hooray you're in!

Best photo for instagram


Top Tips for Taking Shots With Just Your Phone

Capturing a good Instagram photo with your phone is harder than it looks! To help you create an Instagram feed that makes people go "wow" (and get you more Instagram followers), we've put together the ultimate guide to taking and editing photos for Instagram - all from your phone!  

Photographer and popular Instagrammer Jordan Dyck is sharing the best kept secrets in the industry to creating good Instagram photos that you can use right now:

Step 1: Setting up your Phone

Before you can even begin to think about composition, lighting, and editing, there are two things you need to know about how to work the camera on your phone in order to take a good Instagram photo:

1. Under-expose Your Shot

Have you ever taken a photo of a bright sky, only to realize later that half of it is over-exposed? Mobile phones tend to blow out portions of your photograph naturally, resulting in over-highlighted areas. But there’s a trick to fix this: under-exposing your shot. It’s better to have a slightly under-exposed photo that you can then brighten with editing, instead of ruining the whole shot with over-exposure.

To under-exposure your photo on an iPhone, tap and hold the brightest area of your phone, which locks in the focus and exposure. After you’ve done this, you can move your the camera around to compose the photo you want. Perfect for those product shots in the sunlight!

2. Keep HDR Off

HDR (High Dynamic Range) is hard to get right and can make a picture look unnatural and overdone. Essentially, the function takes many different exposures of the same photo, and puts them together in one photo so you have tons of details. Keep it simple, less is more when it comes to taking good Instagram photos.

Step 2: Capturing the Shot for a Good Instagram Photo

There are two key things you should think about when capturing the perfect shot: composition and lighting. If you get these functions down pat, dream-worthy Instagram photos are definitely in your future.

1. Composition

Successful composition relies on one primary goal; finding a way to direct your viewers to the subject of the photo while capturing a story or emotion. When composing a good Instagram photo, there are a few things you should keep in mind in order to take your photo from “good” to “wow.”

Rule of Thirds:

The Rule of Thirds is considered the golden rule of photography. It’s applied by aligning a subject with literal guidelines and their intersection points made into squares, to allow an image to flow from section to section and create energy and interest.

Lucky for you, your phone has an amazing grid tool that does this for you. All you need to do is turn on the “grid” setting in your phone’s settings for your camera. The blogging babes over at A Beautiful Mess nailed it with this picture perfect hot air balloon, which is perfectly centered in the middle of the grid.

TIP: If you are in front of a door, stand in the middle of it and distance your grid equally for instant impact. Pay attention to every detail, and vary your subject along these lines or intersections to create interest and variation that’s appealing to your followers.

Create a Signature:

Having a unique style for your Instagram feed is essential to standing out and finding success on Instagram. When people visit your page, you want them to have an idea of what your work is like and what kind of content they can expect from you. Instead of thinking about each Instagram photo, think ahead and plan out your Instagram feed as a whole.

You can preview your Instagram feed using Later on your phone or desktop, so you can see how all of your photos come together, and re-arrange photos if you need to!

Learn more: 3 Steps to Plan the Perfect Instagram Feed

Stick to a Palette:

Whether it’s a color palette or a style palette, finding and sticking to a theme that works for you will make your Instagram photos really pop. A quick expert tip is to choose a warm, cold, or neutral color palette for your Instagram feed. Neutral is generally minimal and best used for fashion, lifestyle and home brands.

Warm photos are generally travel bloggers, while cold photos can best be seen in nature or landscape photographers. Sugarfina does an amazing job at showcasing a progressive color scheme that changes with seasonal campaigns. There’s an effortless transition between the styles they float between.

2. Lighting

We all know the heart-crushing feeling when you take a good Instagram photo, only to realize it’s been completely over-exposed by the sunlight, or that awesome selfie at the bar was just too dark to be Instagram-worthy. Before you start shooting, remember that if you have a badly lit photo, nothing can save it. Keep these tips in mind when planning a shoot:

Use Natural Light:

If you’re shooting on an iPhone, it can take really fantastic photos when there is enough light. When you’re shooting indoors, sit near a window and away from any artificial light that could tint your photographs yellow.

Shoot at The Right Time:

Planning to take photos at dawn or dusk will result in soft shadows and light contrasts, and there’s really nothing more important for taking a good Instagram photo than perfect light! The same benefit can be said for golden hour, where your subject can be backlit and gives you a mind-blowing result. It also saves you time with editing, like you can see in this gorgeous Madewell glow.

Cloudy vs. Sunny:

Our tip? Embrace gray weather with open arms. Cloudy days are actually excellent for shooting, because the light spreads out everywhere and you’re able to do so much more to the photograph in post-production. These are also the perfect days to take selfies!

