When Facebook was able to bolster revenue by buying up the popular photo sharing app Instagram, pretty much everyone took note. But Google (News - Alert) has done more than just take note; it seems to now be entering the mobile photo sharing game itself with the recent acquisition of Nik Software.

Nik Software is the company behind Snapseed, a photo sharing tool similar to Instagram.

Snapseed is itself very popular, having reached the nine million user mark in June – approximately a year after its initial release. Additionally, the app was named iPad App of the Year in Apple's (News - Alert) annual best of the year list, the iTunes Rewind 2011, while in 2012, it received the coveted TIPA award for Best Mobile Photo App from the international Technical Imaging Press Association.

"Everyone now wants a photography experience that is not limited by their device and expects the same level of quality from mobile photography that they have with their cameras and computers," said Michael J. Slater, president and CEO at Nik Software.

In a lot of ways, the acquisition makes sense as Google still struggles to gain ground in social media with its Google+ network, which has actually had some success with photographers. Apparently, Google+ does a better job of showcasing their work than other available alternatives.

While there have been few details released about the deal, some have suggested Twitter (News - Alert) may have also been interested in purchasing Nik Software, based on the fact that the company's cofounder and chairman, Jack Dorsey, started using Snapseed back in May.

Lately, though, Dorsey has been sticking with Twitter's own native photo sharing feature.

Nik Software also has other products besides Snapseed aimed at the more serious photographer community, including HDR Efex Pro 2, a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop which allows photographers to create "exceptional, natural and artistic images." The updated version of HDR (News - Alert) Efex Pro features a powerful tone mapping engine, offering superior speed and quality, as well as the company's patented U Point technology, which enables precise, selective fine tuning.

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