A new Lightroom plugin called simply ‘LR/Instagram’ lets you upload directly from Lightroom without having to export your files.
Getting photos uploaded to Instagram from your computer can be tricky due to Instagram’s lack of desktop support. You can use applications such as Pushbullet, Hootsuite or AirDrop to send the file to your phone but it’s always a process with far too many steps.
This is where LR/Instagram comes in. The unofficial plugin uploads your photos directly from Lightroom to your Instagram account without need for another application or mobile device.
After you install the plugin all you have to do is add the new service in Lightroom Publishing Manager and then authenticate it with your Instagram account. From there it’s as simple as dragging photos to the publish collection for it to immediately show up on your account. If you have more than one account you just add them to a new publish collection.
When you are uploading you can choose to maintain the original aspect ratio by including white bars around your image but the plugin also gives you the option to crop to Instagram’s preferred dimensions.
Screenshot from LR/Instagram
As we all know, an Instagram photo isn’t complete without a hashtag so this plugin, and LR/Instagram supports those as well. Simply add your caption followed by the hashtags you wish to use in a metadata panel. The plugin doesn’t currently support scheduling posts or posting hashtags in the first comment, which for some people could be a dealbreaker.
Digital Trends reports that the plugin works as advertised but there is an issue preventing a small number of users being able to login to their accounts. Developers acknowledge the issue and say they are currently working to resolve the bug.
For now, it’s a free plugin with the option to pay a US$10 registration fee to help support the project. You can download it here and it will work on Mac and Windows with any Lightroom version 3.3 or above.