Instagram To Introduce New “Hamstagram” Filters
By K5KAC, on the scene
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif — Instagram, a social media site that allows users to add filters to uploaded photos, has noticed a recent trend in images being uploaded to their site: images related to amateur radio.
“We can’t really explain the trend and are as baffled as anyone else, but I guess no one is immune to sepia tones,” said Abe Goldman, director of Trend Management from his loft office in San Francisco’s South Park District.
Kendall Sherwood, a retired Michigan Ham, shed some light on the trend. “I stumbled on Instagram after creating an account to follow my granddaughter Emily over there at Albion College. It wasn’t long until I was posting my own pictures of sunlight landing on my daily cup of Metamucil, my Drake 2B glowing in the dark, and my shack cat, Harriet, batting at my IC-SM5 mic. Outside of QSL cards, there isn’t a lot of room for creativity in ham radio. This is very freeing.”
As for Emily, she is proud of her grandfather’s efforts, “He is really good at it! I always thought his radio stuff was boring, but now I see how vintage and authentic granddad really is,” she said.
The new service is being called “Hamstagram” in preliminary trials but is expected to change as, according to Goldman, “it has been noted that Hamster Fanciers are a rising trend as well.”
Currently, Hamstagram has a series of five filters in development: “Patina” for blue tones, “Solar Cycle” for light saturation, “Tube Glow” for orange tones, “Smoke Test” for black and white, and “Up Five” for that slightly out-of-focus look.
Users will also be able to rate submissions. “A really attractive picture would score a 5×9, and a dull picture might score a 3×3,” Goldman said. “Our research & development department is very proud of that feature,” he added, smiling from behind a local, organic, gluten-free beer.
Instagram introduced the new service at the Dayton Hamvention on May 17th. “Hipsters have their music festivals; hams have their hamfests,” noted Goldman, “We really aren’t that different.”
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