Now I don’t claim to be a pro, but in the past year my knowledge of Instagram has rapidly grown. With managing my own profile and our Her Campus account at Stout, I have had the chance to practice and master some techniques. So, I thought I’d put together a list of the things I’ve learned.
Natural Light
If there is one thing I took away from years of photography classes, it’s to use NATURAL LIGHT. This is something all photographers will tell you. The result will always be more satisfying than the over saturated and harsh artificial light found indoors. Try to take your photos near a window or outside. This will help remove shadows and distribute the light more evenly, giving the photo a warm tone.
Take a Lot of Photos
We have all had those moments where we thought we took a great photo, only to realize it came out blurry and unusable. One mistake you may be making is not wiping off your lens before taking a photo. Your hands leave oils behind that dirty the lens and can ruin your money-maker shot. You should also be taking photos from your phone’s camera, not through Instagram whose camera is of a much lower quality. I like to take at least ten photos, adjusting the subject and from different angles.
Change Your Point-of-View
I love a good flat-lay, but it’s important to change-up your angles every now and then. Take photos from above, 45 degrees, and eye level. By changing up your angles, you make your feed much more dynamic and less one note.
Background
A good background is important. This is what can make or break your photo. You want the background of any photo to be visually interesting and to compliment the image. I tend to avoid reflective tables and distracting colors that can take away from the focus of the image. I like to use thing like a piece of tile or a furry rug to style my photos.
Apps
I only have two apps that I use when editing my photos, everything thing else I do in Instagram. Facetune is my favorite app to use. Though the actual purpose of the app is to distort faces, I personally love to use it to whiten my photos. The tone and smooth tools are great for getting rid of table glares and dust spots. I also use VSCO to check if a photo fits in my feed before uploading to Instagram.
So these are just a few of my tips on how to better your Instagram account. If you aren’t already, make sure to follow me @livvyloulu.
Olive + Viktor 