Photography has always been important in my life. I think it is a great way to communicate and, basically, be artistic. I can’t consider myself an expert, but I have learnt quite a few things over time. Thanks to this, I can now take really nice photos, or at least, that is what I like to think. I would like to share some tips in this post that may be useful for you to improve your photos, especially if you are planning to post them on Instagram.
First of all, a photo should attract people’s attention. There are many ways by which you can do that, but the most important one is composition. Think about the image before you take it. Each element in the photo should be placed correctly, always interacting with the other elements. This may sound very complex, but it can be easier that it seems sometimes. We normally do it without thinking, but if you are struggling with this, you can follow the rule of thirds, which is in fact very useful. Most cameras and phones already show the lines on the screen, so you shouldn’t have any problem.
However, try not to stick to it all the time and go out of the comfort zone. If you break that rule, you may get an amazing photo too. Explore the possibilities. In order to control all of this, I would recommend you to shoot in square mode if you’ll upload it to Instagram afterwards. This way, you will be able to know if you can fit all the elements in the photo or not.
Another important aspect to keep in mind is the light. You can use many different kinds of artificial lighting, but the best one is natural light. You just need to shoot outdoors or very close to a window. If you are shooting outdoors, I’d recommend you doing it when it’s a bit cloudy or the sun is not at its best, otherwise, you’ll have too much light. Anyway, if that’s what you are looking for, do it.
The great thing about controlling the light is that it can help you play with the shadows. Personally, I really enjoy a photo in which the elements are well exposed and the shadows are nice and deep. This contrast is absolutely beautiful. I would recommend you trying this, as it will add depth to your image, which is also very attractive.
The thing about Instagram is that you need to take very special photos so that people can really appreciate them. For this, apart from taking a good picture I would recommend you trying to connect them. The best way to do this is by sticking to a certain colour palette and create an Instagram theme. It will look very interesting and people will be more likely to start following you. It won’t be easy to maintain, so it will also be a kind of challenge. However, your theme should not restrict you too much, otherwise, it won’t be as enjoyable.
Your position while taking the photo is another aspect you should worry about. We tend to take all the photos in the same position, but changing the point of view can turn a very ordinary photo into an extraordinary one. It may seem irrelevant, but you can improve your photos with it a lot. Your theme will also look better if each photo is taken from a different perspective. You can check out my Instagram account (here) as I am quite proud of it atm.
You should also keep in mind what Ernst Haas said: ‘The best zoom lens is your legs’. Move your butt and get closer to what you want to capture. Of course, it depends on the situation, but normally photos are better if you follow this advice. Sometimes we are a bit too lazy for this to be honest, but this little effort will be worth it. Moreover, if you zoom in on a phone, the quality will be worse.
I hope you enjoyed these random tips so that you can know how to take better photos in general, and also Instagram photos. I would recommend you reading a lot about this subject. There are plenty of books about it. Also, you can read NamelessJeff’s post (here), as this post has also been part of our Instagram series. You can check out our previous posts too here, here and here if you want. Let me know if you have any question or if you have any other advice that can help me too.
