A picture is worth a thousand followers, and dollars. At least with Instagram, it is something like that. With over a billion users in 2020, Instagram is not only for vanity. People around the globe are on Instagram for both pleasure and business. It’s great for networking, sharing content as well as building a following, but with over half a billion active monthly users, just how do you stand out? Better Instagram photos if not stunning photos are one sure way of standing out.
With over 80% of its users on mobile devices, Instagram has become the home of carefully curated photos that showcase very interesting aspects of businesses or people’s lives. Their engagement metrics continue to be one of the most sought after KPIs for companies to measure.
It’s a great platform for launching campaigns and advertising as they quickly gain traction through hashtags and reposting to large audiences.
Individuals as well as brands have mastered how to take better photos for Instagram because it has evolved from purely a social media platform to an e-commerce. It’s therefore obvious to notice that in order to build a successful profile whether for business of for pleasure, you must create eye-catching and thoroughly engaging better Instagram photos.
Why Better Instagram Photos Will Make or Break Your Brand
Instagram is 100% visual. And naturally people are more drawn to attractive and more appealing images, there’s just no better way to engage your followers. And of course the more engagement your content gets, the more likely that it’ll pop up in people’s feeds, including people that don’t follow you. Better Instagram photos will give you a competitive edge.
Apart from this, if you’re in Instagram for business, this will determine how your sales will be particularly if you will be using shoppable posts to drive your traffic. The number of people depending on social networks to help them make purchasing decisions keeps rising, then you must showcase your products in the most appealing way. How will you do this? Here are some of the best strategies.
How to Take Better Photos for Instagram
1. Take Time to Prepare
Instagram is rooted in social glam and style. For this reason, before you even start working on the photos themselves, you need to plan for your aesthetic. This will guide you on how to actually take the photos.
Aesthetic is primordial for your entire visual identity board. This is going to act like your reference point during the creation of your photos to ensure that they align with that your brand identity.
Your planning involves doing all the groundwork in order to achieve the look and message you want your photos to convey. It’s about scouting for locations that will help your images pop out best, it’s about all the equipment and supplies you will need e.g. for your backdrop or for your flat lays. Will you need people in your images as models?
All this prior planning will enable you to put together the ideas and all the set up necessary to take better Instagram photos.
2. Know Your Equipment
This sounds big, but it might mean your simple phone camera, or yeah, any other camera that you plan to use. But the truth is most of the Instagram photos you see have been shot with the ordinary phone cameras. With that said, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t invest in a great camera if you can. But if you can’t, leverage what you have as best as possible. This involves understanding your exposure, focus and so on.
For instance, your mobile phone offers crazy flexibility when testing out different sizes or modes that can give you amazing quality results. When using a more advanced camera, there are some few terms you need to familiarize yourself with – these are Shutter Speed, ISO Speed and Aperture. All the three work harmoniously to give you varying exposures.
Shutter Speed controls the amount of time the image is exposed to light.
It can reduce or increase blur, for instance if you want to capture a waterfall, you would use a slower shutter speed so that more time is allowed on the water to give it that smooth appearance. Alternatively you can use a faster shutter speed if you want to capture a quick moment.
ISO controls the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor to light.
The lower your ISO the clearer your shots will be more advanced cameras can offer this. If your ISO is high, you’re likely to get grainy photos. High ISO is used when taking photos in low light situations.
Aperture controls the areas on which the camera receives more light.
It can create depth for your images; they look sharper or shallower, how? Here is an example. If you’re shooting a watchtower that’s a distance away, you will require a narrow aperture so that it can reduce the size from which the camera receives light and that enables it to focus further for much more clearly.
On the other hand if you’re taking shots of an image that is close by, you can again adjust the aperture to wide in order to let the background fade away into the distance while allowing your close subject to be more clear and in focus.
So, how can you adjust your exposure settings?
Auto Settings – Your camera can automatically configure the 3 above settings by itself, but before you go with this, ensure they’re giving you the best possible shots for better Instagram photos.
Manual settings – This means you adjust the 3 settings by yourself in order to get the required image.