A Few of Our Favorite Instagram Photo Types

Here’s an example of how to compose and edit stunning Instagram photos for your brand, using some classic Instagram shots:

For Foodies: The Top-Down Foodie Flatlay

How to perfect the classic, mouth-watering food shot.

  1. Find a photogenic spot.

     Look for wooden tables, marble slabs and anything else that might work as a simple, but textured backdrop for your food. Don’t forget to grab a seat by the window for that natural light!

    captures the texture of the wooden table at

    with their handy iPhone.

  2. Increase: Exposure, Contrast & Sharpness.

    Bringing up these editing techniques just a bit will add some life to your food. But be careful not to overdo it! A few notches and you are golden.

  3. Add a little fade which will bring the photo together for that instant wow.

For the Blogger: The Wall Backdrop

If you’re really serious about creating eye-popping Instagram photos, start mapping out every cool wall in your city for the ultimate photo fun (and engagement). Studio DIY’s Wall Crawl is a great place to start.

  1. Center your focus: pop yourself straight into the center of your frame (remember the rule of thirds) and let the wall do the work for you! Your fashion blog just hit a whole other level of cool.

  2. Bring out the wall in editing: Make the wall pop from behind you with a little increase in saturation, and play around with your temperature to find that perfect fit.

For the Traveller: Little Human, Big World

If you want to take killer Instagram photos in nature, you have to go all out. Venture to unknown cliffs and landscapes no one knew existed. Flight Centre Australia worked with influencers from around the world on their #OpenMyWorld campaign to capture some breathtaking photographs that left us all with some serious wanderlust.

  1. Find a wide backdrop

    Visit National Parks, explore daisy fields, and venture out at golden hour. Wherever you find yourself, find a backdrop that’s wide enough to immerse yourself into the wild.

  2. Enter in your focal point

    An open landscape shot is beautiful, but adding a little human in the distance makes your audience picture themselves there. Instant like alert.

Step 3: Post-Production & Editing Techniques

You’ve captured an awesome photo, but how do you turn it into a drool-worthy good Instagram photo? With so many editing apps available, it can be difficult to figure out where to start! Here are some of our favorite instagram photo editing apps, and some helpful tips to get the process started:

How to Use the Best Editing Apps for Mobile Photography

VSCO – An elegant, easy to use app that’s a must for every serious Instagrammer. With beautiful and minimal one-tap presets; we suggest picking a favourite preset and using the adjustable filter strength to a 4-6 to find the perfect style for your brand. If you want to make your feed consistent, sticking with the same filter or pack of filters is an easy way to make all your Instagram photos come together. They have a pretty cool community too.

Snapseed – The ultimate fine tuning app; Snapseed is an all-purpose photo editor perfect for image enhancements and corrections. We suggest using this app to crop, rotate, straighten and adjust your perspective before sending it to Instagram. Snapseed also has features you won’t find on other apps; adjust the “ambiance” of your photo for a moodier or softer vibe, or use the brush tool to brighten, darken, or saturate specific parts of your photo. You can also use the handy healing tool to edit out any blemishes or stray people who may have wandered into your shot.

A Color Story – If you love bright whites and colors that pop, this is the app for you! Each filter is created with color in mind, and their “Disco Ball” filter will instantly eliminate shadows and make your whites super white,  which is perfect for product shots. You can also fine-tune your photos with their unique S-curve editing tool.

TouchRetouch – Remove any unwanted blemishes and objects from your photos with ease. Use the brush or lasso to select the object you want to remove, then let the app replace that selection with the surrounding image. Perfect for those pesky sun flares!

And of course, Instagram: Instagram’s own photo editing software has improved dramatically over the years and we highly recommend adding it to your editing lineup. Up your “lux” a bit for a quick boost to your photo, then use the in-app software to add some final touches to your brightness, contrast, or temperature.

Learn more: 13 Awesome Apps for Marketing Your Business on Instagram

Final Tips for Editing Instagram Photos on Your Phone

Just remember that a little goes along way when it comes to making a good Instagram photo. When Instagram first became popular, users went a little bit filter crazy (thank you automatic Bokeh). Finish editing your photo, and then take a step back, literally. Come back to your photograph later to check if you’ve over-edited. If you’re using any filter, keep it simple and put the scale down to a 3-6 intensity level.

With so many options, it’s easy to overdo it when it comes to photo editing. If you’re a beginner, stick to the golden three: brightness, contrast and saturation. Move between the edited and original versions to make sure you find that perfect fit for your photographs.

