Before Instagram, there was Hipstamatic, at least in my world. I'd long considered buying a Diana or Holga camera, but thought the prints would cost too much in the long run. So happy was I when the Hipstamatic iPhone app came on the market -- what fantastic technology, to be able to imitate the effects of a Holga virtually!

But the Hipstamatic app isn't free, and Instagram is. Instagram offers -- or offered -- a lot more filters and made it easier to alter and edit previously taken photographs. That option isn't even available for Hipstamatic, which pretty much simulates a lomo camera in that you must take the photograph using the app or you can't use the app at all.

I heard that Hipstamatic, in collaboration with W Magazine, had released a free "pak" (what they call sets of lens/frames and sometimes "camera cases") in preparation for the upcoming Fall Fashion Week in New York City. I hightailed it over to my Hipstamatic app to download the new pak, and whatever marketing tactics they had up their sleeve worked, because I realized I'd missed out on a bunch of paks while cozying up with Instagram and downloaded 2 more (paid ones): "Made in America" and "Bondi." (While kicking myself HARD in the shin for missing the limited edition "SXSW" freepak and  "Nashville" pak.)

So I've been playing with my new filters (mostly the "Made in America" one) since then, and here are some photos I've taken: