Prisma

2016 is the year of the debilitating dilemma of joining the prisma wagon and embracing the Al-powered photo editing app. There is no doubt “being prismed” has taken over Instragram but has it been a unanimous favourite?  

The answer is a big no!

When it comes to Prisma, you probably stand tall in your viewpoint and you can expect either one of two answers of the question, “Prisma: Yay or nay?”

Prisma is well preceded by its reputation. If you have said 'yes' to Prisma, you are probably an excited one, ready to turn your selfies into a Rembrandt. Playing a make-believe game where you've dubbed yourself Picasso or Van Gogh is pretty exciting and appeals to the inner artists in some of us. Filters enabling its users to contort images to the patterns of famous artists, creating timeless art lure even the most experienced editors among us into downloading the app. Other pros working for the photo editing app are that it is currently free and, arguably, the most superior among its competitors. 

On the other hand, Prisma haters are absolute in their dislike. If you ask a Prisma naysayer why he hates the app, all he will let out is an exhausted “it is awful” without giving anything definitive away. 

Although social media or peer pressure may have forced you to download the app, if you hate it there is no turning back. While the supporters find the unique charm of being animated into a cartoon character, the opposers loathe it to their bones. The tacky transformation of a normal selfie into a comic strip does not always bring out the best in pictures. Nevertheless, the individual, cartoon-esque effects may work well on landscape portraits or the natural scenery. Not all apps and filters are fitted for mainstream selfies. But what really lets the app down is the tragic fact that it cannot be operated offline. If you have a Wi-Fi connection out to test your patience, using Prisma will be the most time-consuming thing of your day!

Prisma's success was sealed when it had one million downloads in its bag.  While the pursuit of staying in trend continues, so does the debate of Prisma users over their eternal love and hatred. 

By Ramisa Haque
Photo: Collected