Later is the #1 Instagram marketing platform for business. Sign up for free to schedule Instagram posts, organize UGC, plan your feed, and more.

How to Take Good Instagram Photos: A Step-by-Step Guide

Remember the first mobile phone cameras? And the grainy, blurry, low-quality photos they produced?

Well, these days phone photography is capable of some pretty impressive feats. Plus, unlike that bulky DSLR that you haul out for vacations, it’s always at hand.

Learning how to take incredible shots using only your phone is the best way to stand out and build a strong presence on Instagram.

In this post, you’ll learn how to take good Instagram photos using only your phone, and some Instagram picture ideas to inspire your feed.

How to take good Instagram photos on your phone

Learning how to take good photos on your phone requires understanding some basic principles of composition and lighting, and honing your own instincts as a photographer. You just need to follow a few simple rules.

Step 1: Use natural light

Lighting is the foundation of a good photo. Understanding how to use light is the first and most important rule of getting great photos using only your phone.

Avoid using your flash in favor of natural light, which creates photos that are richer and brighter.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LIZ (@really_really_lizzy)

A flash can flatten out your photo and wash out your subject. If you can’t shoot outdoors,  take photos near windows or in well-lit rooms. Even at night, it’s preferable to find sources of ambient light, like street lamps and store windows.

Step 2: Don’t overexpose your images

You can brighten up a photo that’s too dark with editing tools, but there’s nothing that can fix a photo that’s overexposed.

Prevent overexposure by adjusting the lighting on your screen: tap and slide your finger up or down to adjust exposure.

Another way to prevent overexposure is by tapping your finger on the brightest part of the frame (in the case above, it would be the windows) to adjust the lighting before snapping your photo.

Step 3: Shoot at the right time

There’s a reason photographers love golden hour. This time of day, when the sun is low on the horizon, makes every photo more beautiful. It’s nature’s Instagram filter.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Peter Yan (@yantastic)

If you’re shooting at midday, clouds are your friend. It’s hard to get a good shot under direct sunlight, which can be harsh in photos.

Clouds diffuse the light from the sun and create a softer, more flattering effect.

Step 4: Follow the rule of thirds

Composition refers to the arrangement of a photo: the shapes, textures, colors and other elements that make up your images.

The rule of thirds is one of the most well-known composition principles, and refers to a simple method of balancing your image. It divides an image into a 3×3 grid, and aligns the subjects or objects in a photo along the grid lines to create balance.

For instance, you can center your photo:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Valley Buds Flower Farm (@valleybudsflowerfarm)

But you can also achieve a pleasing effect with “balanced asymmetry”, where the subject is off-center but balanced out by another object. In this case, the flowers are arranged in the lower-right area of the photo, and are balanced by the sun in the top-left corner.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Valley Buds Flower Farm (@valleybudsflowerfarm)

Pro tip: Turn on the gridlines for your phone camera in settings, and use them to practice aligning your photos.

Step 5: Consider your viewpoint

When you take a photo on your phone, you probably hold it up around eye level and snap, right? That’s what everyone else does, too. Resist this natural tendency if you want to take interesting, unexpected photos.

Taking photos from a different vantage point will provide fresh perspectives, even when it comes to a familiar place or subject. Try shooting from above or below, crouching low to the ground, or scaling a wall (if you’re feeling ambitious).

Don’t break your leg in pursuit of the perfect shot, but challenge yourself to see things from a new perspective.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by demi adejuyigbe (@electrolemon)

Step 6: Frame your subject

Leaving space around the focal point of your photo can add more visual interest than zooming in. Sometimes you get a surprising detail that makes the photo even better, like the moon high in the sky of this photo:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by nicole wong 〰 (@tokyo_to)

Unlike a camera with an adjustable lens, your phone camera “zooms in” by shrinking your field of view. In effect, you are just pre-cropping your image. This can limit your options for editing later, and you might miss interesting details, so avoid doing it.

Instead, just tap your photo subject or focal point to focus the camera.

If you want to give yourself even more options, you can buy an external lens that fits on to your phone.

Step 7: Draw the viewer’s eye

In photography, “leading lines” are lines that run through your image that draw the eye and add depth. These might be roads, buildings, or natural elements like trees and waves.

Keep an eye out for leading lines and use them to add motion or purpose to your photo.

You can use leading lines to direct the viewer’s gaze to your subject, as in this shot:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Daichi Sawada (@daiicii)

Step 8: Add depth

It’s easy to focus solely on the subject of your photo, whether that’s a person or a handsome slice of pizza. But photos that include layers, with patterns or objects in the background as well as the foreground, are naturally interesting because they offer more depth.

