For years, a curious void has existed in the social network world – Instagram has remained stubbornly absent from the iPad. A platform built on photography, it seemed like a travesty that images couldn't be seen in hi-res on an iPad's beautiful, large and highly detailed screen. Now finally, the wait appears to be over, and the implications, particularly for professional photographers, could actually be quite useful.
Instagram's journey began with a simple, elegant premise: to share friends and acquaintances photos, quickly and beautifully, with a global audience. Its iconic square format (now 5x4 ratio) and user-friendly filters democratised photography, turning everyday moments into shareable 'art'.
as well as sometimes cursing us with egocentric FOMO.
Image: Instagram
But like all successful platforms, Instagram evolved. It moved beyond photography to embrace video, stories, and a robust e-commerce presence. It morphed from a personal photo album into a sprawling social network, a marketing behemoth, and for many, a primary source of news and entertainment. The casual snapshot now rubs shoulders with meticulously crafted advertising campaigns and professional portfolios – much to the chagrin of many original users.
Professional photographers, in particular, have long grappled with the limitations of the phone-centric app. While incredibly powerful, the small vertical screen of a smartphone is hardly the ideal canvas for showcasing high-resolution imagery. Editing, curating, and even simply viewing a portfolio on a phone can feel cramped and compromise the impact of their work.
And this hi-res quality of images could be partially to blame for the long wait. Instagram was worried that the photos and videos, often optimised for smaller phone screens, would look pixelated and stretched on the larger iPad display.
Enter Instagram for iPad. This isn't just about a larger screen; it's about unlocking a new realm of possibilities.
Imagine shooting on location, being able to wireless tether to your camera app on your iPad (which also makes it easier to show to a client). Then you can review, select and edit the shots – then share instantly on Instagram. The ability to meticulously crop, adjust, and apply final touches within the Instagram environment, all while seeing their work in large beautiful detail, could be invaluable.
For those using the iPad as a portable studio, the seamless transition from shooting to editing to sharing on Instagram could be a value added offering for professionals. It would allow sharing behind-the-scenes and 'hero' images in a more timely, current manner. For professionals, this would help elevate Instagram beyond just a sharing platform, positioning it as a more integral part of their professional photography ecosystem.
Now, two other Instagram related questions remain:
1) Will there ever be a desktop version of Instagram?
2) Will camera manufacturers (and phone manufacturers) allow one click sharing of our images direct from camera to social media apps on our phones?
You can read more about the Instagram iPad app launch on the Instagram website.