For several months now, I would say, I’ve been seeing my Facebook friends’ posts through my newsfeed every time someone uploads pictures using “Instagram.”

Mostly, it made me crazy. I’d see photos uploaded and when I’d open them I wouldn’t be able to see each photo individually. Just a larger version of the multiframe format that was shown in my newsfeed.

It took me about six nanoseconds to decide that whatever Instagram was, I was not interested.

But it just kept persisting. And finally, I started getting asked if I have an Instagram account.

Uhhhh ... no.

So I went to Instagram’s website — from my computer. And my conclusion that Instagram was not for me was backed up by their complete lack of an actual website.

Seriously, it’s just a “Welcome to Instagram!” page that tells you absolutely nothing useful about them.

But, eventually, I downloaded the app on my phone and set about trying to figure out how it works, why I want it, and what to do with it.

The problem is not that I haven’t figure it out, the problem is that I think I have. And I remain completely dumbfounded as to why it’s so popular?

Well, I probably know why it’s popular. People take pictures with their phones. It’s an easy way to upload those photos to the internet, share them, and follow others who do the same.

Here’s the problem: I don’t take photos with my phone. I learned a long time ago not to put photos on the Internet unless I have them watermarked. I went through a lot of trouble to figure out how to create a genuine watermark and incorporate it into all my photos. I also put a lot of thought into the camera I use for my photos here at the salon, and I go through a lot of trouble to take those photos with that camera, then upload them to my hard drive, resize them for web use, add the watermark and save them in a web-appropriate pixel density and color profile before I then upload them to not just my website, but to two Facebook accounts (my profile and my salon page), a Picasa album, a Flikr account, a Photobucket account, and occasionally a Tumblr account (when I remember) ... I ran out of space on my NAILS Magazine gallery.

Yeah, I’m kinda serious about getting my work where people will see it.

So, if I’m going to make use of this Instagram account, I have to do all that, then put the resized/watermarked photos back onto my phone and then upload them to Instagram.

Also, Instagram only lets me use square images and my watermark is rectangular.

I’m not saying I won’t be doing it — but I just had to share my frustration with the process.

And yes, I know I can download watermarking apps on the phone. But I still don’t take photos with my phone, and I’d like to keep my watermark consistent ... I’m still working on it.

Follow me (artofnailz on Instagram) if you want to see how the project progresses.