This photo, rather than just cropping tightly on the flowers, also includes the railing behind them, a tree beyond that, and then a sunset and horizon. Each layer of the photo offers something to look at, drawing you in.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ALICE GAO (@alice_gao)

Step 9: Don’t forget to get creative

Some photos on Instagram are so popular that they become cliches, inspiring an entire Instagram account dedicated to repeat images. Don’t get so caught up in Instagram photo trends that you lose your creativity.

You want to stand out from other brands on Instagram, so always challenge yourself to find a fresh angle on a common subject. This will also help you establish a distinctive and memorable brand identity.

Watch this video for even more tips on how to take good Instagram photos on your phone:

10 Instagram picture ideas

Now that you understand the principles of photography, let’s talk about subjects.

There are certain subjects and themes that perform well on Instagram because they offer wide appeal and tons of visual interest. Take note, because posting engaging content boosts your visibility on Instagram.

Here are a few Instagram photography ideas to consider:

1. Symmetry

Symmetry is pleasing to the eye, whether it appears in nature (Chris Hemsworth’s face) or the man-made world (the Royal Hawaiian Hotel). Symmetrical composition often enhances a subject that might not be exciting otherwise.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ALICE GAO (@alice_gao)

You can also break up your symmetry to add interest. In this photo, the bridge creates vertical symmetry while the trees and sunlight break it up.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by scottcbakken (@scottcbakken)

2. Patterns

Our brains also love patterns. Some Instagram accounts have even amassed huge followings by documenting beautiful patterns, like I Have This Thing With Floors.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by I Have This Thing With Floors (@ihavethisthingwithfloors)

Our universal love of patterns also explains the viral appeal of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s mirror rooms, which create infinitely repeating patterns of simple shapes and colors:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by USA TODAY Travel (@usatodaytravel)

Look around yourself for inspiration. Architecture, design and nature are all sources of mesmerizing patterns.

3. Vibrant colors

Minimalism and neutrals are trendy, but sometimes you just crave a pop of color. Bright, rich colors make us happy and give us energy. And when it comes to Instagram photography, they make a big impact on a small screen.

They can even make a plain high-rise building look beautiful:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zebraclub (@zebraclubvan)

4. Humor

If you want to be depressed about the state of the world, go to Twitter.

Instagram is a happy place, which means humor plays well here. Especially in contrast to the perfectly composed and edited photos that proliferate on the platform. Funny photos are a breath of fresh air for your audience, and they show that you don’t take this whole thing too seriously.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Caroline Cala Donofrio (@carolinecala)

5. Candid action

Capturing your subject in motion is tough, which is what makes it so impressive. A compelling action shot is exciting and arresting. It turns even an ordinary subject into something lovely:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by stella blackmon (@stella. blackmon)

You don’t always need to strive for perfection either. Sometimes a little blurred movement adds an artistic, dreamy touch:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Valley Buds Flower Farm (@valleybudsflowerfarm)

When taking action photos, take multiple options to increase your odds of an amazing shot. You can use burst mode (by holding down your camera button) to capture 10 photos per second.

6. Detail shots

A sharp focus on an unexpected or interesting detail can be attention-grabbing, especially in a feed full of busy, dynamic photos. It’s like a palate cleanser, offering a sense of stillness and calm.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Truvelle | For modern brides (@truvellebridal)

Using Instagram editing tools like vignette (dimming the edges of your photo) or tile shift (which creates a soft blur around your focal point) can enhance detail photos.

Take your photo from a close distance to preserve quality. Shooting from far away and cropping lowers the image resolution, leading to grainy, lackluster photos that damage your brand. Make sure you’re uploading images that are sized for Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Caroline Cala Donofrio (@carolinecala)

7. Captivating backgrounds

This is a simple technique, but it works: take advantage of an awesome background! It’s the reason you always want to take a selfie in a restaurant bathroom with killer wallpaper. People curate good photo walls for a reason.

The more creative your background, the better. As in this example, a gorgeous background can be the perfect complement to a product post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Charlie & Lee (@charlieandlee)

8. Animals

Some things are true, even if we don’t really understand why. Yawning is contagious. Light is both a particle and a wave. Instagram photos are better if there’s a cute animal in them.

It would be fair to say this is the cheapest trick in the book. But if you have an adorable pup at your disposable (or, just putting this out into the universe, a miniature pony) it would be a mistake not to use them.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kaia & Nicol 🇨🇦 (@whereskaia)

9. Food

Did your mom ever tell you that your eyes were bigger than your stomach? Nowhere is that more true than Instagram, where we can’t get enough of food photography.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Great White (@greatwhitevenice)

The secret to an excellent food photo? Shoot from above, take advantage of photogenic surroundings, and use natural light. The last one is especially important, because the people eating next to you definitely don’t want to be interrupted by your flash.

10. People

Research has found that people love looking at faces on Instagram (hello once again to Chris Hemsworth). In fact, photos with people get up to 38% more likes than photos without.

To take a stunning portrait, follow the principles above: use natural light, choose an appealing background, and explore shooting from different angles to capture a more interesting shot. Some phones even include a portrait mode, which will optimize lighting and focus.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tidal Magazine (@tidalmag)

Now that you know how to take amazing photos using your phone, learn how to edit them using our step-by-step guide, or watch this video tutorial that walks you through the foundations of how to edit your photos for Instagram using Adobe Lightroom on your phone:

Save time managing your Instagram presence using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can schedule and publish photos directly to Instagram, engage the audience, measure performance, and run all your other social media profiles. Try it free today.

Get Started

How to take a beautiful photo on Instagram: from theory to practice

You must have heard that Instagram* is a social network for visuals, and photos are of paramount importance here. Not without exceptions, but that's how it is. What to do if you want to conquer Instagram *, but you have never been a photographer? How to take cool photos on Instagram*? Don't be upset, believe in yourself and read this article!

Benefits of Instagram* for non-photographers

If you have long been attracted by the art of photography, but are frightened by the number of complex words, technical nuances and long processing, your time has come - Instagram* will solve problems and awaken dormant creative potential. After all, everyone can take cool photos on Instagram* and upload normal, high-quality content to their profile!

A phone is enough

You don't have to buy a big expensive camera to take cool photos for your Instagram account*. You can get by with a smartphone with a good camera.

Single photo format

By default, there are two types of photos on Instagram*: square and rectangular. This means you don't have to worry about cropping, weight, or photo size. The social network will think about it for you. Catch cool shots and upload to your account by publishing a post or story.

Read our blog about the nuances of uploading photos to Instagram* without cropping.

If you make it a rule that your profile will contain only Instagram photos*, that is, square ones, you can do the following:

No photoshop needed

In the case of an ordinary camera and an ordinary website (or social network), it takes effort to turn a simple photo into a beautiful photo. Pictures will have to be uploaded from the camera to a computer, deal with processing programs (Photoshop or similar), learn a lot of complex words, like “exposure” or “trimming”. It's easier with Instagram.

The application itself has a shooting function. You can edit brightness, contrast, saturation and other parameters in the application by moving your finger along the scale. Here, on Instagram*, there are many filters that are superimposed on the photo with a touch, even a child can handle it.

When standard photo editing tools are no longer enough, check out our articles for more applications:

  • photo and video editing for Instagram*;
  • top 25 services for working on Instagram*.

Tip: If you don't want to share a photo taken and edited with Instagram*, save it to your smartphone.

After applying the filters, click "Download"

Insta photography theory

When deciding how to take good photos on Instagram * on your phone, follow a few simple rules.

Daylight

Light from a chandelier and lamp makes the photo yellow and distorts colors, so if you are new to photography, shoot only in daylight - it is the most advantageous. Daylight doesn't mean sunny day, it's just daylight hours. In this light, the photo turns out “as if alive”: with natural colors and shadows.

You don't have to go outside to take a photo on Instagram* in daylight, you can also take pictures at home. If it's dark at home, get closer to the window, shoot on the windowsill, or set up a photo zone next to the window.

Compose

The social network is not an online store, and photos of items on an etched white background that look great in a store window on Instagram * usually do not arouse much interest. Here they love photos with details and textures that are interesting to consider. In this case, you can use a white background, but if it is a sheet or a blanket, the frame will become more interesting. In addition to them, you can use a special photophone. Backgrounds come in different textures and colors: under the tree, under the concrete, under the brick - choose any.

The photophone itself, of course, is not very interesting. To make it interesting, you need to put something on it. It can be postcards, books, magazines, cookies, flowers, travel magnets - all that junk that gathers dust on the shelves and it's a pity to throw it away.

But if you are thinking about creating an online store, read “How to take a professional photo for Instagram *”, “Hand-Made. How to make a selling photo of a product” on our blog.

Clean lens

It may be obvious and funny, but it is the smudged lens that often prevents you from taking normal photos on Instagram*. One day I decided that my phone was broken: all the photos turned out to be cloudy. A few hours separated me from buying a new phone, when I realized that I just needed to wipe the lens.

Wipe the lens. Always clean the lens.

Focus on

There may be more than one subject in the frame. The most clear should be the main one. To "catch the focus" it is enough to poke your finger into the desired object on the phone screen.

