Let’s see—the skies are blue, the clouds billowing, the cold breeze gently touching my face, and the Eiffel Tower majestically standing in front of me. All I needed was my camera to record this perfect summer moment in Paris.

As I finally focused and compose my shot, I pressed the button. Nothing happened. I did it again, this time with concern. Still not working. I anxiously tried a number of times, with the scary thought that I went all the way to Europe with a nonfunctional camera. And that’s the biggest nightmare a photographer can ever experience. I was out there without a working camera, in front of all those beautiful monuments and landmarks I could not capture.

Looking around, I found people holding up their iPhones. Yes, I could use my phone and post them on Instagram at the same time, I thought. Lately this has been some sort of addiction  in my studio. My employees and I have been in a friendly competition on who can post the best photos, and since I was in Paris, I was sure to get more “likes” and followers. So, will I actually survive my European trip without a DSLR? I smiled and thought, why not?

A lot of followers

Instagram is an application for both smart and android phones. Apparently, like Facebook and Twitter, they are gaining a lot of followers, such that even inside the movie house, in the middle of a movie, I still see people “Instagraming.”  Talk about addiction!

For those who have been living under a rock or who have just landed from Mars, Instagram has been in existence since 2010. Instead of posting an event, statement or your status in the social network, Instagram has used pictures to tell the world where you are, what you’re doing and what you’re thinking. But unlike Facebook and Twitter, instead of words, we use photos.

Since photography has been so accessible and Photoshop so common, Instagram, has even included filters and correction apps in the program. So whether you are an amateur, professional or just a curious photographer, this is the app you will surely enjoy.

But not everybody likes this. I had a few people come up to me, expressing their disapproval and concern about my joining the Instagram family due to my so-called status as a professional photographer. Seriously? Relax. Enjoy it like Twitter or Facebook.

Moments of beauty

So, did I survive my trip without a working camera? Of course I did. Photography is not about your camera or your gear. It is about the eye that captures that moment of beauty that affected you. In this day and age when digital technology has grown by leaps and bounds, with so many gadgets that you may or may not need, why would I even limit myself? The possibilities are endless.

I can express myself in so many different mediums, including a mobile phone. Now it depends on who pulls the “trigger”: some people see it as a toy, some to connect to the worl.  I do it to express myself and connect with other curious photo users.

Honestly, it beats thinking within 140 characters on Twitter or having to think of something witty or intelligent to post on Facebook. Just take that picture, apply the filter, then post. There is, of course, the anxiety of wanting people to like the post, but who cares? At the end of the day, that image you posted is shared to the world. It’s like being published, one way or another.

Here are a few of the photos I posted in Instagram of my European trip last July. Tell me it doesn’t serve the same purpose as reportage, only this time with the flair of filters. I repeat that old cliché, “A picture can paint a thousand words.” In this case, I write less but there is more to see. Enjoy.

Follow me in Instagram: RAYMUNDISAAC and discover my world.