Program settings – Your camera can set the shutter speed and aperture, then you manually set your ISO speed.
Aperture Priority – Here you set the ISO and aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed.
Shutter priority – Well as you might guess, here you set the shutter speed and the ISO while the camera sets the aperture for your shot.
With this basic camera setting information, you should be in a better place to get the best exposure and take better instagram photos.
3. Your Composition Matters
Composition simply means your Instagram photo arrangement. It’s about the textures, shapes and other elements such as color, that together make up your photo. In photography, the best way to create a balance is by using the rule of thirds.
The rule of thirds is a principle that guides you to divide your frame in 3 evenly spaced vertical lines and another 3 evenly spaced horizontal lines. Where these lines intersect is where your subjects in focus should be placed, this aligns your composition and creates a perfect balance.
Fortunately for most Instagram users, they use mobile phones to take photos, so on your phone, just turn on the grid feature in your camera settings and that’s it. You’ll be well on your way to make your Instagram photos better.
4. The Angles
Resist the natural and common way of taking Instagram photos. Don’t just hold the camera up around your eye level, try different angles and points of view. Make your Instagram photos better by providing them with a fresh perspective, you can take a pic from below, the very top, I mean if you feel the inspiration, climb up and take a stunning shot from the top, just be careful as you challenge yourself.
Fresh perspectives can give an ordinary object a brand new look that may bring new meaning to your followers. Remember, Instagram enables you to use square, horizontal or vertical oriented images, so the world of angles is your oyster, don’t limit yourself.
5. Lighting
Lighting is the foundation of any great photo. Excess lighting will wash away your subjects, too little light and no one will be bothered to figure out what you’re trying to show. Therefore, when taking your Instagram photos, you must be aware of how it affects your composition. Here are some tips:
Natural lighting
This is the best lighting option if you really want to take better Instagram photos. This is not to suggest that you point your camera at the sun, unless you’re shooting silhouettes. Avoid using the flash as well when using natural light.
The blazing daytime sun may not be the best if you want to shoot outdoors; it has a way of adding ugly shadows on your subject. Instead, try get under an open shade to allow as much light to but avoid the blazing overhead sun. For best results, make use of the golden hours, that is early morning or just before dusk.
For indoor Instagram photos, you can position your composition near a window or door. You may have to open the curtains and blinds to allow as much light as possible. On the other hand, if there is too much light entering the house, you can diffuse it by use of plain white sheer curtains for better Instagram photos.
Pick the best time
This is to simply emphasize what has been said above; you can pick to go with the golden hours or you can opt for an overcast day to do your shoot outside in order to avoid the blazing sun, the clouds are a great light filter. This is going to be dictated by your brand theme and language; i.e. the kind of layout you are creating in your visual identity board.
Reflector effect
This is something that bounces your natural light and minimizes shadows to create a perfect lighting balance. This is especially useful if you have light coming from one direction or source in your room. You can achieve this balance by placing a white cardboard against the light near your composition to fill that light balance effect.
6. Fuse Strong Contrasts and White Backgrounds
Strong contrasts mean using bright colored subjects against plain backgrounds especially white, or alternatively you might have dull or plain subjects against a bright background. Such a background allows the subject to be observed as it is, to release its own message
You can consider a background as an extension of your subject, the thing that helps it pop! Besides color contrast, consider shapes and patterns that complement each other. It’s all about the elements that help bring out the subjects in the best way possible.
For best results, keep your colors within the same tone family, it shows you’re intentional in your chicness.
7. Let Your Point of Interest Stand Out
Your Instagram photo may have multiple objects but the one that you want to draw the viewer’s eye must stand out. The other objects just play “supporting role” to the main subject. It may stand out due to its size, color, movement or any other feature.
If this is not achieved, your image will end up looking cluttered and will force the viewers to try making sense of what it is exactly that you’re trying to show, or say.
There are people who get completely repulsed by such images to a point where they move on quite quickly. A photo with too much activity but no specific story is stressful. Try your best to keep your focus point on your main subject. Make you Instagram photos better by making your message clear from the first time someone lays their eyes on your Instagram photo.