Take a lot of shots

Back when everything was shot with film cameras, every shot was worth its weight in gold. Now, in the digital age, we can click the shutter until our phone runs out of space. Then remove the excess and click again. This is good, because it is not always possible to "see the frames" the first time.

Tip: Take multiple shots at once. Swap items in places, add new ones, remove unnecessary ones. Then choose the best option and publish a post or story.

The practice of insta photography

In theory, everything is simple and clear, but in practice, accounts are full of trash pictures. Why? Because after the lecture it is necessary to work out seminars to consolidate the material. And if “just a photo” in stories is still somehow appropriate, then beautiful photos should always be taken for posts on Instagram *.

Find examples

Taste can be trained like a muscle. Perhaps now you don’t know what a “beautiful photograph” is, how to build a frame, how to lay out small things on a photo background. But there are many who know and post cool photos on Instagram* - find them! Subscribe to accounts that you like, whose style is close to you. Let their photos constantly flash in your feed.

Practice

You can't use other people's photos. But you can take your photos "based on". At first, this will help you to “fill your hand” and feel the insta-style in photography. Do not worry that you are repeating, because you are unlikely to get exactly the same photo.

Over time, you yourself will learn to invent and see shots, and the need for repetition will disappear by itself. Repetition is only needed at the very beginning while you are learning. I myself went through this, learning to photograph from other people's photographs.

Friend / foe

Gather the base and ideas

Among the pictures you view, there will most likely be those that you can hypothetically repeat for your profile. Surely you also have beautiful bedding, or a cool mug, or you can also lay out dry leaves in a book, or it’s interesting to gut a bouquet. If you like the frame and you understand that it is not difficult to recreate it, take a print screen and save the idea for creating a photo in the Instagram format*.

Change your angle.

The simplest thing you can do. What is the point? You are asked to take a picture of a person. You take your smartphone, stand in front of it and press the button. Do not do it this way.

Squat or stand up so that your faces are at the same level to prevent the person in the photo from turning out to be short-legged. For the next shot, climb somewhere higher and take a picture from above. Squat down and take a picture from below. Come closer and again from below. Take a photo from the side. Go behind the tree and take a couple more shots through the leaves. This is called changing perspective.

lissa.zn and _lsvln_ just put a smartphone in an unusual place for shooting, and the result was not “just a photo”

When you look at cool pictures on social networks, not necessarily people, think for a second where was the photographer at the time of the shoot. And how would the frame turn out if the photo was taken in a standard way, from a height of human growth.

You can't say better about the importance of the angle.

The technique is also suitable for subject shooting. You can take a beautiful photo of a mug on a table on Instagram* from a dozen angles: from the side, placing the smartphone on the table, just from the side, from the side of the handle, from the top in the center, slightly tilting the smartphone from above, and so on.

Reflection.

Also an easy trick. Look for reflections: in shop windows, in puddles, in mirrors, in sunglasses, and even in broken glass, if you're not superstitious.

irenaponaroshku and kristikut are experimenting while relaxing on the beach and taking Instagram photos* for posts and stories

Get deeper.

Cool trees, flowers, grass, children's climbing frames? Don't stand in the background, go inside if possible.

akmaral_bekmaganbetova and analim_oni were not afraid to go deep into the thickets

Seasonal photos.

There is something beautiful in every season. If you get stuck with ideas, remember what is now, what will not be later, and take a picture with it. In winter, it is snow, snowmen, a fairytale forest, garlands in the city and cool shop windows, snow fun. In the fall ... yes, you yourself will continue this list better than me!

In spring nature wakes up and photographer.victoria28 takes a photo with everything that woke up, filling the feed with spring content

Focus on one subject .

Often, seeing something cool, we take and take a photo thoughtlessly. Tip: Your shots will look more professional if only a small part of the beauty is in focus, and the rest goes into the background.

An example from my dacha. Pay attention to the grid - the main object is better placed along the lines or at the intersection points of the lines. The eye is so pleasing

A part of myself.

The picture will attract more attention if you shoot not just an interesting street or forest, but insert a part of yourself into the frame. Let it be your legs, or a hand with a hat or ice cream, it doesn't matter.

There is a story hidden behind such shots...

Film life .

When you blog and look for footage, walk the streets of the city and take a closer look at your surroundings. We all often hurry somewhere, and do not notice many interesting things. You can also ask to take a picture of you "in the crowd." Here you are going somewhere, or sitting on a bench thinking, and people, bicycles, cars are hurrying around. Just make sure the focus is on you.

