5 Things: Taking Better Instagram Pictures.
This has to be one of my most requested posts; how I take Instagram photos. I’m an Instagram obsessive, and I usually upload a picture per day so it’s no surprise I’ve got the App sussed. I’ve been using it for a few years now and I don’t see myself getting sick of it any time soon.
I use an iPhone 6 (previously a 5 until the camera broke) to take my photos, which is a pretty impressive camera – but I guess that’s what you expect from technology in 2015! I don’t often use my SLR for Instagram photos because I don’t think they ever look as sharp, but if I do I change the size to 1280 x 1280 and then email it over. You really need to up the saturation though, as camera to phone pictures are always really washed out. I tend to just take a photo on my camera, and one on my iPhone for the best result.
Lots Of Light
I think this is key to any good photo – a well lit subject always looks best. Instagram now has the feature to edit your photo in the App, so I recommend playing around with brightness in order to get a more clear, brighter image. You don’t want to wash out your image, so go easy on the brightness and play around with contrast and highlights/shadows too.
Tap To Focus
I see (and take!) so many photos that are instantly improved by focusing the photo, so remember to tap the screen where you want the image the sharpest. This just makes the photo really crisp, and also adjusts the exposure and white balance for the photo. You will notice that if you take a photo of a room or something similar, if you tap on any dark areas, the whole image brightens. If you tap on an area of white, the image darkens – a handy tip for creating an image with the best possible light.
Make Use of Apps
“What App do you use for your photos?” is a comment I (and other bloggers) get asked often. In truth, I just use the Instagram App, I have Afterlight and VSCO but I’m usually happier with the Instagram result than anything else. I used Afterlight all the time before Instagram let you edit the photos in their App, and VSCO is good as you can purchase more filters so you can find one that works for you and your style. Lots more variety! For reference, I love Hudson as an Instagram filter, and Sierra is great for selfies. Juno is another favourite of mine, so bright and warm!
I really hate the white borders around photos, this may just be me but I love the standard square Instagram snaps. I tend to have my camera set on ‘square’ when I take photos, so I can get the full image in, in one go. This way I avoid having to crop out any details or whatever – it just works better for me and I prefer the end result. This is just personal preference though!
Take A Few Practice Shots
If you scroll through my camera roll, you will notice that I have three or four photos of the same thing, every damn time. Sometimes it just takes a couple of takes to get the right snap, especially to avoid shadows, move unsightly extras out of the photo or whatever. It means my phone is overloaded with random photos of my meals, but it’s worth it for the likes. Do it for the likes, you guys.
Shake It Up
I find flat-lay images work really well for food, beauty products and outfit details, and I also love photos with one plain background (like the waffle snap) as they really stand out. I like to work on my grid as a whole too, so when people come to my profile, they’re overwhelmed by how beautiful my feed is (lol). Saying that, I do think it’s good to shake it up and work with different styles – change up the filters, switch out your photo styles and add in some colour. The minimal black and white photos don’t appeal to me all that often, I prefer lots of colour – but let your personality shine through and all that.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram here, and share any of your tips below…
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