Are you tired of Instagram?
Are your photos not getting as much love as they used to?
Here’s everything you should probably know about the Instagram replacement for film photographers.
What Is Grainery?
Grainery is a website and mobile app for film photographers.
In fact, manyphotographers are switching from Instagram to VSCO.
The developers want Grainery to feel familiar but have unique features that those shooting film will love.
Grainery is currently available on itsdesktop site,iOS (Beta), andAndroid (Beta).
For the best iPad experience, visit the desktop site then add a shortcut to the homescreen.
The Home Page
The Explore Page
Thebinocularslogo brings you to the explore page.
This is laid out a lot nicer than Instagram’s.
Your Profile
Your profile page will look very similar to Instagram’s as well.
It’s much easier to find your saved posts, however, as they’re just a tab away.
At the time of writing, there’s no option to organize your saved posts into folders.
Since the website and mobile app are still relatively new, there are a few bugs.
Sometimes, not all the posts you save while exploring Grainery will actually save.
Everything else in your profile will work perfectly, however.
This leaves commenters more likely to talk about the creative nature of the shot.
They make your profile look unique and are incredibly beautiful.
Usingpanorama mode also makes for great travel photos.
Easier Ways to Search
On Instagram, there’s simply one way to search: using hashtags.
There are three symbols that help filter down search results: the exclamation point (!
), dollar sign ($), and percent sign (%).
Placing an exclamation point before your search will filter for types and brands of film.
This feature is incredibly helpful for film photographers.
Placing a dollar sign before your search lets you see photos taken with a specific camera.
Finally, the percent sign filters lenses.
Lenses can be even more expensive than camera bodies, so they’re just as important to research.
See ourguide to prime lensesfor more on this.
This is to keep costs manageable for the solo developer, Kyle Johnston.
FutureGrainery+features are said to include a marketplace, forums, developer database, and a monthly Grain Grant entry.
Should You Try Grainery?
We encourage you to visit Grainery even if you’re not a film photographer.
Photos are treated like art, and even the most ordinary parts of everyday life look extraordinary on film.
We look forward to Grainery’s official launch on all platforms in the future.
