Hipstamatic: You don’t need the Field Guide app. You need this blog.

I finally became one of the cool kids. I threw my Blackberry away. I purchased an iPhone.

Then I bought Hipstamatic and the confusion set in.

You see, previously, on my iPad, I used Instagram which essentially overlays a filter on a picture that has already been taken. Hipstamatic functions like an analog camera in that you select a lens, film, and flash prior to taking a picture. You don’t get to experiment with different options after the fact as you can with Instagram. Herein lies the artistic freedom and trap. Instagram has a set number of filters while Hipstamatic allows you to experiment and ultimately craft the shot you want without limitations of a particular set of filters but there is no way to adjust with the moment captured.

“But”, you say, “I don’t have time to experiment today. I am going to this amazing event and I need to tweet and blog the pictures.  My followers need to see the event as only my eyes can (FYI: This is a farce and you know it). The Hipstamatic Field Guide is far to tedious to navigate through on my iPhone. I can’t risk failure.” Once again, I am here to stable your rather precarious position on the cliff of failure so that you have the freedom this leading edge app can provide without risk of Twitter or blog failure.

With the Hipstamatic app there are three lenses, three rolls of film, and three flashes you receive upon download (conveniently you can purchase others) . The following is a brief summary of the various lenses and films as well as photos of the same subject using a combination each:

Lens	John S Lens	Jimmy Lens	Kaimal Mark II Lens	Buckhorst H1 Lens
Description	John S Lens is a good all-round lens, and works well in low-light, bright-light, and just about any other scenario. It creates a vignette effect with saturation in cool tones	Gives a greenish yellow hue to all images. Jimmy is John S’ older brother.	Strong low contrast reddish-pink hue to all subjects.	This lense is cool like the woods, with a soft warm glow.
Hipstagram suggested combination’s and uses	As the John S is a very versatile lens to begin with, it works with just about any combination of flash and film.	Any BlacKeys film, as well as a Alred infared, and float.	BlacKeys SuperGrain Film, Float Film, as well as Alfred Infared Film	None
Film	Blanko Film	Ina’s 1969 Film	Kodot Xgrizzled Film
Hipstagram suggested combination’s and uses	Film produces a print that most closely resembles a white border print from your local photolab. This film provides the most rudimentary image possible.	Final image will have a rounded conrer and textured border emblemat of a mid-50′s to late 60′s era photo album	Film, rather print paper which appers to have jagged edges similar to that of an immage print that was not prperly squared up in a paper holder used to frame paper under an enlarger.