Back in the day, or as they say, “when the world was black and white,” Polaroid cameras and instant photos were the hit.  Just shake it and wait for it to dry.  Now, in modern day, Instagram has made a once boring process a whole lot easier for photo-sharing and editing in just a few taps.

Vintage is the new black.  Likewise, Instagram has become the new preferred camera of choice.

Instagram is an iPhone and iPod app in which the user can take a photo and choose from many custom designed filters to turn a simple snapshot into a striking work of art.  Some of the filters include inkwell, or black and white; Lomo-fi, a brighter, darker filter; and 1977, which makes any photo look like a screenshot from a 70’s movie.  These photos can easily be uploaded in seconds to social networking sites like Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, and Posterous.

Instagram honors both the Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid cameras, and uses a semblance of an instant photo square shape for every snapshot.

Developed by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger at Burbn, Inc., the team focused on one specific feature: mobile photos. From then on the application was known as Instagram, for instant photo-editing and sharing.  The application was released in the iTunes store on October 6th, 2010.

In September 2011, Instagram 2.0 was released: an updated version included the new feature of tilt-shift, high resolution photos, new and live features, and of course the new sleek icon that gives an added appearance to Instagram’s vintage-y message.

So how does Instagram compare with other big name software like Photoshop Elements and Aperture 3?  First off with new iOS technology, Apple products have an incredible camera quality, which allows anyone to try their hand at photography.  Instagram allows for easy photo editing without the thousands of unknowns in the big software programs—and Instagram is completely user-friendly.  Another plus, this app is only on the device because there is no online login for a computer website.  It’s all right there at the tip of your fingers, snapping photos, editing, and publishing. Done.

Like Facebook, users can like and comment on other photos—whether a best friend just posted a photo of their new shoes or Taylor Swift uploads a photo of her audience in Houston, Texas.  And like Twitter, it is easy to follow other accounts; and similar to Tumblr and Flickr, people can have the luxury of sharing life’s experiences through amazing color photos.

This 5-star rated app has many good reviews and many happy users—and the growth of accounts proves it.  Within the last few months, many students at Walpole High School started using Instagram, and they really enjoy its simplicity.

Junior Michelle Monahan said, “It is really fun, and its like Twitter only with photos instead.  Its cool that you can follow celebrities and your friends.  It brings out everyone’s inner artist.”

With Instagram’s growing popularity and high end features, it is safe to say that the app is slowly becoming the new Twitpic.