instagram addict. Despite being a convenient way for me to justify my self-diagnosed addiction, I do genuinely think instagramming can help improve your photography. Here are a few reasons why -

(1) You're familiar with Malcolm Gladwell's "10,000 Hour Rule"? Well, Henri Cartier-Bresson said, "Your first 10,000 shots are your worst." Basically, the more you practice, the better you'll be. As you produce more photos, you develop a better sense of your photographic style and become a more informed critic of your own work. Plus the aspect of getting near instantaneous feedback from your friends or "followers" helps you discover the kind of shots (or videos, now) that elicit responses. Likewise, the ability to get daily inspiration from other photographers keeps your creative mind stimulated.

(2) I truly think it's the "community" element that makes Instagram special. In addition to giving and receiving feedback and getting inspired by other 'grammers, you can organize meetups in your area or collaborate with other photographers. It's a great way to keep up to date with friends and family all over the globe. If you're traveling soon, you can check out others' pictures from the same destination. You can also create a special hashtag for a particular event, project or cause that others' can follow or contribute to. Really it's a gathering place for visual storytelling, accessible to anyone with a camera phone, and that's what makes it so unique. 

(3) Most Instagrammers use their camera phone since it's most convenient. As they say, your best camera is the one that's with you. And actually, without the different settings, lenses and equipment at your disposal as you might with a DSLR, you're limited to focusing on the essentials - composition, tone and the story.  Less can be more. It can also be less intrusive to the scene you're intending to capture.  Everyone has a unique photographic eye and Instagram is proof of that.

So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and get 'gramming!

There's An App for That!

I was just recently introduced to two new awesome photo apps - StickyGram and Postagram. StickyGram allows you to turn any of your Instagram photos into magnets! Wouldn't they make great gift ideas? Or even affordable, personalized little Save the Date magnets?

As for Postagram, it turns your Instagram photos into postcards that you can send to anyone with just a few clicks on your smartphone. No need to worry about these anymore...

(...although isn't that a beautiful stamp? It's a little sad to think about all the lovely stamps out there that will never be used!)

A World Without Jobs

We now live in a world without Steve Jobs.

As President Obama noted, "much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented." I am among the many that learned of Steve Jobs's death via push notification on my iPhone. I immediately grabbed my iPad to read the news and now am on my iMac remarking on how Steve Jobs changed the way we live.

Steve gave us the personal computer, the mouse, the concept of a friendly user interface, a sleek desktop computer with a built-in CPU. More notable as of late, he gave us iTunes, iPhoto, iCloud, the iPod, the iPhone, and of course, the iPad.

But, what Steve gave us isn't nearly as important as what he taught us.

Steve taught us that technology isn't something you have to be savvy about. Rather, technology should be as intuitive as it is innovative. It should bring ease as well as aesthetic into our daily life. Just like the company's namesake fruit, Steve showed us how technology could nourish our lives and our connections to one another. Over the last decade especially, we have seen his vision burn so brilliantly that I know the light will continue to shine on, even though he is gone.

Steve, may you rest in peace.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

                                                                         - Steve Jobs, 2005, Stanford University

...also, check out these photos submitted by NYT readers as a tribute to Steve Jobs' and his work.

(photo credit: unknown)