Tip: if it's difficult, imagine that you are a reportage photographer, and your task as a newspaper editor is to capture the life of the city :-)

Natural frames .

Arches, a large mesh fence, an art object, even an inflatable swimming ring can become a kind of photo frame.

When shooting outdoors, just think about what could serve as a frame for a photo, and most likely, you will quickly find the right one. v.olga3 and krutikova_yana found ideas for Instagram photos*

Repeating objects, symmetry .

A row of identical cars, a long fence, even identical white sneakers lined up - all this attracts attention with its repetitions. The same with symmetry: the eye automatically begins to look for inconsistencies in ideality, and you have earned attention to your photo.

monika0305 sees symmetry in architecture, red_apple_photo in nature. When there is no symmetry around, create it yourself like ya.shedow

Use shadow .

Difficult but interesting technique. An ugly shadow will spoil even a beautiful shot. Do you want chic? Train your eyesight and repeat like a pro.

little_studio and irenaponaroshku and their shadow games

Funny shots .

The main rule is not to overwork. Such shots are best done by people with a good sense of humor.

Which of the “fu, not funny” photos do you think?

Selfie stick and tripod .

The tripod helps you avoid hand shake when taking pictures and take selfies without help. And with the help of a selfie stick, you can get breathtaking and amazing shots.

What is strength, brother? In stick, selfie stick

Camera zoom .

Do not use the zoom on the smartphone, it is better to approach the object yourself. In a smartphone, the zoom is not the zoom of a professional camera. It will ruin the photo quality.

As you can see, everything can be learned if you really want to. And Instagram itself is ready to teach you this. Your task is only to find what you like, remember and practice a lot.

Cool shots for you!

How to take cool photos for Instagram*

InstagramProduct belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. remains a social network about beautiful photos, so you can't do without good shots. Amplifer support manager and InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. - Blogger Anastasia Chernykh has already told how to blog in InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation, and now explains how to learn how to take cool photos, find your own style and make publications more attractive.

Learn the basics

You don't have to use a camera to take beautiful photos for Instagram* - your phone's camera will often suffice. But getting basic knowledge about photography is still worth it.

First, get familiar with the basic concepts:

  • Exposure is the amount of light that hits the camera matrix. The exposure determines the brightness of objects in the frame.
  • Composition is the arrangement of objects in a photograph.
  • White balance is a color tone that reflects the lighting and temperature of the image.
  • Contrast is defined as the ratio of the brightness of the lightest area of ​​the image to the darkest.
  • Saturation is the intensity of the color in the photo and how rich and vibrant the photo looks.

This knowledge will help you avoid mistakes at the very beginning.

20% discount for the first two months in Amplifer using the promo code AMPLI20

Study the composition of the frame

The composition is responsible for how the objects in the photo are located - this helps to make the frame harmonious and interesting. If you are not going to do photography professionally, then basic knowledge will be enough for you. I'll tell you about two options for arranging objects in the frame that I use:

Rule of thirds . Divide the frame into 3 equal parts horizontally and vertically so that the main objects are located at or along the intersections of the lines.

The subject is at the intersection of lines

Diagonal rule . Draw a diagonal from one corner of the photo to the other. The diagonal from the lower left corner to the upper right is more “calm” and is called descending , and the opposite, from the lower right corner to the upper left - ascending , it is more "active".

An example of a composition with a descending diagonal

This means that if you arrange objects along an ascending diagonal, the frame will be more dynamic, and if you place it diagonally downward, it will be harmonious and peaceful.

An example of a composition with an ascending diagonal

You can turn on the grid in the camera settings on your smartphone - turn it on and it will be easier to deal with the composition.

Shoot in good light

A photo in good light is good for your avatar - it's an important part of your profile. Light is the basis of everything. When it is good, the photo does not require additional processing.

Good lighting on the left vs bad on the right

For beginner photographers, daylight will be a real help and will do most of the work - the frame will be rich, with natural light and shadows.

In winter it is better to take pictures from 10 am to 3 pm in clear weather, and in summer there is much more time - suitable light from 7 am to 9 pm. These recommendations are suitable for most residents of the European part of Russia.

Photographers have the concept of "golden hour" (Golden Hour) - this is the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. At this time, the light is soft and especially suitable for shooting.

Photos taken during the golden hour

Important: You can shoot during the daytime and when there is no sun. Moreover, taking pictures in bright sunny weather is much more difficult than in cloudy weather - extra shadows and sharpness appear.

