It seems that when we become too technologically advanced, we find ourselves nostalgically wanting elements from the past. This is best shown with the trend of vintage photography, with applications like Instagram, allowing you to add filters and effects to your photos, making them look as if they just came out of the 60s. However, as I mentioned with my FX Photo Studio review, very few of these types of applications seem to make it through in terms of popularity like Instagram has for iPhone. One application that we can say has is Instant for Mac.
Interface
The interface of Instant is pretty simple while still being amazing. The interface is some sort of Polaroid camera facing toward you. However, the Polaroid doesn’t seem to have a special function. It’s simply a design. Where you really get to work is with the Finder window.
In the all-important Finder window, accessed by clicking on the screen, you will be able to select the photo that you want to use in the Instant application. Once your photo is selected and goes through the Polaroid camera, you can do many things with the photo to give it the Polaroid feel. You can add text to the bottom of the photo, as if you were titling it. However, the filters are the reason that Instant is a hit.
Filters and Features
Instant allows you to, along with adding text, add filters to your photos to give them that nice vintage finishing touch. There are a lot of filters to choose from, a noticeable amount more than the Instagram application. Applying filters are pretty straightforward. All you have to do is just select them to apply. You can adjust each filter as well, by making them more or less intense. Want to have your picture look as if it came straight out of the 80s, Instant allows you to add Vignette to your photos for a nice finish. It works great with black-and-white.
To Buy or Not To Buy
Now is the important question, should you purchase Instant or not? Well, it all lies on how you will use the application. For individuals interested in Instant solely for the effects, then you’ll regret purchasing after about five uses. It will soon get old and you’ll find the same features in many of the other photo applications available for Mac. Additionally, you can do a bit more with the other applications out there. Plus, there aren’t many social networking features, aside from being able to post onto Flickr.
Unless you’ll find yourself adding the photos onto Facebook for example, then Instant will be a waste of money. However, it would be unfair to ignore the amazing quality of these features and how real they look when compared to Polaroid photos. The simplicity also may be attractive to individuals who find that they never had a liking toward photo applications due to the difficulty of use. If only Instant could offer some form of a printing service, like “postagram” does, then I would be sold! Instant is available for $4.99 on the Mac App Store.
Download Instant for Mac today from the Mac App Store.
Ari Simon has been a writer with Make Tech Easier since August 2011. Ari loves anything related to technology and social media. When Ari isn’t working, he enjoys traveling and trying out the latest tech gadget.
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