8. Capture Moments of Activity
Take better Instagram photos by inserting some action in them. It’s also a great way to show your followers that you can go an extra mile for them by offering something unique. This could be at a sporting event, a water splash on a face or honey dripping from the jar and so on.
You can easily achieve this through the continuous burst shot mode. Most smartphone have this feature, this mode allows you to take a series of shots in a row and within a short time and can give you a couple of options from which you can pick your best Instagram photo.
It’s all about using creativity to stand out from other brands by using fresh angles for common subjects.
9. Get Steady Shots
You will need a steady hand to take crisp Instagram photos. If you don’t have a tripod, then your hand it would better be as steady as possible. Alternatively, you can look around your shooting location for steady surfaces such as tables, benches, trees, rocks and so on. Whatever you do, get a steady shot.
You could also invest in a mini-tripod that you can place your camera or phone on I order to get those steady shots for better Instagram photos. Remember tripods can also help you take amazing selfies or photos of yourself without necessarily needing anyone to help you. You just set a timer and voila!
10. Master the Flay Lay
This one is valid especially for the foodies. Flat lays are excellent when shot in natural light and in square format so you don’t have to crop out some parts of your photos later. For best results with flat lays, get backgrounds that complement the items without distracting the viewer. As said above white backgrounds or wooden surfaces do a great job.
Another thing for you to consider in your composition: leave some space between your objects or otherwise you’ll have a cluttered looking Instagram photo.
So, as you arrange and test for different layouts, leave a little space. For a great layout, try placing the larger and smallest items next to each other or layer them up putting the small ones on top of the bigger ones. Try different layouts until you get the perfect shot.
In Editing, Less is More
When using the advanced cameras, it’s best to shoot RAW as this will give you more details and highest quality Instagram photos. When it comes to editing, they also allow more details to work around.
But irrespective of the camera you use, a little editing may sometimes be inevitable. The secret is in going easy on the editing. When you do too much you might end up creating unappealing images rather than making them better Instagram photos.
Basic and simple editing involves playing around with shadows, highlights, contrast, warmth, adjust brightness or reduce saturation. It’s really simple and easy to do. When done, it’s always advisable to compare the original to your final product to ensure it’s how you like it.
If you don’t have the technical skills to edit, there are many great apps that offer filters and effects that you can use to make your Instagram photos better. You can use filters to brighten foregrounds or darken your shots by using gradient filters. For that retro vibe you can use the vignette filters. Whatever you choose, don’t overdo it.
Some of the best apps you can use to edit your Instagram photos are Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop or VSCO.
Quick Expert Tips To Go Along With Your Better Instagram Photos
Let Your Captions Tell Stories
Your captions can be long and in-depth or they can be short and sweet, no matter the format you pick, keep it fun, engaging and inspiring. Subtly lead people to take actions, you can ask them a question or encourage them to share their experiences. This will earn you likes and comments that will boost your engagement.
Stay Consistent
This doesn’t mean simply scheduling a post each day, it’s more about the quality of pictures you share. Only post your best photos. For instance, if you’re a foodie, don’t post about shoes today then tomorrow about hats. You’ll throw your followers off balance; stick to the picked theme and give it your best always.
Interact with Your Followers
Interaction on Instagram is important. This is not a one way traffic, responding to their comments shows appreciation and builds your audience.
Study The Ever Changing Trends
The social world never stays the same, new trends are evolving every other day. For this reason, you have to keep your eyes open. That does not mean that you should copy each and everything you see, but rather get familiar with them and leverage on them in your own terms whenever you can.
Enjoy Taking Your Instagram Photos
This is your passion, enjoy it. Enjoy every work you put into it, it’ll get easier that way. It’s about focusing on photography as one of the most fun activities out there. Enjoy the clicks and the whole experience. This love and fun, will eventually find its way through your better Instagram photos to your followers.
Wrap Up
The tips and tactics above are great and can have such an immense positive effect on your work. But you have to love and enjoy the process to really be able to give it all. This positive effect is the same that flows to your followers when they look at your best or better Instagram photos and make them hit the like button or comment. In simple words, pour your heart into it.
