Hipstamatic 300, the final straight!

I’ve just received an email from Hipstamatic: the development of the 300 app is completed and the app has been handed over to Apple for approval. This is the final straight, people… all that’s left to do is wait for the green light from Cupertino, but, it’s virtually impossible to predict when that will be. There is also the possibility that Apple will require a few changes to be made, but we’ll stay positive, shall we? While we wait with baited breath, here’s something rather mouth-watering… :-)

The wait was so long because this version is more than just another update, it is a total overhaul of the application! And what an overhaul! I have been lucky enough to be able to use a beta version for the past nine months and today I would be incapable of doing without it: I have tasted the delights of 300 and I'm hooked.

However, my approval was not a foregone conclusion! I am one of the 'hard line' traditionalists when it comes to Hisptamatic Classic, one of the purists who love the constraints imposed by Hipstamatic Classic but also its ability to surprise and the impossibility of any post editing. I have never been a fan of editing and Oggl just didn't do it for me. With Classic, I always felt as if I had a camera in my hands - not a mobile phone or an editing app.

When I first discovered Hipstamatic Classic, back in 2011, it was love at first sight, so to speak. I rediscovered the joy of photography and so many years later, I am still smitten with it. There is, however, one issue that has always bothered me: the mistakes we make when choosing combos. I often regretted having chosen a certain combo, particularly when I’m traveling. And then, well... it’s too late. With Oggl you can still go back and apply your modifications. On top of that, I’ve found choosing combos can be quite stressful. You get confused and don’t know which one to choose. So, I’d usually make the same picture 3 or 4 times, with 3 or 4 different combos. I’ve always hated those moments of indecision…

With 300, such problems are a thing of the past! You can shoot with Classic and then change combo afterwards! And there is more… The possibilities offered by this version will open up new vistas for your creativity. I will go into more detail in an article but it is now possible to take panoramic shots. Yes, in 16:9! And this is just one of many examples.

(Photo: Herbert Stegeman Triviño Yannuzzi - Lens: Jane - Film: Robusta - Flash: Standard)

That said, I must admit one thing: in December 2014, when I first used the beta version of 300, I was taken aback. I hated it and even questioned whether I was going to continue to use Hisptamatic... I don't like being forced to change my habits and I did not initially understand what Classic had become. How did anyone dare do that to me? Rectangular Hipstamatic shots? Being able to change combo after taking the shot? Changing the exposure, removing a frame, adding vignetting? I felt overwhelmed and it just seemed inconceivable...

Then, over the past months, I tested this version and as is often the case with Hipstamatic, I fell under the spell... You sometimes find that you are initially allergic to a particular film or lens, only to find that over time it becomes one of your favourites. That is also part of Hipstamatic's charm. I suddenly realised that the 300 version was in fact absolutely perfect and gave me the option of even more tools at my fingertips.

("Row to Eternity" - Photo: Chris Stern -  Lens: G2 - Film: BlacKeys XF - Highlights: -10 - Shadows: +65)

Hipstamatic 300 is a breath of fresh air for Hipstamatic and despite radical changes, the application has retained its unique and unmatched charm. But its power has been stepped up tenfold! So I can reassure Classic afficionados: you can continue to use the application as we know it at present. Nothing has fundamentally changed, but it would be a pity not to make the most of the new improvements that have further enhanced Hipstamatic.

So… I hope this has stimulated your "appetite" while we wait for Apple’s approval. I’ve already prepared a few tutorials, which will be published as soon as the offical 300-version is released. I’m really looking forward to your photographs, combos and portfolios made with this incredible new update!

(Photo: Jozef Hipp - Lens: Jack London - Film: Irom 2000 - Flash: Standard)

This post is also available in: French

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