If you’ve been paying any attention to the news over the past month the chances are that you’ve heard about Instagram, and more relevantly the fact that Facebook paid around $1bn to acquire tech start-up. But what exactly is Instagram?

Instagram is essentially a photo editing and sharing application available for both iOS and Android smartphones. The beauty of Instagram, as is often the case with the best apps, is its simplicity – users either select a pre-captured image, or an image shot through the application, to which they apply a limited range of editing functions. These consist of applying one of 18 retro filters – each complete with bespoke frame – as well as cropping, contrast toggle and rotate. The user is then invited to add a short caption, geotag their image and share via a range of social networks.

Whilst the editing of images through a limited number of retro filters has caused many to pour scorn on Instagram, citing it as the death of photographic standards, the sharing element of the application no doubt is causing a rise in interest in digital photography on the whole.

You see, the real enjoyment to be had with Instagram is in the ‘social’ – users are free to follow whomever they choose, much the same as on Twitter, and at time of press there were about 40 million users to choose from. Updates from those followed will then appear on your homepage, on which you can then comment or favourite images.

Instagram succeeds in placing an emphasis on the fun and social side of photography and, although it might not be worth quite the $1bn Facebook paid for it, it’s certainly worthy of a download. FOR IOS AND ANDROID DEVICES.