The W Hotel in Times Square currently has an Instagram Photography Exhibit, a collaboration between the hotel and a photography community called Instagram NYC. The exhibit runs from May 14th through the 21st and is free and open to the public.
There is no doubt that Instagram, the photo sharing app recently bought by Facebook for a headline-making $1 billion dollars, makes a pretty picture. Both professional photographers and regular shutterbugs have taken to the app on their iPhones and Droids to make even the most ordinary images extraordinary with Instagram’s many filters and editing features.
In fact, there are many ways to showcase images taken with Instagram online, beyond one’s Instagram stream. There are blogs, Flickr groups, and Tumblr sites dedicated to Instagram, and businesses are beginning to take advantage of Instagram contests.
What The W Hotel has done is taken the images offline by providing a brick and mortar venue for printed Instagram images.
The exhibit features shots by some of the most talented Instagram photographers including Brian Difeo (@bridif), founder of Instagram NYC, John De Guzman , Angeliki Jackson, Liz Eswein, Chrixtian Xavier Chantemargue and Theo. You can find the five featured artists images by searching for them on the app: @cxcart @newyorkcity @uptowneastnyc @astrodub and @johndeguzman.
The W Times Square Hotel also held a social media contest inviting instagramers from all over the world to be featured in the exhibition by uploading images to the Instagram page and using the hashtag #WDESIGN.
You can view the #WDESIGN winners here. The W Hotel Times Square Instagram Exhibit is the first of its kind in New York City. The artistic communities of London, Dublin, and Singapore have also had Instagram exhibitions/
Very interesting!