Instagram’s defining square format has changed the way people take and share pictures. Panoramic city skylines become boxed vignettes, and that high-rise shot is pinched and squeezed into an abstract rooftop profile. But that’s all about to change.
Starting Thursday, Instagram will let users upload portrait and landscape photos and video, in addition to the 1×1 square format.
“Square format has been and always will be part of who we are,” reads an Instagram press release. “That said, the visual story you’re trying to tell should always come first, and we want to make it simple and fun for you to share moments just the way you want to.”
Instagram users will be able to adjust the orientation of their photos to portrait or landscape by tapping on the format icon before editing. Once shared, the full-sized version of the photo will appear on other users’ feeds, but the post will still show up as a center-cropped square on users’ profile pages.
The Facebook-owned company said the move is a response to some users’ demands for more flexibility. “We know that it hasn’t been easy to share this type of content on Instagram,” reads the post. “Friends get cut out of group shots, the subject of your video feels cramped and you can’t capture the Golden Gate Bridge from end to end.”
But the change is also a way for Instagram to better capitalize on the growing rise of mobile video, especially as rival service Snapchat popularizes portrait-oriented smartphone videography. “We’re especially excited about what this update means for video on Instagram, which in widescreen can be more cinematic than ever,” the post continues.
Instagram LandscapeInstagram
In addition to the formatting change, Instagram will now allow users to adjust the intensity of all filters with either photos or videos.
The Instagram update will be available immediately in the iOS App Store and Android’s Google Play store.
These Are the Interior Department's Most Popular Instagram Photos of 2014
Our public lands give some of the most spectacular views, like this one of Grand Teton National Park in WyomingChristina Adele Warburg—
sharetheexperience.orgAmerica's first national monument, Devils Tower is a geologic feature that protrudes out of the rolling prairie in Wyoming. David Lane (@drlane56) captured this amazing 16-image panorama of the monument illuminated by the Milky Way and green airglow. Of visiting Devils Tower, David says: "From ancient stories of the Pleiades taking refuge at the top to the generations of Native Americas that held it sacred, it had a deep sense of age and a stoic nature that impressed me. It's so unexpected, so large in person, so steeped in traditions." Courtesy David LaneThis bear is in Lake Clark National Park, a land of stunning beauty where volcanoes steam, salmon run, bears forage, craggy mountains reflect in shimmering turquoise lakes, and local people and culture still depend on the land and water of their home. Solitude is found around every bend in the river and shoulder of a mountain. Venture into the park to become part of the wilderness.Kevin Dietrich——
sharetheexperience.orgA gorgeous photo of the changing fall colors in Zion National Park (Utah). Kevin Roland captured this shot at one of the park's most popular areas -- the Narrows, a gorge with wall a thousand feet tall.Kevin Roland——
sharetheexperience.orgOn October 8, 1964, this Colorado River lake area on the border of Nevada and Arizona became the first national recreation area in the U.S. With its gorgeous contrasts of desert and water, mountains and canyons, Lake Mead National Recreation Area offers year-round recreational opportunities. Cheryl Hobbs——
sharetheexperience.orgWinter has arrived at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, and it is gorgeous! Christina Adele Warburg@christinaadelephoto took this photo last weekend at Mormon Row. Photographers from around the world visit this area of the park to capture the iconic barn with the Teton Range in the background. Courtesy Christina Adele WarburgAn amazing sunrise at Canyonlands National Park in Utah. This photo was captured by Ryan Engstrom on the Mesa Arch Trail -- a popular place to capture the sunrise over the park’s countless canyons and fantastically formed buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Ryan Engstrom—
sharetheexperience.orgThe morning commute is a little different at Yellowstone National Park. Cameron Patrick captured this photo on a cold morning -- just after the bison herd had waded through a river along the side the road. The bisons' body heat caused the water to turn to steam in the cold air, creating mist around the bison.Courtesy Cameron Patrick"If it isn't God's backyard, then he certainly lives nearby." - Robin Williams on Glacier National Park. Kim Hang Dessoliers—
sharetheexperience.orgThe Milky Way over Arches National Park in Utah.Jacob W. Frank