And it is better to publish beautiful photos on Instagram* through Amplifer. Add a description, hashtags, and tags so you don't forget anything. Try 7 days free trial

Get the most out of your phone

Often your smartphone can do more than you think - be sure to explore the camera's settings and features and see what it has to offer. Portrait mode, stabilization, optical zoom, reticle or HDR will all help you when shooting.

For example, HDR is available on almost all smartphones - it creates several frames with different exposures and combines them into one shot, so the photo is clearer and more contrasty.

On the left is a photo without HDR, on the right is with HDR

Be sure to wipe the camera before shooting - such a trifle, but the frame will definitely be better 🙂

Do not forget about processing applications make the picture better, keeping the picture natural. The main thing here is not to overdo it with filters - do not use filters to the maximum and do not go away from natural colors. We have compiled a selection of apps for beautiful photos in Stories.

And to make a photo, try using apps to create beautiful "Stories" in InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation.

Applications help you correct light, remove excess, make your photo brighter, emphasize details and bring frames to a unified style. Here are my favorite apps and why:

VSCO is the most popular and easiest photo editing app. It has 15 free and more than 100 paid filters, you can edit the exposure, contrast, sharpness, saturation, add graininess.

Snapseed is a simple application for editing basic parameters with filters ("styles"). From interesting:

  • A photo enlargement function that "enlarges" the photo to the desired size.
  • Spot correction removes unnecessary objects from a photo. For example, you can remove wires from a photo.
  • HDR adds this effect to the finished photo
  • Double exposure combines multiple exposures into one for an unusual effect.

Lightroom is one of the coolest applications for light and color correction, which spoils the quality of the source the least. There are curves for editing here - they help distribute the brightness of each pixel in the photo.

In Photoshop Fix , you can not only edit light, colors, brightness, temperature, but also remove unnecessary details from photos using the Recovery tools.

Here you can choose point restoration or the stamp function - in the first case, you just need to swipe over the object and the program will delete it for you, and in the second case, you yourself choose from which part of the photo you will take the part for replacement.

Also in this application there is a Liquify function that will help you adjust the shape of objects and add volume. Do not abuse, please - real photos always look more interesting than retouched ones to the ideal.

Remove silhouettes of people in the background in Photoshop Fix

To maintain an account on Instagram*, try Amplifier: it publishes photos, videos and carousels to the feed, collects statistics and suggests the best time to post. 7 days free

Shape your style

It's important to find your style - then your photos will catch on. Think about what profiles you enjoy looking at? Through which photos would you like to present yourself? What do you like to photograph?

And go in search of inspiration in InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. and on Pinterest - find a few blogs whose style is close to you, save photos and take note of interesting ideas. Then try to repeat and turn on your fantasy. You should not get an exact copy, because each author brings something of his own to the frame 🙂

For example, I really like the profiles snova_nastia, vicky_od, kate_voina - sometimes I take note of ideas for a photo from them.

Publications snova_nastia

Another way to develop your style is to shoot everything that seems beautiful to you. Take 10-15 frames, process them and evaluate the result. What photos came out? What color is dominant? Is it possible to group them and get a beautiful picture?

Through the search for inspiration and daily practice, you will find what you can call your style 🙂

Don't be shy

Nowadays, a person photographing food, the city or himself does not surprise anyone. There is nothing like stopping, taking a picture, setting the timer on your phone, or asking passers-by to take a picture of you.

Get ready to experiment and look for unusual angles in pursuit of a beautiful photo.

Feel free to ask friends or passers-by to take a photo. The main thing is to explain what you want to see in the frame - then everyone will be satisfied.

Make a variety of content

Try different styles and don't get stuck on one thing - shoot portraits, food layouts, selfies, architecture, landscapes. Don't be afraid to shoot close-ups - this way you can get more interesting angles.

The more diverse your content, the more interesting the feed looks, and the higher the engagement of readers will be - everyone will want to go to your feed, view an interesting frame and leave a comment.

InstagramProduct belongs to an organization recognized as extremist on the territory of the Russian Federation. and other popular social networks are conveniently managed in Amplifer. Make posts for all platforms in a convenient editor and schedule posts directly from your computer. Try a trial period of 7 days, no card needed

How to take cool photos for

InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation.:
  1. To get started, learn the basic concepts of photography - read about exposure, composition, color balance, contrast, saturation of photography.
  2. Check out all the features of your smartphone's camera, maybe it can do more than you think.
  3. Learn how to place objects in a frame - the rules of composition will help you with this.
  4. Shoot in good light so you don't have to worry about post-production - the light does it all for you. Try taking pictures during golden hour.

    Learn more

© SUSIE Hadeed PHOTOGRAPHY | designed by rachael earl

@susieHadeedon instagram »

expect your free download link shortly!