Press Release: Keepsy launches Instagram Gallery
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 9:40PM | Glyn Evans
Keepsy releases first Instagram gallery - Photo album site first to create curated online gallery of Instagram photographers.
Today, Silicon valley startup Keepsy announces the first curated online "gallery" of Instagram photo albums.
"We've heard people describe Instagram as 'Twitter for photos' but that is really doesn't do the application justice. It is so much more than that," said co-founder Blake Williams. "We've been closely watching the photos coming through our system and the quality is simply stunning. Our aim is to create and curate a space that showcases this creative potential for mobile photography."
The list for the first installation is impressive, including Instagram heavy-weights such Richard Koci Hernandez, Carli Keine, Kristen Rodriguez (@koci, @inkedfingers, and @poeticaesthetic) as well as many other top Instagram users, representing over 10 countries.
Williams points out, however, the photographers in the gallery come from all walks of life -- including not just artists and graphic designers, but students and homemakers as well. "The level playing-field that Instagram supports is truly one of its great features," said Williams, "Your photo feed is as equally accessible as anyone else's." One such newcomer to mobile photography is Christina Noerdam Andersen of Copenhagen, Denmark.
"When I signed up for Instagram last autumn I had no idea that it would change my life. Before Instagram I had no idea that I even had a creative bone in my body and the past year has been an eye opening personal journey. And I do not want it to stop. I find the world a much more interesting place seen through my tiny iPhone lens and enjoy finding the subtle beauty in everyday life," said Andersen.
Another ambition of the gallery is to share some of the life story behind each photographer by giving each artist their own profile page. Some, such as Koji Yokoyama of Tokyo, Japan, relate poignant and heartfelt personal episodes in which the Instagram community played an integral part in their lives.
"I started using Instagram a while back when Japan was hit with the earthquake in March and everyone was very fearful and uneasy. At that time I took a peek at the Instagram popular feed and saw a photo of the Japanese national flag and the words "Pray for Japan". Seeing this, I remember feeling deeply moved and at peace. I felt happiness knowing the world was tied together as one. At that time, more than words, I truly felt the magnificence of 'Photo Communication'," said Yokoyama.
Gallery visitors can view some of each photographer's most popular photos, as well as purchase photo books of each artist's work. Keepsy shares the revenue of each album sold with the photographer.
The gallery is a permanent feature of the site, and can be viewed here: http://www.keepsy.com/gallery
The site is also accepting nominations for additional photographer entries to the gallery on the site.
"This is just the beginning," said Williams. "It's a revolution in photography."
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About Keepsy
Keepsy is a site that uses the power of social networks to create custom, collaborative photo albums. People can create their own custom albums and invite friends to add their own photos and messages to the album. Keepsy was founded by Peter Weck, Blake Williams, and Kai Zhao. Keepsy's investors include James Hong, Tim Connors, and Dave McClure's 500Startups fund. To learn more about Keepsy, please visit www.keepsy.com
Keepsy in Exhibition, Instagram
Reader Comments (1)
But am I the only one struck by the missed opportunity for many of the books? I assume the photographers put together their own Keepsy books?
Only a couple arranged their photos in any discernable theme. In fact, I think the Keepsy folks have unintentionally illustrated one of potential pitfalls of Instagram -- there are a couple photographers whose work is so uniform in tone and subject... seeing the pics one at a time in a stream is one thing, but when you are presented with a book of the same tonal ranges, same borders, blah blah blah... I found myself unable to look at the photos of a couple of these people, despite trying twice! I don't think it's a coincidence that the longtime professionals, used to organizing their work, did a better job of their Keepsy albums.
And only one person that I could see incorporated text into their Keepsy book. Which is a huge missed opportunity. Indeed, I wonder why -- there are some awfully good Instagrammers who incorporate poetry into their works (like @dopez). And there are tons of Instagrammers whose captions make the shot. Featuring some folks like that would have been smart for Keepsy to illiustrate the potential for a book. Instead, it's a missed opportunity until they update their roster.