While it can debated the usefulness or destructiveness of Instagram, we’ve been down that road already. I think we’re stuck with it for a little while, regardless of its real usefulness or any lasting effect upon our photography. What’s interesting is that now it’s turning into a reference point in an of itself.
That’s weird, when you think about it: a tool that is itself a reference to an earlier moment in photographic history, has become a moment of its own, stripped of reference. Here’s evidence of that: David Box has begin converting Instagram filters into Photoshop actions. Save this bookmark; chances are you’re going to have someone ask you to duplicate one of their Instagram photos in the future.