We all have a friend who seems to always have their phone in hand, snapping selfies or turtle pics on the bridge as they walk to class.

They’ll take a picture, cover it with a filter that best hides their flaws (or so they think), and post it on Instagram with the caption “#NaturalBeauty #NoMakeup #Instaflow”.

But, is Instagram photography really art?

Steven Palowsky of Steven Palowsky Photography, LLC is a well-known photographer in the area and uses Instagram to share his work.

“For me, I don’t necessarily want to show very much of my finished, professional work on Instagram, but I will happily show some behind the scenes pictures of me working with a client or maybe some pictures of me and my clients being goofy,” Palowsky said.

In an effort to preserve his work, Palowsky doesn’t use filters on the photos he posts, but still has mixed feelings about their general use.

“Filters are kind of a mixed bag.  When used properly, on what would be a good photo, they can be great,” Palowsky said. “Used incorrectly, they can hurt that same photo.”

He attributes professionals’ dislike of filters to misuse.

“Where filters get a lot of hate is when people try to use them as a magical Band-Aid to try and fix a really bad picture,” Palowsky said.

For the Instagram lover looking to post great pictures, Palowsky encourages to keep a few things in mind before capturing a moment.

“Things that make a photo shown anywhere great are composition, lighting, use of contrast, use of color and subject matter,” Palowsky said.

Instagram’s posting format may also be an obstacle to overcome when taking the perfect picture.

“The one thing that is so different about Instagram from what most people are used to is the square format,” Palowsky said. “Today’s problem is that people are taking rectangular pictures and trying to make them fit into squares, which obviously effects composition.”

Still, Instagram is a growing fad that is a great way to share pictures with people around the world.

“I think Instagram is a perfect place for people to express how they want others to see slices of their lives,” said freshman computer science major Armand Arcilla.

Arcilla thinks Instagram is a good outlet for professional work.

“Professionals should use it to showcase some of their work since it is a social site, and people can spread the word around much faster and more cost efficiently than by any other method,” Arcilla said.

For those that want to meet fellow Instagrammers and share photography ideas, a new trend to check out is attending instameets.

Instameets connect Instagram fanatics in person, so they can share photo ideas, locations and experiences.